It has been five years since radicalism opened the eyes of this nation, and it’s sad to say, but it seems the eyes of this nation have drifted off again. I am not trying to tell you that no one cares about what happened on September 11, 2001; it’s just not very important to anyone at this point in time.
I recently saw people on the evening news being interviewed on how big of an inconvenience it was for them to not bring shampoo and perfume onto flights. This was after a plot was broken up by British and Pakastani officers. The men arrested had composed various explosives with everyday electronics, and harmless looking gels and liquids. Yet this simple fact didn’t seem to be enough of a reason for people to be inconvenienced.
The United States is the hegemon. We lead the world. Democracy has flourished throughout history, and like today, has led the rest of the world. Our freedom of religion, enterprise, media, speech and everything else this country was built on are the reasons we are hated. It is the reason we are evil to radical Muslims.
In the five years since September 11, 2001, it has become known as “9/11.” Everyone knows what year it happened, and if you say “9/11” anywhere, people know what you are referring to. The date has been stamped permanently in our minds.
Everyone knows what they were doing when the planes hit the towers. Everyone was scared and wondered what would happen next. It was one of the defining moments not only of our lifetime, but of our country. We were attacked on our own soil, with our planes, killing thousands of our citizens. Do you remember what an airport looked like before 9 /11? How many times do you recall walking through metal detectors at a sports arena? The country has changed since, and all you can do is accept it.
We rushed into a war that we are still fighting. Many people think we should pull our forces out, send the troops home, and let the Middle East take care of itself. If we did this, every daughter and son, every mother and father that has dedicated their time and their lives, would have done so in vain. We can never let that happen. We have to always remember what happened that day and what people are capable of.
Terrorism will never die. It is not something that can be killed. To terrorists, terrorism is not terrorism, but showing your faith, and fighting for what you believe. Fighting terrorism will be an endless battle. I am not saying we will always be at war, but we will always be fighting. We will always have to look behind and watch our backs, and keep 9/11 fresh in our minds. It could happen again, and if we let our guard down, it will.