Sept. 11th

I wasn't going to write anything to commemorate this day. But if I hear "never forget" one more time, I am going to hurl. I will puke my Wheatabix and my lasagne all over the keyboard.

Why? Because America has forgotten.

Oh, no, we haven't forgotten the tragedy, the families and friends who still struggle today with the senseless death of their loved ones. May light perpetual shine upon those who died, and may God's comfort be with those who still grieve.

What was the motivation behind this attack? Why were the numbers 9/11 engraved upon our memories in dust, fire, blood and smoke?

Oh, the simple answer "Because they hated America."
Why?
Why did they hate America enough to give their own lives?

Because of our freedoms. Because our society gave us options on how to act, dress, speak, eat, read, worship. We were a nation with many different peoples, all managing to more-or-less live together in peace.

Now? We've forgotten that. We are a nation splintered, each faction hollering louder than the next that they are the One True Way that will save us all from the Adversary. Tick off the hot buttons on your fingers: war, homosexuality, immigration, wiretapping and domestic espionage... It's all us vs. them.

We've forgotten what happened in those weeks after 9/11. Complete strangers rented cars together and drove cross-country, some towards home, some towards the rescue and recovery efforts. We emptied our pockets into jars for charities. We prayed, ferverently, for peace.

And in five years, we've forgotten everything that united us, and latched on to the fear that divides us.


St. Mychael Judge and all the martyrs of New York and Pennsylvania,
Pray for us.