09/11/2001 ... Seven years later

Maybe it's because of what happened in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. Maybe it's because my birthday is September 11. Maybe it's because I am too sensitive to the presence of evil in the world. I'm not sure what it is or if it's a combination of these things, but 9/11 really hit me hard. Each year I am flooded with emotion on this day. I believe it is important to write this, not as much to present my thoughts and feelings, but more to release them from within me.

The Murrah bombing is a pivot point in Oklahoma's history. I've seen how the community has reacted after the Murrah bombing and how, thirteen and a half years later, there are still scars, pain, and loss. I was a student at a small college located about an hour's drive west of the bombing site. I am not going to say that I know what is was like to lose family or friends because of that bombing, so I'm not going to suggest that anyone should act one way or another. Our pastor's mother was killed in the Murrah bombing. I've seen how April 19th affects him. I have no idea how I would react or feel if my mother, father, wife, son, or friend was killed in such a way, and I hope I never have to find out.

While there are still scars, pain, and loss, there is also hope, healing, and redemption. The bombing site hosts a memorial now. There is a marathon held every year to remember and to celebrate the lives of those killed that April morning. There is a museum dedicated to the events of that day and a terrorism education center. There is an annual remembrance that garners appropriate public and media attention, including video footage from that horrific event. All these pieces were in place by April 19, 2002 (seven years after the bombing). While painful for some, these events and places bring healing, education, closure, and peace for those who survived that attack, for those who lost loved ones, and those who simply want to remember how fragile and precious life, liberty, and security are.

What happened seven years ago on this day should have been a pivot point in our national history. Unfortunately it has not been emblazoned on our national conscience as it should have been. It was a tragic event, one that many don't want to relive. My heart breaks for those who lost loved ones at the World Trade Center, at The Pentagon, and on the planes that day.

Unfortunately many have failed to recognize the impact of that day, either because they were too young, too uninformed, or too hurt on a personal level to fully appreciate what happened. The events of that day should be as significant to our national history as the Gettysburg Address, the attack on Pearl Harbor, or the assassination of JFK. Unfortunately it is viewed by some about as significant as the Taft administration (I use that as an example since the only thing I remember from his administration is that they had to install a new bathtub because of his size). We should have national remembrances every year. We should be able to see footage from that day so that we can have a clearer vision of the world in which we live.

Some view any sort of remembrance as political pandering. I have no interest in leveling accusations against people for how they react to the events of 09/11/2001 or any mention of those events. I am disgusted that many claim that the events of that day are being politicized. This was not a Republican Party event. This was not a Democratic Party event. This was not a Green Party, Libertarian Party, Constitution Party, or Independent event. A commentator delivered what would best be described as an editorial during coverage of the Republican convention, claiming that a video tribute to the events of that day was offensive and that if the Democrats had a similar tribute at their convention that the Republicans would cry foul. I fail to understand that in either a political sense or a human sense.

As I previously stated, this was not a political event but a historical one. We should remember it. We should have the opportunity to view footage and to recall those events. I can remember the parking space in the parking garage I had just pulled into when I first heard about the first plane crash. I don't know anyone over the age of 18 that does not remember where they were and what they were doing when the first heard the news. I realize that can be very painful for those who lost loved ones that day, but I also believe that burying the horror of that day in a video vault devalues the worth of those who lost their lives that day. Those who don't want to relive the events of that day have plenty of options other than watching the television or listening to the radio during tributes. Unfortunately those of us who want to view tributes and remember what happened have few options on this day.

I mentioned earlier that seven years after the Murrah bombing that a memorial and museum had been constructed. Seven years after 09/11/2001, The Pentagon has been repaired and a memorial has been constructed in rural Pennsylvania. Unfortunately the most prominent symbol of that tragic day has not been repaired or replaced with a memorial ... there is simply a crater where the Twin Towers once stood.

I still have questions about that day and our reaction to it. I remember in the days following 09/11/2001 that we promised ourselves that we would never forget, but have we? Why is New York City still marked by a crater rather than a memorial? Why are remembrances viewed as political? Why don't we have more remembrances?

Country singer Darryl Worley recorded a song a few years back entitled "Have You Forgotten?" I am including a link to a site with the lyrics for that song. I encourage everyone who reads this to also read the lyrics of that song. Here's the address: http://www.countrygoldusa.com/have_you_forgotten.asp

May we never forget.