Never Forget

When those towers fell, when the plane hit the Pentagon, and when those brave passengers rose up to fight the hijackers on United 93, Islamic fundamentalists struck not only at a country, but at hearts and injected fear into those who'd never felt it before on such a level.

2996 innocent men and women dead at the hands of these creatures we so generously award the title of man, though we know them to be no better than animals.

Too often, the peace and relative tranquility we assume to be an everyday part of our lives is ignored and left to the presumption that it will never be challenged and that our days will go on as usual. When these challenges come, we are devastated but imbued with the realization and knowledge that such peace is always threatened at the hands of those who live their lives along a very distorted code, preaching a gospel of violence, hatred and authoritarianism.

A new generation of Americans rose up to the challenge. As one author put it, they were essentially condemned to the dregs of society, the ones who'd go nowhere with the advent of the internet, computer boom, etc. But, these young men and women stood up and proved everyone wrong, immediately taking the burden of national defense upon their young shoulders, striving to give their everything for their country in it's time of need. 

Thank God that such men and women lived. Pray for the eternal rest of those who died on this day, especially those first-responders who rushed through the dust and charred metal to help, too many of whom gave their lives to save others, while everyone else fled the fiery fate their fellow citizen had met moments earlier.

Pray that such an attack never occurs again, and that those responsible in any way shape or form for this and any related violence carried out upon the innocent are stopped by whatever means necessary.