Glancing away is now impossible. The sounds and the pictures on the television screen take control of my mind. Trying to make sense of it all, I reluctantly look towards my teacher for consolation. The tears in her eyes grab at my emotions, pulling at them as if a puddle of quicksand were enveloping my heart. Can this unattainable story be true? America under attack—it seems so unreal to me. It is impossible to think that someone actually acted in such a barbaric and irrational way, sacrificing so many lives, and that someone is celebrating, happy at seeing such a despicable occurrence. Within a 24-hour-period—September 10th to September 11th—the world as Americans know it dramatically changed.
On
Monday, September 10th, people were fighting against praying in
schools. On Tuesday, the 11th, one would have been hard
pressed to find a school where someone was not praying. In every city, every county, and every state across the
country, people stopped and prayed. Hand
in hand, on Tuesday, not one thought of separating each other by race, sex,
color or creed. How ironic then is
it to have Billy Graham, one of the greatest evangelists known, say “We must
have military power to keep madmen from taking over the world.” After this world-boggling attack, people joined together to
fight this catastrophe simply with love, prayer, and understanding.
It seems strange to me that an icon of religious freedom in our nation
would choose to support the belief of needing violent force to conquer
terrorism. As a believer in Jesus
Christ our Savior, it is obvious to me that citizens of the free world must
fight this evil by joining together as a single nation.
I understand that military power is indeed important, but it is not the
key in defeating terrorism. “The
thing that makes life so cruel is that everyone had such good reasons,” and
the extremist of this world will not likely alter their beliefs by force.
Therefore,
more military power is not going to prevent madmen from attacking peace.
Someone once said “To preserve peace, we need weapons of smaller and
men of larger caliber.” Although the author of this eminent quote is unknown, I
believe he meant people all over the world must put away their ungodly weapons
to be able to look at the big picture. Millions
across the globe have united as one to reach hope with our prayers.
Before Tuesday, people were fighting the Ten Commandments on government
property, and on that atrocious day the same people looked up and said, “God
help us all,” while thinking “thou shall not kill.”
On September 10th we thought we were secure, but on September
11th, we learned the bitter reality.
Americans realized we held no weapon that could destroy the evil lurking
of men’s mind.
The
World Trade Centers were a place of work for thousands.
Year after year, employees would return to labor as usual, undoubtedly
feeling safety within their walls. Rushing
to work, citizens worried about arriving late because of the traffic, but after
the terrorist attack, our worries focused on planes crashing into our homes or
place of business. The protection
of America fell as the walls of the trade center crumbled.
The peace of our democracy was overshadowed by the new threat of war.
It was as though we had returned to World War II, and the regime of
Hitler was in control. In fact,
Adolf Hitler once said, “The one means that wins the easiest victory over
reason: terror/and force.” As a
dictator, he shares many qualities with the newly famous terrorist, Osama bin
Laden. Both lunatics’
philosophies agree that terror can overcome reason.
The world we live in is not based on fear, hatred or control, but rather
the freedom to choose.
Throughout
life people change and mature as they change.
Going off to college was an unfeasible idea to me.
Leaving my friends and family for a new and strange place, I just
couldn't comprehend how different it would be.
Before September 11, I never thought that my life could change so
dramatically, so quickly. Although
there have been famous icons that have uttered words to remember, these phrases
do not have to be the dictum of our future.
On Monday morning parents argued with their kids about picking up their
room, but on Tuesday morning the same parents could not return home fast enough
to hug their precious babies. It is
sadly ironic how it takes horrific events to place life into perspective, but it
has. I hope the importance of peace
has been seared in our minds. The
lessons learned, the obsessions we have taken for granted, and the little
moments that have been forgotten or overlooked, hopefully, will never be
forgotten again.