Never Forget

Nine years. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long.

I was in Idaho visiting my sister…I know, shocking that I would be in Idaho. I had driven up with Big J and Einstein for our yearly get-away. Big J was 3 and Einstein was going to be turning 2 soon. I was pregnant with Roo, but didn’t know it at the time. We had a fun trip and I was planning on leaving on the morning of the 12th. I was still in bed on the morning of the 11th when Big Daddy called and said to turn on the news there had been an accident. I turned on the television and a few seconds later the second plane hit and the realization that it wasn’t an accident hit just as hard. I just sat there and held my babies and watched the news.

All I could concentrate on was getting home. I just wanted to be home with my family all together. The only problem is the small towns in southern Idaho and northern Utah got a little nervous over the attacks and for a very short time they were rationing gas and gouging the price per gallon, so even if I wanted to leave I was, in a sense, trapped. But on the morning of the 13th I was ready to leave. Niece and Kirk were trying to convince me to stay since we really didn’t know what the future held for our country. They figured it would be much easier to take care of my little family in a small rural community than in a big city. BUT my family wasn’t together and that was all consuming for me. As I left in my minivan with my little boys I was nervous for a trip that was so familiar to me. There was very little traffic on my drive home, it was almost eerie how empty the roads were, except for the large number of cops. I have a small lead foot problem, but trust me on this trip I think I drove the speed limit the whole way.

I was relieved to be home, but shocked that our Country had been attacked in such a way and would never be the same.

In some ways we were better. I loved the outpouring of patriotism and seeing flags flying everywhere. We weren’t white, black, brown or whatever…we were Americans. Finally, again it was acceptable to be a Proud American.

How quickly times have changed.

The war in Afghanistan to capture the terrorist leaders is an afterthought in the news, unless someone famous was killed. The President has apologized to most of the world for the fact that we are Proud Americans. I watched his news conference yesterday and was saddened by his lack of patriotism. There was a specific question about the mosque being built at Ground Zero and his answer was just more “let’s play nice”. I know this country was founded on religious freedom. It’s something we hold near and dear. Just because someone has a right to do something doesn’t mean it’s right. It is completely disrespectful to all the innocent Americans who lost their lives nine years ago. It has nothing to do with religious freedom and everything to do with respect. Many people that have negotiated with the developers and they are unwilling to move it. Why? Most of the negotiations have included fair and even overly fair incentives, not just some insane guy in Florida who has a church so he thinks he speaks for Christians and wants to burn the Qur’an. But still they insist on building it there. During the news conference a reporter brought up Israel and Palestine and asked if it was in the best interest of everyone involved for Israel to continue the moratorium on settlements in Palestine and of course the President said he felt that yes they should continue the moratorium until everyone can come to a peaceful agreement. Now why can’t that sentiment be extended to something as contentious as building a mosque on Ground Zero? Do I think the Iman of the mosque had anything to do with 9/11? No, but I don’t think he is as respectful of others and their beliefs as he expects everyone to be of his.

Okay I will get off my political soapbox and go back to hugging my littles and continue to teach them to be Proud Americans!