Friday, September 11, 2009

Lest We Forget

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Pentagon – September 2001

I took this photo and the one below about a week after September 11th. We lived 15 miles away.

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In June 2002, we took relatives into Washington DC. This was an eerie site:

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A plane over the Washington Memorial.

I was also in Northern Virginia when terrorists with a white van were on a random killing spree. I still cringe when I see white vans.

In September 2002, we visited New York City and Ground Zero:

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GroundZeroCrossvc

I have yet to visit Shanksville, Pennsylvania, but I will.

Now, photos taken of the September 11th mastermind by the Red Cross are being spread around by Al Qaida terrorists and sympathizers in order to garner support for another attack.

We cannot forget. And we cannot let our guard down.

Be safe, America. Freedom cannot be destroyed. We can’t allow it.

There hasn’t been one September 11th yet I have not shed tears for my country and the families and friends of the victims. I hope it never becomes enough “past history” that I’ll stop. For some of us, it will never be in the past. It will always be with us. 
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2 comments:

Lindsay Townsend said...

Powerful, poignant post. LK.

Dorothy said...

I think back to those days, having loved ones so close to the 9/11 attacks, and living in the vicinity of the "white van" terrorists, and remember the heartsick fear that people so precious to me, and so innocent and undeserving of being hurt should be in harm's way-and for what purpose?!
Then I think of all those innocent people who were hurt or killed on 9/11/01, or had their lives ruined by losing someone precious in such an unprovoked, vicious attack, and I still hurt for them.
I liken that day to 12/7/41, another famous day of infamy when nearly as many were killed/injured in another sneak attack. We knew then what had to be done about such an act, and we mustn't let our guard down now in a misguided sense of compassion for the perpetrators, who are not entitled to the protection of American laws and freedoms, since they are enemy combatants who want us all dead, not American citizens.
We mustn't forget the cruelty of their attacks on that day, or of their actions carried out since then. We must reserve our compassion for their undeserving victims.