Written by Leonard Pitts
Published Wednesday, September 12, 2001, The Miami Herald

We'll go forward from this moment It's my job to have something to say.
They pay me to provide words that help make sense of that which
troubles the American soul. But in this moment of airless shock when hot
tears sting disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can find to say, the only
words that seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author of this
suffering.
 
You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard.

What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our
World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us?
What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that
you failed.

Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause.

Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve.

Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together.

Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family,
a family rent by racial, social, political and class division, but a family
nonetheless. We're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous emotional
energy on pop cultural minutiae -- a singer's revealing dress, a ball
team's misfortune, a cartoon mouse. We're wealthy, too, spoiled by the ready

availability of trinkets and material goods, and maybe because of that, we
walk through life with a certain sense of blithe entitlement. We are
fundamentally decent, though -- peace-loving and compassionate. We struggle
to
know the right thing and to do it. And we are, the overwhelming majority of
us,
people of faith, believers in a just and loving God.

Some people -- you, perhaps -- think that any or all of this makes us weak.
You're mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot
be
measured by arsenals.

IN PAIN

Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're still
grappling
with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to make
ourselves
understand that this isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster,
isn't the
plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope
of their
ambition and the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely to go
down as the
worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States and, probably,
the history
of the world. You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before.

But there's a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us
fall. This is
the lesson Japan was taught to its bitter sorrow the last time anyone hit us
this hard,
the last time anyone brought us such abrupt and monumental pain. When
roused, we are
righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When provoked by this level
of
barbarism, we will bear any suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in
the pursuit
of justice.

I tell you this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as you, I
think,
do not. What I know reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with dread of

the future.

In the days to come, there will be recrimination and accusation, fingers
pointing to
determine whose failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to
prevent it
from happening again. There will be heightened security, misguided talk of
revoking
basic freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered, chastened, sad.
But
determined, too. Unimaginably determined.

THE STEEL IN US

You see, the steel in us is not always readily apparent. That aspect of our
character
is seldom understood by people who don't know us well. On this day, the
family's
bickering is put on hold.

As Americans we will weep, as Americans we will mourn, and as Americans, we
will rise
in defense of all that we cherish.

So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that
maybe you just
wanted us to know the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider
the message
received. And take this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You
don't know
what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started.

But you're about to learn.
T'S ALL PREY FOR THE VICTIMS,
OUR PRESIDENT,
OUR NATION, AND OUR FREEDOM.

Join in a mounting  effort to have Americans fly the
American flag and turn their front porch lights on
tonight in a statement of American solidarity.

Nice, patriotic thought. If the word gets out far
enough, the terrorists will get the message, "Our
light and our faith have not been extinguished."



    I AM THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

    I am the flag of the United States of America.
    My name is Old Glory.
    I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
    I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
    I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
    I stand guard with power in the world.
    Look up and see me.


    I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
    I stand for freedom.
    I am confident.
    I am arrogant.
    I am proud.


    When I am flown with my fellow banners,
    my head is a little higher,
    my colors a little truer.


    I bow to no one!
    I am recognized all over the world.
    I am worshipped - I am saluted.
    I am loved - I am revered.
    I am respected -- and I am feared.


    I have fought in every battle of every war
    for more then 200 years.
    I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg,
    Shiloh and Appomattox.
    I was there at San Juan Hill,
    the trenches of France,
    in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome
    and the beaches of Normandy, Guam, Okinawa.
    The people of Korea, Vietnam and Kuwait
    know me as a banner of freedom.
    I was there.
    I led my troops,
    I was dirty, battle worn and tired,
    but my soldiers cheered me
    And I was proud.
    I have been burned, torn and trampled
    on the streets of countries I have helped set free.
    It does not hurt, for I am invincible.


    I have slipped the bonds of Earth
    and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space
    from my vantage point on the moon.
    I have borne silent witness
    to all of America's finest hours.
    But my finest hours are yet to come.


    When I am torn into strips and used as bandages
    for my wounded comrades on the battlefield,
    When I am flown at half-mast to honor my countryman,
    when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent
    at the grave of their fallen son or daughter,
    or in the arms of a child or spouse who will have to
    go on without one who gave their life in a national
    disaster to save the life of another, as so many did
    at the Pentagon or the World Trade Center Towers on 9/11/01.

    MY NAME IS OLD GLORY,
    LONG MAY I WAVE.

Subject: A Prayer For OUR Nation
> >
> > May God be with you all this day and find you & yours safe. Take a
moment
> > & say a prayer!
> > Thank you!
> >
> > Dear Heavenly Father,
> > We are moved by the alarming news and crisis that our country is
facing.
> > This, the greatest nation, founded in the believe that "In God We
Trust"
&
> > the "Land of the Free".
> > Please have mercy on those suffering, hurting and in fear, and give
wisdom
> > & strength to those who are assisting.
> > May the forces of evil be broken by your power and may we humble
before
> > thee, our strength and refuge.
> > Give wisdom to all our President & our leaders   and bring your
comforting
> > peace  through the power of your Holy Spirit.
> > Help us here to reach to those that have been affected by this
tragedy.
> > In the name of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.
> >   AMEN
> > Please send this to all your friends and create a prayer chain
throughout
> > this nation.

~~~

America: The Good Neighbor.

Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television commentator. What follows is the full text of his trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional Record:

"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth.  Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these
countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.

When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.  When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped.  The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about  the decadent, warmongering Americans.  I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane.  Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing
Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10?  If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines except Russia fly American Planes?  Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon?

You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios.
You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles.
You talk about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon - not once, but several times - and safely home again.
You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at.
Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking Down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke.
I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of those."

Stand proud, America!
~~

We'll Never Forget You.

The Internet community mourns all those who perished on Tuesday
September 11, 2001, the passengers and pilots of the crashed flights, the workers
and visitors in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and all the people in and
around the attacked areas. Our thoughts and our prayers are with you and your families.

The Internet community is with you. We won't forget you. 



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It was something we never thought we'd see
It could never happen to you and me

An attack against all civilization
An attack that shocked our nation

Four airliners, all hijacked
A precise and planned attack

Fueled by evil, a merciless crime
The worst terrorist act of all time

The World Trade Center towers
Symbols of our financial power

Crumbling, falling, cascading down
Concrete and debris, hitting the ground

So many families torn apart
A tragedy felt in all of our hearts

If we're ever to overcome this devastation
We must pull together as a nation

To the victims' families, we send our prayers and love
As we seek guidance and hope from the Lord above

-Written by Jody Henderson

May God bless you and your loved ones.

Our country is once again called upon to protect freedom.

We've all listened to the radio, read the papers, seen the interviews,
heard the analysts, and watched the terrible scenes in horror and asked, "Why?"

We will probably never know why something like this happens.

Maybe our enemies just want to show us how bad they hate us.

Maybe they think they can get away with something like this.

If so, that's where they are wrong.  Dead wrong.

You will not find cowardice in this country.

What you will find is heroism,
the kind of heroism that cannot be measured.

The passengers on the United Flight 93 sacrificed their own lives
 to save the lives of other Americans.

The policemen, the firemen, neighbors and strangers alike,
sacrificing unafraid to help fellow Americans during this disastrous time
demonstrates the caliber and fiber of the people of this country.

Watching this from afar I’m sure you will agree
that you have experienced two feelings.
The first is helplessness, and the second is pride.

As Americans we will weep, as Americans we will mourn,
and as Americans, we will rise in defense of all that we cherish.

Right now we wait. We wait as a whole and we wait for direction.
Be assured that we will arrive, and out of the ashes of
New York, Washi