September 11, 2003

Given that the Lib Media, in their infinite wisdom, have decided not to feed our righteous anger today by "dwelling" on the 9/11 attacks too much than is "good" for us, the best thing to do is to read the blogs cited below.
These fine fellow web journalists helped put me in touch with my feelings and my inner resolve as a person and for that, I thank them.
Further, they illustrate in a real way what fine people my fellow Americans are and what beautiful human beings come into being in a country where we have the freedom and the opportunity to reach our greatest potential.
It it with no little pride that I consider them blogging friends as well as my fellow citizens.
But if America had to go through 9/11, thank God we have the best people to fight the killers--both on the battlefield and in the war of words and ideas in the blogosphere.
Is it any wonder that President Bush states that "We will prevail" so unequivocally?

There's Manhattan actress Sheila Astray's Redheaded Ramblings, who turns the PBS-ing of 9/11 into a drinking game;
she maintains that if you drink a shot every time they mention American (meaning "pro-globalization,"" pro-capitalism") hubris during their "documentary" about the Twin Towers as the "reason" for the WTC to be deservedly destroyed along with the people in them by the murderous deeds of the Islamist terrorists on 9/11, you'll be very drunk by the end of the show.
Sheila's being flippant about getting smashed.
But her eloquent expressions of outrage and steely inner resolve are the real deal.
"Shame. On. You.", she tells PBS and all the Leftist media who would pervert the events of 9/11 for their own political agenda of America bashing.
Sheila can quit her day job of being an actress: she is some writer.
[While you're over there, read everything. You won't be sorry.
Brava, Sheila.]

Then, there's Stan Kid, the Long Island police sergeant, over at the Toquevillian with his first-hand account of working on "the Pile", beginning the afternoon of 9/11/01.
His preface to the account gives us a very timely quote from one of our finest Founding Fathers in the 18th Century, Thomas Paine, that applies to the Day of Terror in the 21st:

Already there are prominent voices in our own country and among our "leaders" calling for America to back off, slow down, don't rush, let the "international community" handle it, bow down and be humble - in other words, to forget. How long will it take, how much will it cost, won't it make other peoples angry?

All of those questions could only be asked by people who have forgotten.

But Americans haven't forgotten, Americans won't forget, and those who think that we should forget will be shaken off like dust from the feet of a free nation awakened to the harsh reality of a post-9/11 world. In the words of Thomas Paine: "If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace."

Finally (and this is by no means a comprehensive list!), Michele Catalano of the fine A Small Victory blog set up a site for anyone and everyone who feels so inclined to recount their memories, reflections and thoughts about 9/11 on a special site called Voices.
Vodka Pundit Stephen Green's refusal to feel terrorised and why he feels relatively good about our response as a country since is a typical, but stirring example of the entries:

Our president told us, "I hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." And they do hear us, in Iraq and in Afghanistan. They hear us, not because we used our weapons to murder their civilians, but to bring down their tyrants. From our loss, we gave them hope. The loss felt in Baghdad and Kabul is that of Sisyphus without his stone. The sound they hear is the ring of freedom. And they hear us, even if only a whisper, in Syria, in Iran, and – yes – they hear us in Saudi Arabia, too.

Maybe defiance will prove as irresistible an export as Levi's, Coke, and MTV.

Two years later, I'm still angry – and I hope you are, too. But are we terrorized?

Hell, no.

Great stuff, Stephen. But don't forget Barbie dolls (the "immoral, Jewish toy" to the Sauds)!

(Thanks for the superb site, Michele!
As with your other terrific projects like Troop Tracks and The Command Post, I don't know what the blogosphere would do without your invaluable contributions!)

Bloggers like Michele, Stephen, Stan and Sheila remind me in a huge way what blogging's all about and why there's nothing else like it.
Just as President Bush told the rescue workers at Ground Zero, I can "hear" these people.
And they're just like me--or a lot "better" than me, meaning more articulate, more wise, more astute.
But the conversation that we're having, particularly in the Anglosphere blogosphere, is crucial.
We know that firefighters, cops and emergency rescuers saved thousands of lives on 9/11.
Now, together with our outstanding military, it may be bloggers that save millions of lives (if only their minds) in the post-9/11 world.
With our solidarity of purpose, resolve and will to win through to victory, 9/11 is survivable, endurable and even surmountable.
Perhaps someday we can look back on the day and say that is was the greatest worst day of all of our lives.
As President Bush said the other night, "May God continue to bless America."
When I "hear" the voices of these fine Americans, it becomes clear that He has indeed blessed us with millions of fine souls as citizens just like the ones I cited above!