9/11
Like pretty much all of you, I remember exactly where I was that fateful day nine years ago. I remember my initial disbelief, anguish, pain, and subsequent anger. I was in a position and in a military unit which would be the first to strike at the terrorist forces which condoned, supported, and gave the green light for it. Those first 48 hours all I wanted was blood; vengeance.
So it is interesting on this anniversary of that dark day in human history, that I remember not the hate or anger, not the desire for vengeance; I remember how for a moment in time, we stopped being black and white, straight or gay, Catholic or Jew, Protestant or Muslim. We became the "human" race. I remember watching, glued to my television like millions of others and what struck me most was strangers, running into danger to help each other. How two women, one black, one white, one from seemingly well-to-do origins while the other probably from far less, hugged on a street corner and cried on each others' shoulders. I remember how brave New Yorkers and tourists alike, jumped into the streets, helping heroic police and firefighters guide people away from the danger. I remember our seemingly unshakable media machine and the "unfeeling" members of it holding back their tears as they tried to remain objective but failing. Somehow seeing them hurt made the rest of us feel like it was ok to feel what we were feeling. More than anything, I remember thinking about everyone I loved on this earth and how I wanted so desperately to contact them and tell them how much I loved them before another second passed.
Friends, 9/11 was the worst tragedy in our generation's history and one of the most insidious, hateful, cowardly events in the history of humankind. Yet from the ashes of that hate, the world felt the taste of true "humanity". For the first time in my life and probably those of most people, we were all united in love and care for each other, without racial, ethnic, religious, or geographic barriers. Citizens of London and Tokyo, Egypt and Mexico, Hamburg and Singapore wept with us. We loved one another. It was probably the strongest moment in human history.
What the terrorists tried to do was steal our humanity and leave us in fear and hate. Yet in the hours and days following those attacks it was evident they failed.
Today, as we remember the tragedy of that fateful day in September nine years ago, I implore you to remember how you felt and ask you not let the events of the day fuel anger, hate, vengeful desires. Those who sew hate want nothing more than to steal our humanity. Let us not let them succeed. Let us not let them, succeed!
So it is interesting on this anniversary of that dark day in human history, that I remember not the hate or anger, not the desire for vengeance; I remember how for a moment in time, we stopped being black and white, straight or gay, Catholic or Jew, Protestant or Muslim. We became the "human" race. I remember watching, glued to my television like millions of others and what struck me most was strangers, running into danger to help each other. How two women, one black, one white, one from seemingly well-to-do origins while the other probably from far less, hugged on a street corner and cried on each others' shoulders. I remember how brave New Yorkers and tourists alike, jumped into the streets, helping heroic police and firefighters guide people away from the danger. I remember our seemingly unshakable media machine and the "unfeeling" members of it holding back their tears as they tried to remain objective but failing. Somehow seeing them hurt made the rest of us feel like it was ok to feel what we were feeling. More than anything, I remember thinking about everyone I loved on this earth and how I wanted so desperately to contact them and tell them how much I loved them before another second passed.
Friends, 9/11 was the worst tragedy in our generation's history and one of the most insidious, hateful, cowardly events in the history of humankind. Yet from the ashes of that hate, the world felt the taste of true "humanity". For the first time in my life and probably those of most people, we were all united in love and care for each other, without racial, ethnic, religious, or geographic barriers. Citizens of London and Tokyo, Egypt and Mexico, Hamburg and Singapore wept with us. We loved one another. It was probably the strongest moment in human history.
What the terrorists tried to do was steal our humanity and leave us in fear and hate. Yet in the hours and days following those attacks it was evident they failed.
Today, as we remember the tragedy of that fateful day in September nine years ago, I implore you to remember how you felt and ask you not let the events of the day fuel anger, hate, vengeful desires. Those who sew hate want nothing more than to steal our humanity. Let us not let them succeed. Let us not let them, succeed!
Jose - God bless you. That's all - can't talk a lot after reading this passage. For real, this act was the making of a couple of hundred people or so - but killed thousands and impacted millions - billions of people. I won't get into how I feel in terms of the US Government's reaction and handling of the situation. But you know me - so there. Hugs & thanks, my brother.
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