We Will Not Forget

At least some of us won't. Six years after my most life changing day, I still remember. I can't forget it. I won't forget. This morning Fox News showed some of their coverage from that day, and all those feelings came rushing back as they do every year. The horrible crime perpetrated on our country and our citizens is in my thoughts at least every couple of weeks even now, but of course is more so today than usual. It has not crippled my existence, but it has definitely changed me.

I have learned that there is true evil in the world, and it's current incarnation is manifested in radical Islam. The understanding that the Islamofacists live to kill me and my family is rock solid in my mind. This is hard to type. The anger and pain I still feel is hard to deal with sometimes. My innocence was taken on that day. My stupid eyes were opened to the truth. For so long we ignored their repeated threats and their attacks. For 20 years we saw their attacks on the TV and chose to not take them seriously. They got my attention, and at the time it seemed they got all of our attention.

Unfortunately it was short lived. All but the lunatic fringe were united to defeat those that inflicted this pain on us. We were ready to sacrifice to do so. We were united in purpose. What happened? We lost sight of our goal. The fact that the majority of the country is willing to leave Iraq and probably Afghanistan in the hands of the very people that attacked us is so disheartening. How can we be so short-sighted? I don't understand how this event can happen and less than a decade later, the country has forgotten all about it.

I guess the sad truth is that worse will have to happen before we get it. How many of our civilians will have to be incinerated, or irradiated before we decide that, yes, we must defeat the terrorists?