It’s been almost a decade since the terrorists struck the World Trade Center, shocking the entire nation and the world. It was the worst act of terrorism ever committed on American soil. In all, nearly 3,000 people were tragically killed.

But it isn’t the terrorists we remember most. It’s the heroes – especially the brave passengers on United Flight 93, such as Tom Burnett, of Pleasanton, whose last words were captured in a phone call to his wife, saying:

 “Our flight has been hijacked. The terrorists have knives and have stabbed someone. They indicate they are going to crash our plane into the capitol building in Washington, D.C.  I know we’re all going to die, but we are going to do something, I love you honey."

A mother whose daughter worked on Capitol Hill wrote on a memorial website that she believes her daughter’s life was saved by these brave men and women. They did not go gently into the night, but fought the terrorists, and gave up their lives, saving countless others who might have died if the hijackers had been successful.

Something important was gained from the sacrifice these brave Americans made. Perhaps the most positive thing to come out of the attacks on 9/11 was incredible outpouring of patriotism that followed the initial shock. American flags appeared everywhere, and sold out in stores, and people made more. I remember one very touching hand-crafted flag on a pedestrian over crossing, spanning Interstate 5, made out of red, white, and blue plastic cups. Something about that touched my heart.

We will never forget the tragedy of 9/11, the visions of smoke, falling buildings, people running in terror, holding their clothes in tatters. Seeing the faces of the families as they posted pictures of loved ones on message boards, hoping against all hope that their missing brother, husband, wife, or sister would still be found in the wreckage.

But we must not get lost in despair. Instead, we must use this horrible tragedy as a lesson about being prepared. Perhaps we were too comfortable. Perhaps top government officials were ignoring signs that should not have been overlooked. Perhaps we relied too much on new technology, and forgot that the best intelligence is actual people on the ground, not computers and spy satellites. We forgot that as proud and extraordinary as America is, we can be vulnerable.

We now know that we must remain ever vigilant, and strong. We must continue to support our troops in Afghanistan and those who are still in Iraq. These brave men and women are fighting to keep all Americans safe and free. They are the ones protecting all of us from hostile nations and enemies of freedom.

Today, please take some time  to thank a veteran and say a prayer for America. It is only through remembering the painful losses Americans suffered on 9/11 that we may protect our families, our country and our freedom from future threats.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 10th, 2010 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.