quote:
Originally posted by DeepFat:
If I were young enough, and felt the way I do, I would want to engage Al Queda, with a knife in my teeth and a rifle. I still do, but they won't take me. Who knows, perhaps I will go anyway.
DF
I understand you completely. I had the exact feeling, had it after the Cole was attacked as well. I sat in the lobby of the journalism building (where they have speech class) at UNA for hours watching that on CNN. I spent 6 years in the Navy, and the attack on the Cole probably hit home just as hard for me. You realize what folks on that ship were doing to save that ship and their mates. Just like you think about what those folks in the towers were doing and thinking.
I do agree that it may be too early for a holiday, but, if we wait and do it later, it may end up like memorial day (BBQ's, parades, etc). If we make it a national holiday soon enough, more people like you and I may be more willing to spend the day thinking about those people and those times and celebrate their heroism.
I see us getting further and further away from that strong nationalism we felt that day and for MONTHS following. I am guilty of it too. The Flag does not fly in as many places and we are getting closer and closer to Sep 11th becoming another day of rememberance, instead of a day of action, a day of nationalism. We are beginning to loose the feelings that we had for a long time after Sep 11th:
"We are not Republic or Democrat, we are not black, white or asian, we are not Christians or Muslims, we are not men or women,
We are Americans, nothing less. I hope we can find that feeling again as a nation and remember that, no matter what, we stand as the symbol of freedom for all those that seek it....
Kirk