911 remembered

911 is remembered by most people in the United States as a vivid memory.   It was a day that we inhaled with a gasp and held our breath at the sights we saw, the feelings we felt and the numbness that prevailed. 

It was a day that brought destruction from those whose hearts and minds had long since closed to lifting humanity; but rather sought to stand on their tip-toes to selfishly bring the world's attention to themselves. 

It was a day of destruction and loss of innocent life with actions from evil men who sought to ignite a flame of hate across the nation and around the world.

It was a day that terrorists from the far corners lifted their arms with rifles and blasted the air with their hate-filled celebration of murder and the intentional suicidal, homicidal actions of their fellow terrorists.

But it was also a day that seared into the hearts and minds of Americans and other freedom-loving individuals everywhere a sense of resolve that evil cannot be victorious over good.

It has been remembered as a day when thousands of first responders ran toward burning buildings to save as many as possible.

It has been remembered as a day when thousands, if not millions, of prayers went up to the God of the Universe to provide strength, comfort and even justice as the events played out through the day.

It has been remembered as a time when thousands of family, friends, neighbors, and even a nation stood in solidarity against the evil perpetrated with presumed impunity, as they began the fight to eradicate the arrogance of evil being thunderously shouted from caves and remote places around the world.

It has been remembered as a time for healing, resurgence, re-building and standing strong against the chorus of evil emanating from the radical infestation of misfits who captured peaceful peoples and held them hostage with radical views and shouts of hatred.

It has been remembered as a time of innocence before the day, but a time of rapid maturity of waging war against terrorism in the years that followed.

For sure we are more cautious; and yet continue to be a uniquely open society.  Even with more stringent security, our boarders continue to remain surprisingly porous.  Our values for human freedom remain strong, our reliance on each other remains intact; and our Spiritual quest to look beyond ourselves to become more than we can be is unfettered.

Finally, we have remained committed to being the beacon on the hill for the rest of the world to see; the sounding board of freedom for all to hear; the example of unity and society of laws for other cultures to feel; and the continued peaceful transfer of power from leader to leader as the blueprint for all other nations to follow.  On that day evil meant to dissolve our resolve by mass destruction and murder; but instead, we have become stronger, smarter, mightier, more resolved to move onward, upward and forward to demonstrate to the world that as a nation, under God, we will be sustained to grow toward greater freedom, more tolerance to diversity, and steadfastly anchored in our faith in our God to buttress "We the People."