I thought long and hard about what to say in recognition of the 9th anniversary of 9/11. So many words have already been spoken and so many commemorations have paid due respect to those involved, I could hardly add anything new. Just looking at the tapes will put you right back in that moment with all its attendant horrors. So I decided to post something very closely related to the events of that day. So here are the truths, as I see them, that affect the lives of each and every American.
1. This country, in spite of all its flaws and shortcomings, and there are many, is by far the greatest innovation of self-government ever devised by man.
2. No one, who has even a modicum of sense, would ever want war or violence in their lives. They would want peace between all countries, religions, races and people in general. Basically, they would want all mankind to live by the Golden Rule.
3. In spite of our Utopian desires and lofty ideals, evil does exist in this world. It exists in terrorism, dictatorships, criminal violence and domestic violence.
4. There are a select group of people who, though subscribing to truth number two, are nonetheless cognizant of truth number three. These are the people you see everyday in police uniforms, firefighter garb and military dress. These people understand that freedom and security are not without cost. Everyday, many in this select group pay that cost with their lives.
5. It is incumbent on every American to honor that select group. Not just today, but every day.
To those who died on 9/11 trying to save so many others, I think it is befitting to invoke one of the most famous quotes of Abraham Lincoln which appears on the magnificent memorial in the Cemetery of the Pacific; "The solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom".
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