Remembering 9/11

The last time the 11th of September fell on a Tuesday, 19 thugs killed over three thousand innocent people in New York, DC and Pennsylvania. The victims weren’t all soldiers or politicians. They included regular people: business owners, members of the clergy and people that work in numerous jobs and industries. Some of these people were parents, husbands or wives eager to get home to see their families or traveling as part of their job to provide for their families. Sadly, the victims also included children, even babies. Not all victims were Americans either – people from over 70 countries lost their lives unnecessarily.

With an election next year, there is a lot of discussion about the response that the United States has taken over the last six years. Unfortunately, most of that discussion has been clouded by political agendas and rhetoric. Perhaps the most troubling are the sound bytes from the entertainment industry – particularly Chrissie Hinds’ 2003 quote: “Bring it on, I hope the Muslims win.”

It’s too bad that most of today’s coverage of the 6th anniversary of this tragic day will focus on whether or not the Bush Administration has failed, the war in Iraq and celebrities that think just because they play someone intelligent on television, that they are in fact intelligent.

I would like to give my regrets to those who lost loved ones six years ago during this heinous attack. I particularly want to thank the firefighters, police officers and civilians that assisted others and prevented even more casualties – some of these true heroes made the ultimate sacrifice in doing so. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice.