5 years later; Remembering 9/11
Samuel Van Eerden
September 10, 2006
This is going to be a different type of article than what I normally write. I’ll warn you right off the bat; call this a rant, or pass it off as the senseless ramblings of an American teenager if you want, but I have to get some things off my chest.
Two years ago I was in an American History class, and the teacher asked us to write an article on the topic of “American Exceptionalism.” (In case you’re not familiar with the term, it was coined by the French historian Alexis de Tocqueville in 1831 to express the ways in which the United States was different [ie: better] than other nations, because of its unique foundation of politics, economics, and religion, etc.) It took me two weeks to research the subject, and another to write the report. My studies took me back to the beginnings of America: the early settlers, religious freedom, political zeal, democracy, war, personal sacrifice. . . . The story of how our piece of North America actually became the ‘United States’ is a heroic and inspiring account, and it moved me to read about the early leaders of this country, their vision for our nation, and the price they paid to see that vision fulfilled.
The United States that we Americans live in today and the freedoms we enjoy, are owed to the countless sacrifices made by men and women throughout this country’s history. People who have put their very lives on the line so that they, their descendents, and their countrymen could live better, safer lives.
I wonder what those people would say now if they saw how we much we take for granted the liberties we Americans are privileged enough to have. I wonder what the men who died at Omaha Beach would say if they could see how teenagers parade about with swastikas and college professors compare our nation’s leaders to Nazis. I wonder what the Vietnam vets DO think when they see the flag held in such low esteem; when more people stand and applaud when a juggler passes in the July 4th parades then when Old Glory marches by. And I wonder what our nation’s founders would think about our generation which interprets freedom of speech as publicly doing anything lewd and profane that we want to, without having to accept responsibility for it.
We fire army chaplains for praying in Jesus’ name, and then uphold the religious rights of Muslims to preach their messages of hate and war on our nation’s soil. We critically uphold documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11 and refuse to stop public showings of a movie (Death Of A President) which depicts the assassination of President George W. Bush. Our media would rather give a voice to illegal immigrants and parading ‘peace mongers’ (who’d need another 9/11 attack to get them to wake up the danger our nation’s in), than to our own nation’s leader, who they write off in goofy political cartoons and so-called ‘comedic’ skits.
When I did that report a couple years ago, I decided that the United States was a truly exceptional nation, and I was proud (and blessed) to be a part of it. Later on, when I watched the film that war veterans call the most realistic adaptation World War Two—Saving Private Ryan—I was ashamed that I could ever take my freedoms for granted. Ashamed that I’d ever gone to church, turned on talk radio, or picked up a newspaper without thanking God and somehow honoring those men and women who’d made it so I could do all those things.
People today don’t think much about the history of the United States, and what it cost to get to where we are today. They’re too busy scrounging the internet for photos of Tom and Kate’s new baby, or watching Comedy Central, or getting their daily sports-fix. They don’t want to deal with the reality that the whole world isn’t just like us; that there are—in fact—people and NATIONS out there who want us all dead. Americans don’t want to watch footage of terrorists sawing people’s heads off with dull knives or hear the Hitler-like ravings of dictators who hate us. They like to maintain their naivety and hang on to the reality they’ve worked so hard to control by shutting everything else out that doesn’t fit their way of life.
These are the people who think the American Dream is to be the next American Idol; that the all-American-Family is the Simpsons, and that the only time the current administration deserves attention is when it’s being mocked and spoofed on a Late Show.
This is the America we have come to know only 230 years after we declared our Independence from England. This is the America we are living in today; a nation so full of itself and so intent on entertainment that they’ll ignore everything else. Including their own security.
The entire United States is not like this, of course; there are still those out there who have respect for our leaders, love for our troops, and honor for our legacy. Tragically, they are undermined by the media and the mass internal and external movement to exchange patriotism for entertainment in our country.
As we reflect on the September 11th of five years ago, let’s not forget that day that terrorists flew planes into three of our nation’s buildings, killing 2,973 American citizens and shattering the lives of thousands more. Also, let’s remember the qualities that have always set us apart from other nations and made us truly ‘exceptional.’ A tree is only as strong as its roots, and the more we hack at and try to ignore or rewrite ours, the closer our nation will tumble towards disaster.
We cannot afford to do anything but what our forefathers did: take up the standard of patriotism and freedom and defend our nation against any who are in opposition to us. They didn’t make friends with the enemy, and neither should we. There is no ‘coming to terms’ with these terrorists; no point of compromise with evil. There is only the point at which we decide whether or not to get out of ourselves and actually stand for—and defend—the values this country was founded upon.
Amongst American citizens there are only heroes and traitors. Those that uphold and those that undermine. Those that stand before; those that stand against. There is no room for middle ground, and there is no more time to waste. It’s time to decide whose side you’re on. The side of liberty, justice, and truth; the foundation of the United States—or the side of destruction and evil.
