Do we really need to relive 9/11 every year? Well, do we want to continue living in a free country? Turn on the TV. Watch a special about 9/11. Relive that moment. What went through your head? We were alive when that happened and actually experienced it--all of us in different ways. It’s like our grandparents being alive when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, except they weren’t able to watch from their living rooms.
Watching first in confusion when we heard the news of a plane crashing into one of the twin towers. Then in horror as we watched another plane crash into the other tower---sadly realizing this was not a mistake but an intentional act to hurt the people of our country. Learning that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon. Wondering what building would be hit next. Praying that no other hits would take place. Crying as we watched one tower fall, knowing there were people still inside, and unwillingly acknowledging that the other tower would probably not remain standing either. And, yes, aching pain searing through our hearts moments later as we watched the other tower fall as well. Who were the people that had to die that day, in that way? And who did they leave behind? Hugging the nearest loved one, sobbing together, watching the pictures of NYC on TV---dust where once stood a declaration of the greatness of our country and the people in it.
Then, overwhelming pride mixed with mourning, as we learned of Flight 93: they had figured it out in the air! They had figured out what was happening and had come together to do something about it. Like the people of this great nation had done so many times before, the passengers on Flight 93 came together to uphold their God-given freedoms; to uphold life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and to preserve these inalienable rights for others, even at the expense of their own lives.
Yes: remember! Learn. Learn history. Learn the history of this great nation of ours. Learn of its successes and failures. What can we learn from them? One thing that pertains to us right now is the ongoing cry by some for a “change” to the economic structure of the U.S. Why? Can’t we learn from history that communism and socialism have failed to bring about the “changes” that their founders claimed they could achieve? The biggest “leveling” factor in the history of the world is the United States Constitution. It has brought more freedom, more opportunities and more wealth to more people than anything else in the history of the world. The standard of living in the U.S. is unprecedented, and other nations that have caught sight of the vision of this document, allowing the freedoms and liberties and restricted government outlined there to take hold in their own nations, have come to realize similar blessings.
Why do you think people have been flocking here from around the world since this country was founded? Have you been to a second or third world country lately? If not, I urge you to visit one. Look around. See how people are living there. Heck, try living there yourself for a year or two. It brings a sense of gratefulness for where you were blessed to have been born that is not soon to be forgotten.
Do we want to hold on to one of the most important documents in the history of the world, the U.S. Constitution? Do we want to preserve our freedoms? Then, for the sake of your future and your children’s and grandchildren’s future, REMEMBER 9/11.
