Trying to Understand This Mindset
A friend sent me an article written by an American living in Israel and I'm trying to understand the mindset that says "good...now American understands what the rest of us have had to deal with on a daily basis." Here are the comments that he made:
"I know that most Americans do not have an international outlook because two oceans on their east and west protect them. Attacks, even against American targets in far off lands have not impressed the American public beyond a momentary sigh. Now, that militant Islam has made its way to the shores of the USA in an devastating attack which will go down as the worst act of terrorism in history, America can no longer stick its head in the sand and play like militant Islam is a problem somewhere else."
and:
"It is unkind to say to the USA, even as an American, that now you know what Israel faces on a daily basis. .... Now, the US knows what Israel has been suffering for so long, and on a larger scale."
Perhaps because I am still emotional over the events I am also overly sensitive to such comments. However, I do take offense at the notion that it is a good thing that this has happened so that we lose our sense of security and safety. But since when is democracy, free enterprise and a safe society a bad thing? I just don't understand the people who are saying it is good that we finally have had our sense of well-being challenged so that we can be like the rest of the world. It saddens me and makes me angry.
In some ways I suppose America in general has had it easy by comparison, but to say that we don't care about what is going on in other countries is offensive. Who else comes to the aid of countries torn by war, famine, natural disaster? How is that sticking our heads in the sand and reacting with a "momentary sigh?" And who will come to our aid now. I just don't understand the view the rest of the world has of us...seeing us as spoiled brats who only care about ourselves. It simply isn't true and if nothing else, I hope our strength in dealing with this devastation will prove them wrong.
I still get tears in my eyes when I see pictures of the atrocity of September 11, 2001. The lump in the throat still forms when I watch a television program about the event. I don't live in New York, I don't personally know anyone who died as a result of the attacks, I don't know why it has impacted me as it has. But it did.
A year later I am prepared to re-live the event as I'm sure the media will see to it that it is once again covered from every angle. I find myself wondering if it is a good thing or not. On the one hand I don't want any of us to forget what happened and there may be new stories that have arisen from the ashes of the Towers that need to be told. On the other hand I don't want to give more attention to the evil responsible.
I fly my American flag almost daily now instead of just on patriotic holidays. It is my way of raising my fist in defiance and standing in solidarity with the lives who were lost, either willingly or not, when evil attacked. It is my one voice among thousands saying we will not go down so easily. For me, more than ever, it represents a unified front against those who try to undermine what our country has fought for and protected for over 200 years. All I took for granted was threatened and it has become more real, more dear to me. I am an avid letter writer, and before Sept. 11, 2001 I shunned the boring flag stamps in favor of the flowers or unique designs. Now I am happy to buy stamps with flags and send them proudly on my letters.
I now live with the realization that if such an attack could happen anywhere within our borders, then no area is 100 percent safe. That is sobering but I do not dwell on the "what ifs." Instead, I make sure my children understand what happened and why, and why our own freedom and faith should never be taken for granted.
Last updated: 09/02/02