Our Nations Tragedy: Have We Forgotten?

On September 11, 2001, America was attacked by nineteen terrorists with ties to al-Qaeda, who hijacked four jet airliners. These terrorists crashed United Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11, into the World Trade Center, NY. Three buildings in the WTC complex collapsed due to structural damage, that same day. These same terrorists crashed a third airliner American Airlines Flight 77, into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. On the fourth hijacked airliner, United Flight 93, passengers attempted to regain control of the plane, and in a heroic sacrifice these brave men and women crashed the plane into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. On that ghastly day, approximately 2,973 people died, as a result of those attacks.

Now, it is 6 years later, and I ask you, "Has the nation forgotten?" Headlines in the news these days, tell of anti-war movements and troop recalls, and how America is fighting for oil. Huge debates all over the world have arisen, questioning what America's true intentions in the current war are. We seemed too caught up with the little things and have forgotten the bigger picture. We seem to have forgotten that we are fighting a war on terrorism. We are fighting a war to keep this tragedy from happening again. America seems to be desensitized to the fact that nearly three thousand of our citizens were killed on US soil, by these terrorists. These were not soldiers who volunteered for war; these were men, woman, and children, firemen, and policemen. These were our brothers, our sisters, our fathers, our mothers, and our children. These people were killed by terrorists, and we are fighting a war to stop them. People have speculated that America fighting a war currently for oil, but it is not for oil, it is for freedom. The freedom that this great country of ours has did not come by cheaply. Over 200 years ago, America fought a war for freedom, a war that cost many casualties but we won the war, and we won our freedom. Since then, we have fought to keep our freedom, and we cannot back down now. The freedom to have our children play outside and not live in fear of terrorist bombs is a freedom we must fight to keep!

Yet, we seem to forget our soldiers are not just dying in Iraq, but also in Afghanistan, and 128 other countries. We are not just fighting a war in Iraq; we are fighting a war on terrorism. "After the chaos and carnage of September the 11th, it is not enough to serve our enemies with legal papers. The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States, and war is what they got." - President George W. Bush

How much is your freedom worth? And what price would you pay to have the freedoms you have? It is easy to protest a war, when you don't have to fight in it. It is easy to make a speech about stopping the war and bringing home the war, yes that is easy. People have forgotten that the reason it is so easy to do all those things, is because our men and woman are fighting a war, for them and for their freedom.

We cannot sit idly by and hope that another Sept 11th doesn't happen again, if we sit by and do nothing, then it will happen again and again. We have to stand up for this country and for others that our country has pledged to help and protect. America has come a long way since the 13 colonies time, we are now the superpower. We didn't get that status by sitting on our hands and loving everyone. In an ideal world, it would be great to do that, but we live in reality not a utopia, and in this reality, we have to fight to keep our freedom and to protect the freedom of others. President Bush said it plainly, "Any government that supports, protects or harbors terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent and equally guilty of terrorist crimes." It is true, until we can rid this world of the terrorists, they will continue to attack us, continue to plot to kill us, and Sept 11th will happen again." -." - President George W. Bush

Currently, our military is comprised of men and women who voluntarily signed up to join and defend this country. No one drafted them, and therefore, no one has been forced to fight in a war, they willing do this, with honor and courage. They do this for us, for our freedom. They do this for their mothers and fathers, their sisters and brothers, their children and grandchildren. Political antagonists like Cindy Sheehan, only bring shame and disrespect to the solders who have laid down their life for this country. She has forgotten why we are fighting this war. If we backed down now, it would be letting Sept 11th happen all over again.

Let us never forget the men, woman, and children that died that day, on September 11th, 2001. That is why we must fight this war, for them, for our children, and our children's children. Let us not forget the true reason we are fighting a war, it is freedom. Freedom of oppression and tyranny, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to go to work and not worry if we are going to be blown up today, freedom to send our children to school and not fear for their safety from a terrorist attack, and all the other freedoms that we in America hold so dear to us. "Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward, and freedom will be defended." - Sept 11, 2001: President George W. Bush. This should be the slogan for Bush's campaign, since it rings so true. We are not fighting for oil; it is freedom itself we are fighting for!