Remembering 9/11

I was listening to talk radio this morning and of course all the talk is about 9/11/01. It is important that we remember those that lost their lives on that tragic horrible day. On that morning I was in my car on my way to have breakfast before going to work. The announcer on the classic rock station was saying that he was glad that his father hadn't lived to see this day. That really confused me so I listened more closely as he explained his father had been a Marine in WWII and he had not fought for our freedom so that something like this could happen and then the news guy broke in to say that a second plane had hit the other tower of the World Trade Center. I switched to one of the all news stations and listened numbly as they explained about the attacks on New York and Washington and that there were reports of a plane crashing in Pennsylvania. At the restaurant we all listened to the news on radio and ate food that tasted like ashes in my mouth.

At work, in the Ada County 911 Center, we all just looked at each other and wondered how the dispatchers in New York could deal with something like that. And then the towers collapsed. We had a TV set up in dispatch that was by my work station and we all watched with a collective groan. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried. The rest of my 10 hour shift was taken up with the unfolding news and the calls for help that always come regardless of how you feel or what is happening in the larger world. Some of the things on TV were of course played over and over again. The towers collapsing and the shots of the plane hitting the second tower, which for me is the worst. I believe that I saw that at least 20 times that day. Now whenever that comes on I change the channel, I just can't see that without emotionally being taken back to that day.

I was a fire fighter for 7 1/2 years. I was a volunteer fireman and was also a crash rescue fire fighter in the USAF. I watched the men going into the towers and I wanted to be there myself. Then as the towers came down I realized that those brave heroes were losing their lives and something in me died with them. That has affected me more than anything else these last 7 years. I can't think about that day and those men without tears filling my eyes.

This morning the callers were talking about their emotions and feelings. Some wanted the news clips played over and over again so that we would not forget. Believe me we will never forget. This was our generation's Pearl Harbor, sinking of the Maine and Alamo and unlike with those events we saw them as they happened. The nation didn't really learn how bad Pearl Harbor was until after the war. We saw the tragedy play out in real time and without any censorship. We will never forget and yes, we will always remember. We don't need to see those images over and over, for the vast majority they are indelibly etched into our minds eye.

Many callers talked about how we were safer now with Homeland Security and TSA and President Bush watching out for us. There were those that thought it could happen again and weren't so sure that we were safer. I believe we are safer now but no thanks to Bush and Homeland Security. People now pay more attention to what is going on around them and report those things that seem wrong or out of place. TSA can frisk as many grandmothers that shuffle through the security checkpoints at the airports without shoes on as they want but that doesn't make us more secure. Taking a pen knife from Senator John Glenn or strip searching an elderly male with a hip replacement that set off the metal detectors is no replacement for security measures that look for known terrorists or people that fit the understood profile of a terrorist. Hassling people at the airport doesn't help when you realize that the ocean ports are mostly wide open. Less than 10% of the containerized cargo that comes into this country is ever checked or inspected. We can talk all we want about the border with Mexico but the 9/11 terrorists came into this country from Canada. If we are going to secure our borders it had better be both of them.

Remembering 9/11/01 should be the first step in a long journey to making our world safer not the only step. So as we think about those that lost their lives on that day give some thought to how to make this country safer. Ask questions of our elected officials about preparedness and what we can do. Call the police if you see something that you know is wrong or out of place. Demand from Obama and McCain real answers about our foreign policy and security and don't settle for the same old platitudes and answers that they have been giving us for the last 2 years. Demand that both our borders be secured and that security at our ocean ports be increased. Ask why shuffling through airports with no shoes, rings , belts and hair clips makes us safer. As long as we ask these questions and more 9/11/01 will be remembered.