Date: September 11, 2008
It's the Terrorists, Stupid! - A reflection on 9/11
September 11 + 7 years...I flew out of Washington's Reagan National Airport this morning on a red-eye flight back to Dallas. It was surreal to think that on this exact day seven years ago, it was on just such flights from Boston, Newark and DC Dulles that 19 jihadists boarded and executed their infamous, mass-murder plot.
It was all the more poignant knowing that on take-off; the restored Pentagon with its impending memorial service was slipping by below. And looking back across the Potomac River from my window I could see the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Mall with its Washington Monument and afar was the shining dome of our Nation's Capitol. Looking at that iconic building, I was reminded of the brave passengers of Flight 93 whose courage saved all of us the ignominy of seeing our Capitol building destroyed by the fourth of those hijacked airplanes.
It was a quiet, private moment of remembrance, a sacred moment to reflect on the three thousand innocents who lost their lives at the hands of murderous extremists. Thinking of broken hearts and shattered lives, dreams dashed and weekend outings with Daddy or Mommy lost forever because of senseless, unbridled hate. Because of evil unchecked.
Which turned my thoughts and prayers to the thousands of warriors who have given years, given their lives or absorbed body and life altering injuries while running to ground the planners of that attack and taking the fight to those who would follow in the terrorists' footsteps. I said a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing for those living, fallen and injured warriors - and their long-suffering families!
Then somber turned to anger. I recalled the poll numbers I saw on cable news just last night. Of the top concerns on American voters' minds this election, the War on Terrorists ranked at the bottom of the list in the number eight spot. The top seven voter concerns were "pocket book" issues. The usual suspects such as job security, retirement security, social security, cheap gasoline security, health-care security, energy security, affordable college security, every security under the sun...but the one security that should be #1, #2 and #3. National Security. The lone "security" that makes all other issues relevant and before which all other issues should shrink into virtual insignificance...The War!
Our nation is at war. Sadly, almost everyone but the administration and the military has forgotten that fact. Our nation, when at war, should have one pervasive, overwhelming, all-consuming focus and agenda. Victory! As soon as possible and as complete as possible. All else falls virtually off of the radar scope. And particularly so in this war, against this foe. We have an enemy which is intent upon our complete annihilation. It is their religious as well as ideological doctrine. This is no conventional foe. And our secular, naive world view as a people poorly prepares us to wage and win this war. These pocketbook issues which preoccupy our electorate are proof positive.
In an instant, an instant when a dirty bomb or worse goes off in the central business district of one of our major cities, or at a major sporting or public event, how important will it be what you are paying at the pump, or how hard it is to afford a private college education? All else will melt into the recess of our mind and survival as a nation will again become paramount. But, it may be too late at that point. Certainly the cost for our short-term memory loss and self-absorbed myopic view of reality will cost us so much more greatly than 9/11 ever has or will.
Why do we forget? Why do we tarry? Why do we distract ourselves with trifles while enemies prepare for our complete extinction? For well over a millennia there has been an unending, persistent jihad against the Christian West. Only with the demise of the Ottoman Empire was the power temporarily broken to press their cause. But after a short respite of a few decades, the modern petro-dollar empowered extreme zealots and nations to resume their dogmas of destruction of all infidels and enslavement of the entire world to a monolithic theocratic system. These people are serious. They have stated their goals repeatedly, and repeatedly acted successfully upon their belief system to our great shame and pain.And yet, we forget. We don't "get it". We are preoccupied with secondary, even tertiary, matters.
In 1992, the Clinton-istas hit upon the issue that would unseat Bush the First. Their rallying cry as coached by James Carville was "It's the economy stupid!" Bogus or not, it was their clarion call to their foot-soldiers and then to the public..."forget all else, the one issue of import, the issue of the moment is the economy."It is time we seize that cynical, but effective ploy, and turn it around for the truth.
And the truth of this election and every subsequent election until this fiendish enemy is suppressed, is this…"It's the Terrorists, Stupid!"One and only one question should be on the mind of each voter as they step into that booth to vote on November 4th:"Which candidate will defeat our enemies and provide America national security through a posture of strength? Who can lead America to unequivocal victory in this war?”
This is the only road to peace - to survival - in a dangerous world. Cajoling our enemies to understand and like us is no substitute for total and swift victory!Because, it really is all about the Terrorists. To think otherwise is a very dangerous kind of "stupid".
September 11 should be reminder enough of this truth.
