like so many people today, i spent a good deal of time reflecting on where i was and how i felt on 9/11....i actually watched the entire today show replay from that morning, and could picture EXACTLY what i was doing at each moment, and what was going thru my mind. its one of the only events in my life i can really say that about. and while i can only imagine what those who lost loved ones continue to go thru, i can still remember an honest FEAR the likes of which i hope is never repeated. at that time kris' office was about 3 blocks from the white house, and i just wanted him HOME and safe. it seemed like the minutes of that day ticked by slower than any other day i can remember. and the days and weeks that followed were marked by endless stories of tragedy and sorrow....which elicited the same sense of disbelief and mourning in every person you talked to.
and yet, there were also stories of incredible bravery. and a sense of togetherness. for that one single moment in time, we were united as a country in our need for one another, and our desire for justice. and again, its the only time i can remember having one single common goal. and i cant help but think how sad it is that the only thing that seems to unite us is tragedy.
then i wonder what, if anything, we have learned from it? yes we have increased our security, and changed some processes.....but did we really ABSORB the loss of that day, or did we just move on? because to me, the most significant lesson is that hate breeds. it breeds contempt. it breeds fear. it breeds violence. its a disease that infects anything good around it. and once let in, its almost impossible to expel. and for a while there it seemed like we got it. as individuals, as a community and a country. but like with most things, time creates a distance. and we start to forget. we can say we don't forget. and for those who lost loved ones, i know its true. but for the rest of us, we let bitterness creep back in. we let our differences of opinion drive wedges thru the common good. we invite hate in. which can only lead to ruin.
i wonder why loss of life seems to be the one thing that gives us the ability to set aside differences. i imagine its because we can all empathize with loss. we understand what it FEELS like and for at least a moment, we give each other a pass. unfortunately it doesnt last. we live in a vast and diverse country. a country founded on freedoms and individual rights. and when THREATENED, we come together. but our unity is short lived. its amazing how fast our focus returns to what divides us.
we are never going to agree as a people on issues of religion or politics. and i'm okay with that. difference of opinion is not a bad thing. its how we grow and learn from each other. its the way we treat each other when confronted with those differences that challenge us. its when we let hate guide us that we falter. you can BELIEVE anything you want. that is your RIGHT. what you can not do is allow your BELIEF to be more important than mine. you cant allow your BELIEF to belittle someone elses. you cannot allow your BELIEF to breed hate.
to me this little speech epitomizes what we SHOULD be striving for...it's from "the american president"
America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms.
the enduring lesson of 9/11 should be that we are ALL vulnerable. we all are only given this ONE life. and we need to focus on what UNITES us, rather than what pulls us apart. and you have only to watch or listen to ONE MINUTE of this election coverage to realize how very far we have come from 9/11. we have lost our way. we dont embrace our differences. we dont listen to other opinions. we cannot be swayed from our singular points of view. we are creating a culture where animosity thrives, and peace is stifled.
i can only use myself as an example...which i hate to do with politics - but hopefully you'll get the point. i'm anti-organized religion personally but absolutely believe in freedom of religion. i am absolutely pro-choice politically, but personally pro-life. i believe in small government AND social programs. i am totally for equal rights across the board...because WHY NOT? ultimately it doesnt hurt me in any way for you to believe differently than me UNTIL you IMPOSE those beliefs on me. i'm a total contradiction. like most people i think. which is fine....until we let those differences in fundamental beliefs breed hate. how does it enlighten me or help me to bring you down? to belittle your beliefs? why cant we agree to disagree?
Matthew 7:1-3
7 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
just because i'm not into organized religion, doesnt mean i'm not allowed to quote the bible....and just because i quote the bible, it doesnt make me religious. you cant label me. i mean, you CAN. but you would be wrong. i'm not any ONE thing. no one is. and until we stop trying to label one another, we will continue to struggle.
lets hope (or pray if that's your thing) that it does not take another 9/11 to make us come to our senses as a nation. because the one thing i know for certain is that every single person that lost a loved one that day would give ANYTHING to have them back - regardless of where they stood on anything. its not the politics that count...its the PEOPLE. and we need to remember those people every single day. reach for them when we want to say a harsh word, or criticize someone elses beliefs. reach for love. not hate.
"If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them"
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