Posted by
Adam Armer on Thursday, September 11, 2008 2:48:34 AM
On this day, the 7th anniversary of the attacks on September 11, many still struggle to understand why this atrocity occurred. As a group, it is safe to say that we are not all of the same religious or ethnic background, but still we have the freedom to come together as a group and share our beliefs. As individuals we will never agree on everything, or live our lives by the same rules as one another, but still we have the right to stand for what we believe in. This is a trait that is unique to us as Americans, and this trait is one reason that we are so successful as a nation. We are able to draw off of the experiences of many different backgrounds and use that experience to overcome obstacles. Our freedoms of political and religious expression give us, as individuals, the courage to accomplish great things. Our right to property, both real estate and intellectual, gives us a stake in this country, and something to fight for. I believe that these freedoms are what our enemies despise about us the most. Generally throughout history this grievance is the one common factor between all of our enemies. There is no doubt that today’s enemy is among the most vicious and evil, and their purpose remains the same as those that have come before. They would seek to subjugate us to their will and culture. I am not saying that all of our enemies in the past were evil, but I will say that their intentions certainly were.
The attacks on September 11, 2001 were seen by many as an attack on our way of life, or on our foreign policy. This is simply not true. The attack on the Pentagon was an attack on our security. Their intentions were to cause us to question our safety, and for many it did. After all, how could anybody feel safe when such a gruesome assault could take place, not only on American soil, but to the very symbol of our military might? Fears such as these, could cause us to more easily part with freedom, and our enemy was counting on this.
As for the World Trade Center, this attack was obviously an assault on our economy, and the way in which we do business. This was not the main objective of such an attack. The World Trade Towers were a testament to our abilities, and a symbol of capitalism in all of it’s glory. Capitalism is the economic expression of freedom. They knew this, and they knew that an attack on these targets would cause us to question which we valued more - freedom or safety.
We must remember that our freedom takes priority over any comfort or ally we may lose in it's defense. In the end, we are still fighting the same enemy that our forefathers sought to free us from. So long as we value liberty, we will be the target of all those who despise it, and those who despise liberty will always outnumber us. We must remain strong and proud, so that others will have an example of what is possible. We should never forget those who lost their lives on September 11, or those who have given their lives since. In order to maintain the courage to fight this war, we must remember what this war is truly about. This war is to protect our freedom and the freedom of any other country who seeks it. September 11 should always be remembered. It should be a day that we come together as Americans to remember what separates us from the rest of the world, and to celebrate these differences. It is because of these diferences that we are great.