September 11
By Erik Dolson
I remember that devastating attack 18 years ago. No, not like it was yesterday, but I remember where I was and what I saw on that day, knowing then that our world had changed.
I remember the heroes, the firemen and cops, and the journalists. The best moment of the Bush presidency, when he said Americans should come together, not break apart. When Peter Jennings said what separates America from other countries is that we don't blame groups for an act of their few.
I saw then too how the crisis would be used by those, primarily on the right, to sow fear and anger, because they can't thrive on hope and optimism. They divide us to conquer, humanity be damned.
The man who would lead us but is morally insolvent and will never be a true leader, the promise of information which has become a weapon of mind control, a generation raised to believe history doesn't matter, give me despair.
But then I again remember the heroes, and remember that America IS great, we CAN rediscover that a house divided will not stand, that what we do for one WILL benefit all, that self sacrifice is the mortar between the stones of America's foundation, e pluribus unum, we can change the world.
Then I find hope.