Curtis Hail
© 2008
It's the Terrorists, Stupid! - A reflection on 9/11
September 11 + 7 years...I flew out of Washington's Reagan National Airport this morning on a red-eye flight back to Dallas. It was surreal to think that on this exact day seven years ago, it was on just such flights from Boston, Newark and DC Dulles that 19 jihadists boarded and executed their infamous, mass-murder plot.
It was all the more poignant knowing that on take-off; the restored Pentagon with its impending memorial service was slipping by below. And looking back across the Potomac River from my window I could see the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Mall with its Washington Monument and afar was the shining dome of our Nation's Capitol. Looking at that iconic building, I was reminded of the brave passengers of Flight 93 whose courage saved all of us the ignominy of seeing our Capitol building destroyed by the fourth of those hijacked airplanes.
It was a quiet, private moment of remembrance, a sacred moment to reflect on the three thousand innocents who lost their lives at the hands of murderous extremists. Thinking of broken hearts and shattered lives, dreams dashed and weekend outings with Daddy or Mommy lost forever because of senseless, unbridled hate. Because of evil unchecked.
Which turned my thoughts and prayers to the thousands of warriors who have given years, given their lives or absorbed body and life altering injuries while running to ground the planners of that attack and taking the fight to those who would follow in the terrorists' footsteps. I said a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing for those living, fallen and injured warriors - and their long-suffering families!
Then somber turned to anger. I recalled the poll numbers I saw on cable news just last night. Of the top concerns on American voters' minds this election, the War on Terrorists ranked at the bottom of the list in the number eight spot. The top seven voter concerns were "pocket book" issues. The usual suspects such as job security, retirement security, social security, cheap gasoline security, health-care security, energy security, affordable college security, every security under the sun...but the one security that should be #1, #2 and #3. National Security. The lone "security" that makes all other issues relevant and before which all other issues should shrink into virtual insignificance...The War!
Our nation is at war. Sadly, almost everyone but the administration and the military has forgotten that fact. Our nation, when at war, should have one pervasive, overwhelming, all-consuming focus and agenda. Victory! As soon as possible and as complete as possible. All else falls virtually off of the radar scope. And particularly so in this war, against this foe. We have an enemy which is intent upon our complete annihilation. It is their religious as well as ideological doctrine. This is no conventional foe. And our secular, naive world view as a people poorly prepares us to wage and win this war. These pocketbook issues which preoccupy our electorate are proof positive.
In an instant, an instant when a dirty bomb or worse goes off in the central business district of one of our major cities, or at a major sporting or public event, how important will it be what you are paying at the pump, or how hard it is to afford a private college education? All else will melt into the recess of our mind and survival as a nation will again become paramount. But, it may be too late at that point. Certainly the cost for our short-term memory loss and self-absorbed myopic view of reality will cost us so much more greatly than 9/11 ever has or will.
Why do we forget? Why do we tarry? Why do we distract ourselves with trifles while enemies prepare for our complete extinction? For well over a millennia there has been an unending, persistent jihad against the Christian West. Only with the demise of the Ottoman Empire was the power temporarily broken to press their cause. But after a short respite of a few decades, the modern petro-dollar empowered extreme zealots and nations to resume their dogmas of destruction of all infidels and enslavement of the entire world to a monolithic theocratic system. These people are serious. They have stated their goals repeatedly, and repeatedly acted successfully upon their belief system to our great shame and pain.And yet, we forget. We don't "get it". We are preoccupied with secondary, even tertiary, matters.
In 1992, the Clinton-istas hit upon the issue that would unseat Bush the First. Their rallying cry as coached by James Carville was "It's the economy stupid!" Bogus or not, it was their clarion call to their foot-soldiers and then to the public..."forget all else, the one issue of import, the issue of the moment is the economy."It is time we seize that cynical, but effective ploy, and turn it around for the truth.
And the truth of this election and every subsequent election until this fiendish enemy is suppressed, is this…"It's the Terrorists, Stupid!"One and only one question should be on the mind of each voter as they step into that booth to vote on November 4th:"Which candidate will defeat our enemies and provide America national security through a posture of strength? Who can lead America to unequivocal victory in this war?”
This is the only road to peace - to survival - in a dangerous world. Cajoling our enemies to understand and like us is no substitute for total and swift victory!Because, it really is all about the Terrorists. To think otherwise is a very dangerous kind of "stupid".
September 11 should be reminder enough of this truth.
Curtis Hail
© 2008
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