In 1963, the sudden and swift death of the age of innocence after the assignation of John F. Kennedy brought about one of the most violent social changes in the history of our nation. The scars from that time still affect all of us in this country; our distrust of politicians and the media began then, and it has escalated every year since.
On Sept. 11, 2001, most of us awoke to see not one but two airliners crash into the tallest buildings in New York. As we were reeling we saw another airliner filled with unsuspecting people crash into the seat of our military power, the Pentagon. We were paralyzed as we followed United Flight 93 on its way to destroy the Capitol itself. We cried as we heard live reports from the passengers saying good bye to their families and plotting to stop the terrorists from accomplishing their mission.
We sat numb as brave Americans made a desperate, successful attempt to stop Flight 93 and in doing so lost their lives on a farmer's field in Pennsylvania.
Officially 2,993 innocent people and 19 Al Qaeda terrorists died that day.
The shock waves of this attack on our homeland were immediately felt across the country. Soon, businesses as far away as California were closed because the economic drawback that occurred. Laws were enacted for our protection, laws that quite frankly violated some of the principles of our Constitution. We embarked on a war on terrorism that has cost freedoms, millions of dollars and the lives of thousands of our country's finest.
In some cases, the government took advantage of our fear to overreach its bounds in the name of our safety - thank goodness the will of the American people did not die that day eight years ago. It was stunted, but people from all over this country are rising up to say that we want our country back, we want politicians who are not crooked and we want our president to tell the truth.
Yes, Nov. 22, 1963, and Sept. 11, 2001, crippled us and scared us, but like a champion boxer the spirit and will that built this country is slowly but steadily rising again.
The lone gunman as well as the 19 terrorists who tried their best to destroy us have not succeeded, the politicians who would thwart the will of the people who elected them will not destroy us and the minority of people who would have you believe that capitalism in this country is dead will not destroy us. The only thing that will destroy our way of life is if we ever truly forget that by the grace of God and the courage of our forefathers we became the nation that we are today.
