Never Forget

It somehow did not seem fitting to try and tell another funny story about Life With Rachael, today of all days.

Instead, I thought I'd share with you my memory of September 11, 2001.  I think I will always remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard about the attacks.

Rachael and I had been married for about six and a half years.  We were living in our house in Lincoln, CA.  Rachael used to use her clock radio as an alarm clock.  Her radio went off and she heard something about an airplane hitting a building, but she was half asleep and hit the snooze button.

My radio went off next, waking me up.  At that point, the radio voice was saying that a second plane had just hit the twin towers.  I quickly woke up and turned on the TV.  Just in time to see the the reruns of the second plane crashing into the towers.

That memory will never go away.

Shortly after, we heard about the plane crashing into the pentagon. 

I remember wondering just how far this was going to go.  I was very shaken up.  My dad had stayed the night with us and he and Rachael were downstairs.  I went down there, and in my confused state, first said they got the capitol, meaning the pentagon.  I finally got my story right and I remember my dad's next words.

"We're at war!"

Those words turned out to be true, although it has been a war unlike any we've fought before.  It's hard to fight against a group of people that have no military, have no defined borders.  We are fighting against an ideology, and unfortunately, that ideology has taken root in many places around the world.

Reading some of the comments on the tribute videos on YouTube absolutely infuriates me.  Kids in class laughing and joking about what happened.  Desecrating the graves and memories of those that lost their lives because of the sadistic ideologies of perverted terrorists.

And some in this country laugh.  Or worse.  Make up theories that our own government created the destruction, which of course exonerates our real enemies, the terrorists.

I truly do think it's time for America to wake up.  We are destroying ourselves from the inside out much worse than any enemy can hurt us from the outside.

It's time for us to realize that we should thank God for how he has blessed us.

Not curse him.  Not use his name as a swear word.  Not teach our children that there is no right and wrong.  Not neglect and forsake the very God that has blessed us so tremendously.  Not sacrifice our children on the altar of a two-parent income where neither parent has the time, energy, or motivation to make sure their kids are raised with morals and values, and decency and honor.

It is time for us to realize that we have some very real and very evil enemies.

Not try to sugar-coat it.  Not be willing to give up good sense in an effort to 'understand' them.  Not try to place the blame on ourselves.  Not be so naive as to think that they are anything other than what they are- cold blooded, evil-hearted terrorists.  They can not be bargained with.  They can not be trusted. 

Peace can not happen as long as they are out their planning our demise.

We can not love them enough to make them change.  We can not wish hard enough for them to go away.  We must take action to protect ourselves.  We must be vigilant.  We must never forget.

We must pray to God for the safety of our nation and the salvation of their souls and ours.

So, what about you?  Where were you when you first heard about it?  Feel free to share your stories and thoughts.

May God Bless America.

May we bless God.