September 11, 2001. Wow, it’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years since that tragedy. I have been reflecting on that day and the days that followed. I remember the horror I felt as I realized New York was under attack as the World Trade Center turned into rumble, taking human lives. I also remember how we came together as a nation and picked up the pieces. We held on tighter to each other. There was resurgence in American patriotism. It became hard to buy an American flag because the stores were sold out. It seemed an American flag magnet was on just about every car on the road. You could not drive 10 feet without seeing a flag somewhere. Politicians even came together and worked through their differences. There was a drastic change in this country. For the first time in my life, we all seemed to care about our nation and our fellow Americans. Furthermore, we cast aside our differences and prayed together as a nation. We didn’t worry about whether or not it was politically correct to pray, we just did it.
10 years have passed and everything has changed again. Try spotting an American flag on anything other than a government building. I am not pointing fingers, I no longer have a flag in my yard (I moved… yeah that’s my excuse) and I no longer have an American flag magnet on my car. The flags are gone. Even sadder, we seemed to lose the compassion we had for one another. I don’t see nearly as many acts of kindness as I did in the latter part of 2001. The government is definitely not reaching across the aisle. If anything, we are more divided now than we were before September 11, 2001. I don’t remember ever seeing the government as polarized as it is right now. We have a president who refuses to work with Congress and demands they work with him and a congress that refuses to work with the President and demands he works with them. Also, it is no longer politically correct to come together and pray for our nation. We have become lost in rhetoric all over again. Instead of uniting, we are clanging our cymbals loudly. We have divided into subgroups and each group has become entrenched. We are all yelling so loudly that no one can hear what everyone else is saying.
We need to change. We need to become united. This is the United States of America, isn’t it? Here’s a thought; this September 11th, get a flag and put it in your yard or on your car. Help out a neighbor or friend. Hug your family. Look past your differences and spend time with others – get to know who they are and take time to listen to them. Finally, pray for our country and that our leadership will come together to do what is best for the people of this great nation. God bless America.
Tim
10 years have passed and everything has changed again. Try spotting an American flag on anything other than a government building. I am not pointing fingers, I no longer have a flag in my yard (I moved… yeah that’s my excuse) and I no longer have an American flag magnet on my car. The flags are gone. Even sadder, we seemed to lose the compassion we had for one another. I don’t see nearly as many acts of kindness as I did in the latter part of 2001. The government is definitely not reaching across the aisle. If anything, we are more divided now than we were before September 11, 2001. I don’t remember ever seeing the government as polarized as it is right now. We have a president who refuses to work with Congress and demands they work with him and a congress that refuses to work with the President and demands he works with them. Also, it is no longer politically correct to come together and pray for our nation. We have become lost in rhetoric all over again. Instead of uniting, we are clanging our cymbals loudly. We have divided into subgroups and each group has become entrenched. We are all yelling so loudly that no one can hear what everyone else is saying.
We need to change. We need to become united. This is the United States of America, isn’t it? Here’s a thought; this September 11th, get a flag and put it in your yard or on your car. Help out a neighbor or friend. Hug your family. Look past your differences and spend time with others – get to know who they are and take time to listen to them. Finally, pray for our country and that our leadership will come together to do what is best for the people of this great nation. God bless America.
Tim
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