The day after 9/11/01 I wrote this letter and emailed it to our local paper. I was offshore in Trinidad working at the time and was glued to the TV watching CNN and CNN world. I flew home through Miami exactly one week after to find that my letter had been published in the paper as a "Viewpoint" article. Here it is, complete as it was published in the Herald Bulletin.
Over the course of the last week I have sat and thought about what I could say to the rest of the world. I am an ordinary US citizen and have virtually no power to talk to the rest of the world. Yes, I do have email and a telephone but I cannot reach as many people as I would like to. I, the everyday citizen who has no special talents, am not an actor, am not a political figure with a booming voice that can be heard through political circles around the world. This is my media to express my opinions and thoughts. This is the way I can communicate with people; with other normal everyday people to show the thoughts and feelings of one individual.
I am currently at work and in a place that I am confined to for several weeks at a time. When I get here I cannot leave unless relieved. I cannot go home to spend time with my wife and unborn child. I cannot go out to the movies. Normally I accept all of this as part of my job. But this last week this has been damnable. It has been very difficult to stand by and not be able to do anything. I have been here all along watching these tragedies unfold in front of my very eyes on the television and read about them in the local newspapers. I have internet access and have seen the pictures and read the stories posted on various web sites. I am saddened by all that I have seen. I am even more saddened by the fact that I cannot leave here to offer my knowledge and skills to those who need it. My heart aches. My sense of security thrashed. My nation violated. My assumed safety horrified. My anger increasing. My sympathy mounting. My tears always flowing.
September 11th was America’s second “Day of Infamy.” That day will always be remembered by the generations alive today. History has been written and will be re-written. It will be seen, heard, and remembered by the future generations in their history books, on old video archives, and on old press clippings on microfilm at the local libraries. That was a day that I will always remember where I was at, what I was doing, and wondering what the future will hold for not only me but the rest of the world.
I have read articles and editorials from the various newspapers around the country and world with messages of hate, anger, revenge, sorrow and sadness, and most deplorable of all, jubilation and victory. It is our granted right in America to have freedom of speech and opinion. Maybe this is one reason why someone has chosen to smack us down simply because they live in a place that does not offer these basic freedoms. The reason why these acts happened may never be known. So for now all we can do is wonder and formulate a hypothesis as to why.
The images I have seen of people cheering and celebrating are heart wrenching. It hurts. It makes the anger in my soul boil like nothing ever has. I am a patriotic person who gets choked up at the National Anthem during sporting events. I am not a vengeful person but I, like most Americans, want justice done. I do not wish to see innocent people around the world suffer the way our people suffered through this. That would not be right and morally just. But I want justice to be swift and merciless. I want those responsible to pay for what they did to the American public as a whole as we saw or heard about those acts in our homes, offices, cars, airports, or wherever else we were on the morning of September 11th. I want the justice to teach others a lesson that these types of acts will never again be tolerated anywhere in the world.
Fortunately and thankfully the world as a whole has come together to see that this is a problem we all face. This is not simply America versus the terrorists. This is most certainly the world against terrorism. NATO and the European Union have pledged support and I honestly believe they will be there to help in any way necessary. Always before the Americans have been the “helpers” to other countries. Now, unlike before, people are turning to extend the favor back to us. The corporate help from around the world is immense. The governmental responses from various world leaders has been quick and unrelenting to support this cause. They realize that these acts could have easily taken place in their offices and on their homeland. Solidarity around the world is alive and well.
I have cried numerous times viewing the pictures and reading the stories depicting the scenes of these crimes, the damage done, the innocent people lost, the families traumatized forever, and for the people of our great nation who will be forever scarred by these horrendous acts of violence. I have also cried for seeing people come to the rescue, the swiftness of change to help ensure our safety and security, the fast-moving responses by various assistance organizations, and for seeing the ordinary citizen help out with food, a bed, or simply standing on the street holding a candle, saying a prayer, waving a flag, or cheering for those who have come to help in our nation’s greatest time of need.
President Bush commented that we will react on our terms when we are ready and at our choosing. I have faith that he will and the rest of the nation will stand solidly as one behind his decision. Yet when those actions, whatever they may be, are carried out we will not cheer, jeer, or jump up and down in the middle of the town square celebrating others’ demise. We will refrain from that simply because we will know that justice has been served. We will take solace in the fact that our families, friends, and co-workers have been avenged. We will not “be even.” We will not have “settled the score.” We will, however, feel that justice has prevailed for now and for the future in hopes that the world will remain a safer place without those despicable people a part of it.
I thank the government of our blessed nation for the votes of confidence to see these actions are retaliated against. This reaffirms that our government is full of people working for the people and doing the peoples’ wishes. They know and understand just how badly we have been hurt. They also know, as do we all, that our nation will rise above this terrible day and remain as strong as ever and even stronger than we were before. We are bruised and bloodied but not down; not by a long shot. We have come together and will continue to do so in unimaginable numbers and strength that the world has never seen before. Good will over power evil. We are a great and powerful nation. We will prevail. We will be strong and support each other. Raise your chins and be proud to be a part of the greatest nation on Earth.
Finally, for every citizen around the world who said a prayer, who stood in the street for a moment of silence, raised a flag in solidarity with their American brothers and sisters, felt sympathy or empathy towards our nation, has come forward and offered assistance, has donated their time, money, or skills, or has comforted someone else who grieves, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
God bless America, the land of the free and home of the brave.
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