Two years ago I was in an American History class, and the teacher asked us to write an article on the topic of “American Exceptionalism.” (In case you’re not familiar with the term, it was coined by the French historian Alexis de Tocqueville in 1831 to express the ways in which the United States was different [ie: better] than other nations, because of its unique foundation of politics, economics, and religion, etc.) It took me two weeks to research the subject, and another to write the report. My studies took me back to the beginnings of America: the early settlers, religious freedom, political zeal, democracy, war, personal sacrifice. . . . The story of how our piece of North America actually became the ‘United States’ is a heroic and inspiring account, and it moved me to read about the early leaders of this country, their vision for our nation, and the price they paid to see that vision fulfilled.
The United States that we Americans live in today and the freedoms we enjoy, are owed to the countless sacrifices made by men and women throughout this country’s history. People who have put their very lives on the line so that they, their descendents, and their countrymen could live better, safer lives.
I wonder what those people would say now if they saw how we much we take for granted the liberties we Americans are privileged enough to have. I wonder what the men who died at Omaha Beach would say if they could see how teenagers parade about with swastikas and college professors compare our nation’s leaders to Nazis. I wonder what the Vietnam vets DO think when they see the flag held in such low esteem; when more people stand and applaud when a juggler passes in the July 4th parades then when Old Glory marches by. And I wonder what our nation’s founders would think about our generation which interprets freedom of speech as publicly doing anything lewd and profane that we want to, without having to accept responsibility for it.
We fire army chaplains for praying in Jesus’ name, and then uphold the religious rights of Muslims to preach their messages of hate and war on our nation’s soil. We critically uphold documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11 and refuse to stop public showings of a movie (Death Of A President) which depicts the assassination of President George W. Bush. Our media would rather give a voice to illegal immigrants and parading ‘peace mongers’ (who’d need another 9/11 attack to get them to wake up the danger our nation’s in), than to our own nation’s leader, who they write off in goofy political cartoons and so-called ‘comedic’ skits.
When I did that report a couple years ago, I decided that the United States was a truly exceptional nation, and I was proud (and blessed) to be a part of it. Later on, when I watched the film that war veterans call the most realistic adaptation World War Two—Saving Private Ryan—I was ashamed that I could ever take my freedoms for granted. Ashamed that I’d ever gone to church, turned on talk radio, or picked up a newspaper without thanking God and somehow honoring those men and women who’d made it so I could do all those things.
People today don’t think much about the history of the United States, and what it cost to get to where we are today. They’re too busy scrounging the internet for photos of Tom and Kate’s new baby, or watching Comedy Central, or getting their daily sports-fix. They don’t want to deal with the reality that the whole world isn’t just like us; that there are—in fact—people and NATIONS out there who want us all dead. Americans don’t want to watch footage of terrorists sawing people’s heads off with dull knives or hear the Hitler-like ravings of dictators who hate us. They like to maintain their naivety and hang on to the reality they’ve worked so hard to control by shutting everything else out that doesn’t fit their way of life.
These are the people who think the American Dream is to be the next American Idol; that the all-American-Family is the Simpsons, and that the only time the current administration deserves attention is when it’s being mocked and spoofed on a Late Show.
This is the America we have come to know only 230 years after we declared our Independence from England. This is the America we are living in today; a nation so full of itself and so intent on entertainment that they’ll ignore everything else. Including their own security.
The entire United States is not like this, of course; there are still those out there who have respect for our leaders, love for our troops, and honor for our legacy. Tragically, they are undermined by the media and the mass internal and external movement to exchange patriotism for entertainment in our country.
As we reflect on the September 11th of five years ago, let’s not forget that day that terrorists flew planes into three of our nation’s buildings, killing 2,973 American citizens and shattering the lives of thousands more. Also, let’s remember the qualities that have always set us apart from other nations and made us truly ‘exceptional.’ A tree is only as strong as its roots, and the more we hack at and try to ignore or rewrite ours, the closer our nation will tumble towards disaster.
We cannot afford to do anything but what our forefathers did: take up the standard of patriotism and freedom and defend our nation against any who are in opposition to us. They didn’t make friends with the enemy, and neither should we. There is no ‘coming to terms’ with these terrorists; no point of compromise with evil. There is only the point at which we decide whether or not to get out of ourselves and actually stand for—and defend—the values this country was founded upon.
Amongst American citizens there are only heroes and traitors. Those that uphold and those that undermine. Those that stand before; those that stand against. There is no room for middle ground, and there is no more time to waste. It’s time to decide whose side you’re on. The side of liberty, justice, and truth; the foundation of the United States—or the side of destruction and evil.