First this will not post until 9/12 but was reflecting on
what happened on 9/11 in 2001. I was recently laid off and was on the computer
looking for work. The news was on in the background and things were basically
normal. Then a news flash, a plane had hit the World Trade Center and the
speculation was it was an instrumentation problem. They finally got live
pictures of the building and it became immediately apparent that something was
wrong. Under IFR conditions or “Instrument Flight Rules” when one must rely on their
instruments and not visuals I could imagine something going horribly wrong, but
it was perfect VFR conditions and no pilot would have made that kind of
mistake.
I was in Suwanee, GA and immediately called my father and
had him turn on the news to get his take. He is a Marine Aviator with extensive
flight experience, so I trust his word. He said the same thing, that something
is not right. While he was on the phone we both watched the second plane hit.
In horror we remained silent for a moment. It was now painfully obvious that
our nation had been hit by a terrorist attack.
Then as the day wore on reports came in about the Pentagon
and the downed plane in Pennsylvania and then the horror continued as the first
WTC Tower collapsed. It was GONE!! We were watching people jump to their deaths
to free themselves from the intense heat, then it was gone.
Shortly after that, the second tower collapsed. Thousands
lost their lives in the most horrific attack on US soil since Pearl Harbor.
Things immediately changed, some for the good and some for the bad. We became
united once again and stood as on nation under God. At the same time our
freedoms instantly started to erode in the name of safety.
14 years later, the memory is waning with many and the loss
of liberty has become normal. Many have become 9/11 truth’ers who think this
was a master plan to undermine the freedoms in the USA. Many look to religion
as the cause and suddenly characterize someone fighting for the rights of the
unborn as the same religious extremist who brought down the two World Trade
Center Towers. Many think it’s ok to lose freedom since they have nothing to
hide and we need to be vigilant.
Over time the fracturing has messed our nation up even more.
No longer are we united on a single front, but back to the same love for self
without the desire to critically think through many tough issues. Propaganda
has become the norm for every argument from religion to science to political to
social. Each agenda demonized the opposition without regard to logic.
When all is said and done we need to remember the
horrific actions that happened on 9/11/2001 and bring our faith closer to Jesus
and our creator.
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