Our freedom was sorely tested on September 11, and now, nearly 10 months later, our freedom still remains under constant threat from further terrorist attacks.
We are a nation at war with an unseen force, a nation at war with those who hate America and what it stands for. We are at war because those who hate America are jealous; they don't have the freedom we do, and they are held in bondage by laws that have remained in place for centuries. If they break these laws they are severely punished--or even killed. Some of these people go to the extreme to where they do terroristic acts as a means of fighting for their religion. They see killing themselves (or others) as a supreme act of sacrifice. These terrorists learn from childhood to hate; and this is why they act the way they do. They are taught to hate nations such as America and want to do nothing more than to hurt or harm us, even if it means knocking down our buildings (World Trade Centers) by using planes as missiles or bombs.
As an American mother and wife, the events of September 11, 2001 really hit me and my family hard. We knew someone who worked at the World Trade Center, and she was one of those who were killed in the September 11 attacks. She died after the building she was in (The South Tower) collapsed in upon itself. She died because she was trying to get others out; and she didn't make it out.
She was only in her 20's. Her name was Stephanie Green. She was a friend of my friend M'buti Sormiento (nee' Moore), and we had met only a month and a half before, when we were in New York City on a vacation.
I can honestly say that my life--and countless more, I am sure--were forever changed in that horrific instant. I remember seeing the horrible images on tv while I was on my break at work (I work as a nurse in a local hospital), and wanting to pinch myself, to see if it was all a horrible dream or not; and feeling helpless at the sight of the black smoke and orange and red flames shooting out of the building after the plane had deliberately run into it. I felt physically ill as I thought of those poor people who were so hopelessly trapped in the fire and smoke and not knowing whether they were going to be rescued in time or not. I then thought of my husband, Bill, at his job at Wal*Mart, and my dear, precious children at school--wondering if they knew of what had transpired, and how seeing the horrific images would affect them. My dear, precious children were too young to understand to know what had happened that Black Tuesday morning, and they didn't understand about things like terrorism or that people hated America so much they wanted to harm her in such an evil, hellish way.
Because we are a free nation, we are able to wear what we want (for the most part), say as we please, or believe in whatever way we so choose, whether it be Muslim, Christianity, or even Buddhism. There are different religions here in America, just as there are different people here: White-Caucasian, African-American, Oriental, Native American Indian, Hispanic, European, Polynesian. We all come from different backgrounds; yet, we are ALL American. And we welcome visitors or new citizens-to-be with open arms; we have always done so since our country was young. (Look at me. My ancestors came from what is now Nova Scotia in Canada, and I am Acadian French/Cherokee Indian in background.) I may not be white (I am decidedly dark-skinned with black eyes and hair), but I am STILL AMERICAN through and through.
But ever since the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001, the America we live in now is quite different than the America of just prior to that time. The nation's airports have a tighter and more stricter security system, police and other uniformed guards stand at close watch at our nation's schools, people are randomly searched without any questions whenever they are carrying backpacks or suitcases or briefcases, backpacks are now means of being fined or are outlawed altogether, and our air-space is full of fighter jet planes ready to attack at a moment's notice. People are understandably nervous and scared; and the children find it harder to sleep at night because they are still haunted by the images of September 11. And people are exhibiting more in the way of physical or mental illness or symptoms.
But we have also banded together, no matter what the color of our skin happens to be or whether we believe in God or Allah or Buddha; and we have sought the help and Mercy of a Higher Power to help us get through this dark time here in America. We are holding our loved ones tighter and nearer to us more than ever before, and we are looking towards each other for means of comfort, solace, or compassion. We are a hurting nation, and it clearly shows in our pained faces. I still see the pain as I look in the innocent little faces of my children as they still struggle to understand what took place and why, and my husband still can't talk about September 11 without breaking down into tears. And poor M'buti is still an emotional and physical wreck as she thinks about her friend Stephanie and her horrible demise. Just the other day, my little 9-year-old daughter, Ronee', awakened the entire household with her screams; she had dreamt of September 11, and it took an hour before Bill or I could calm her down. She was really upset. And little Johnny still can't sleep at night; he is up most of the night, so sure that, if he falls asleep, Osama bin Laden will "be knocking on his door, ready to kill him at a moment's notice". And the sounds of planes flying still send Johnny, Ronee', and the littler kids into spasms of sheer terror. They are sure that all of those planes have bombs on them or are about to bomb the house (or school or church...).
This is why we look to the Love and Comfort of The Prince of Peace, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He will get us through this troubling time, and He has reassured us time and time again that He WILL NEVER LEAVE US--EVER. We, as Christians, have to hold fast to Him and let Him guide us through. This is why we are so involved in church, and this is why we pray each and every day. We pray not only for each other, but for our hurting Nation, for our Nation's Leaders (even when they don't make the best of decisions), our Allies, our Military Forces on the Ground, Air, and Sea, our American Brothers and Sisters across this land, those Americans and their families who are abroad, our National Resources, and our Buildings and Attractions, LARGE AND SMALL, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. We must also pray for the evildoers, for Jesus prayed for those who hurt or persecuted Him; if we are to be good Christians, we MUST do the same. So, as a result, we also pray for those who perpetrated the attacks on our country. My husband, who was raised Assembly of God/Pentecostal/Nondenominational, taught me that, and we have taught our children that. We have to KEEP praying, especially now, in our time of need and healing. If we don't have God in our lives, our Nation will surely fall and die a hard and horrific death. For a Nation WITHOUT GOD is surely doomed; and a Nation who seeks God is surely to be blessed, even in times of trouble and hardship.
This is why our freedom is so important, especially now. This is why we should ALL get down on our knees and thank God (or whoever you believe in) for being in a free Nation and thank God (Allah, Buddha, etc.) that we ARE free.
A FREE NATION IS, INDEED, A BLESSED NATION!! AND A NATION WHO LOOKS TO GOD IS A BLESSED NATION!!
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: LONG MAY SHE STAND!!!
