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Remember September 12
By Bill Zahren
(Posted 09/10/02)
You don't need me to add to the flood of commemoration of
September 11.
But I do want to make a brief plea for everyone to remember
September 12.
That’s the day America did what it always does when it gets
knocked down. We got back up. That’s the day hundreds of millions
of Americans simply refused to panic in the streets. The day
we started responding to evil with good.
The United States is a country of wild excesses in every
direction. Extreme generosity and breathtaking greed. Stunning
selfishness and zealous self-sacrifice. Horrible evil and
engulfing love. Staggering wealth and shocking poverty. America
is far from perfect. Our history is bloody. We constantly
fight amongst ourselves -- often in public. We hold grudges.
We’re like a big family that’s not always on speaking terms.
We tend to overreact. We can be ugly and let our passions
carry us away. We’re sometimes too quick to substitute the
expedience of force for the patience of diplomacy.
So what’s the lesson of 9/12? That despite all its flaws
and intra-family squabbles, America won’t take a dive. Deep
down we really do love our siblings, even though we scream
at them a lot. We’ll squabble and push and shove and point
fingers at each other, but we’ll also charge into crumbling
buildings to save total strangers, stand up for a man’s right
to wear a turban and chase down someone trying to torch a
mosque.
September 12 was the day average Americans started honoring
the dead by going on with life, helping out and fighting back
as best we could. We got back up and, rather than run for
cover, we charged into the battle, each in our own way.
What can you do? Celebrate 9/12 by committing small acts
of patriotism -- things like working hard on the job, loving
the spouse and kids, looking out for neighbors. Remember how
those first stunned moments of 9/11 exposed the seemingly
mountainous differences between Americans for the mole hills
they really are.
And stay engaged in the democratic free-for-all. Debate,
discuss, disagree, empathize, think. Find the courage to stand
up for something you don’t personally believe in.
That’s what makes us Americans. And that’s what makes us
strong.
© 2002 Bill Zahren
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