God Bless America

To whom it may concern:

It's been eleven years.

I'm still here. I'm still American.

Osama bin Laden is dead.

Just thought you'd like to know.

God Bless America.

It was a Tuesday. I was ten. It was supposed to be a fun day. We were supposed to go on a field trip.

Innocence lost.

I had lived in Las Vegas for a while. My house was right next to the airport. I had no TV or radio or internet. My friends half retarded girlfriend called screaming we were under attack, so I called an ex Marine friend of mine and he kept me on the phone and clued me in. Then the money just vanished from that city and every casino was laying off 2,000+ employees. It was hard and scary. I couldn't afford gas for my car, but was happy to have a job. I took the bus home every night, bought a 6 pack of Schlitz, 2 beef jerks and a newspaper and that's how I followed.

Since then, I've aggressively tried to reduce my consumption and learn green habits, payed closer attention to politics and kept a Peace at all cost mentality and have tried to stay off the war profiteering companies like GE.

My facebook post this morning.

"Eleven years later and I still remember that cold morning like it was yesterday. Confusion, anger, heart ache, pain, and so many more emotions rocked me that day which I will never forget. And from that pain I preached the one and only sermon for which I have ever needed to fully repent from, my children have never known a day when our nation hasn't been at war. May the peace of God overwhelm us today and may we ever more seek God for our justice."

Eleven years later and I cannot believe how much my views about that day have changed, I am haunted by the fact that my children have never known a day when our nation was not at war. I am haunted by the fact that since that day more than 120,000+ people have lost their lives in the wake of those towers falling. This anniversary brings me no peace, no pride, no honor, only sadness.

I was 21, in Austin...got up early to drive my bro to class, walking to our car I noticed a plane fly over REAL low and thought it was weird...realized when I got back home later that they were grounding everything. I remember that horrible close up of those sparks spewing from one of the towers...then that dreaded buckle...couldn't hold back the emotion of the thought I just saw thousands of people killed...what a horrible moment...the commentator, I think it was Brokaw or Jennings, didn't know what to say.

Walked out of my apartment yesterday night and noticed the two beams of light...somber day.

Never forget the FDNY 343, as well as the 2,653 others who perished that day.

God bless America

I'm still here. I'm still American.

Every year for the last 11, you've said these same words. And every year, they are a welcome reason to smile in the midst of solemn remembrance. Simple, but eloquent. And a perfect summation of how I feel today.

God bless the United States of America; now, and always.

One World Trade Center is now the tallest building in New York, and will be the tallest building in the country (third in the world) when it is completed next year.

God Bless America.

In memory.

Too many lost that day for no damn reason. I lived in Boston at the time...ugh.

I was living in Sterling, Va. about 4 miles from Dulles Airport. I was doing electrical work in Falls Church when it happened. When the Pentagon was hit, we ran to the roof & could see the smoke rising on the horizon from the Pentagon. It was a sad, horrific day in the history of our Nation.

We will never be the same again.

We will never forget!

It's all been said many times. It's still true.

My facebook post this morning.

"Eleven years later and I still remember that cold morning like it was yesterday. Confusion, anger, heart ache, pain, and so many more emotions rocked me that day which I will never forget. And from that pain I preached the one and only sermon for which I have ever needed to fully repent from, my children have never known a day when our nation hasn't been at war. May the peace of God overwhelm us today and may we ever more seek God for our justice."

Eleven years later and I cannot believe how much my views about that day have changed, I am haunted by the fact that my children have never known a day when our nation was not at war. I am haunted by the fact that since that day more than 120,000+ people have lost their lives in the wake of those towers falling. This anniversary brings me no peace, no pride, no honor, only sadness.

I hope you don't mind, but I stole some of that for a face book post. That my kids 7 and soon to be 6 have never lived in a country not at war is a sad thing. Their ignorance of the suffering we endure and inflict is a two edged sword. Some day, I hope we can reach a point where we seek God for our justice instead of the next bigger gun in our stockpile. So many have died. So many dreams here and around the world have been altered or abandoned in reaction to the tragedy.

---------- Post added September-11th-2012 at 03:14 PM ----------

My facebook post this morning.

"Eleven years later and I still remember that cold morning like it was yesterday. Confusion, anger, heart ache, pain, and so many more emotions rocked me that day which I will never forget. And from that pain I preached the one and only sermon for which I have ever needed to fully repent from, my children have never known a day when our nation hasn't been at war. May the peace of God overwhelm us today and may we ever more seek God for our justice."

Eleven years later and I cannot believe how much my views about that day have changed, I am haunted by the fact that my children have never known a day when our nation was not at war. I am haunted by the fact that since that day more than 120,000+ people have lost their lives in the wake of those towers falling. This anniversary brings me no peace, no pride, no honor, only sadness.

I hope you don't mind, but I stole some of that for a face book post. That my kids 7 and soon to be 6 have never lived in a country not at war is a sad thing. Their ignorance of the suffering we endure and inflict is a two edged sword. Some day, I hope we can reach a point where we seek God for our justice instead of the next bigger gun in our stockpile. So many have died. So many dreams here and around the world have been altered or abandoned in reaction to the tragedy.

I hope you don't mind, but I stole some of that for a face book post. That my kids 7 and soon to be 6 have never lived in a country not at war is a sad thing. Their ignorance of the suffering we endure and inflict is a two edged sword. Some day, I hope we can reach a point where we seek God for our justice instead of the next bigger gun in our stockpile. So many have died. So many dreams here and around the world have been altered or abandoned in reaction to the tragedy.

Quote on brother. I hope we learn these lessons well, and teach them to our children.

Nice tradition Henry.

I'm still here too.

~Bang