Five Years Ago

I'll never forget that phone call. I was getting ready for work when Donald called to ask if I had the TV on. Since I didn't, I turned it on and stared for the next 15 minutes trying to figure out what was going on.

Since I live on the West Coast, the news was already several hours old. The events had happened while I was still asleep.

I wasn't sure if we'd work that day or not, so I came in. We did because we had work that needed to get done. And, frankly, in California, we weren't that effected.

The thing that freaked me out the most was the fact that I had been in Virginia two days before for Trixie Camp. And some of the attendees were supposed to be traveling home that day. I remember reading the boards and waiting for word as everyone checked in and the releaf when the last few people did.

That night, I went home and watched the coverage for several hours. When I couldn't take it any more, I watched Toy Story.

Living in CA, it didn't effect me on a day by day basis. I could pretty much go about my life and just hear about it on the news. Yet it bothered me as an American. My country was under attack.

Of course, I also found a new apartment to move into that day. Even with everyone else going on in the world, life went on here.

And that seems to be the lesson we've learned five years later. Yes, it was horrid, but life goes on. How many have been directly effected by what's going on? We all whine about gas prices, but that's about it.

And the lack of daily reminders seems to drive our current political climate. We don't feel the urgency we once did, so now we bicker and fight about everything.

And there are some people who refuse to believe the obvious. Apparently Andy Rooney asked last night why we haven't tried to learn why the terrorists hate us. Personally, I take them at their word. Just a week and a half ago, they told us to convert to Islam or die. Seems pretty simple to me. They hate us because we aren't Muslim.

Why look for a deeper meaning when they hand one to us?

By the way, if they are waiting for an answer from me, I have one for them. I WILL NOT SUBMIT! You can continue to attack. Kill me if you think it will do any good. But I will not submit to you and your terror ways.

For more, read this excellent editorial. It nails much of what is wrong with our country's response to this.