Remembrance 2009

This page is from my 2009 Motorcycle Rides Page but I wanted to repeat it here because it means a great deal to me.  The events of September 11, 2001 are already fading into the past for a lot of people but I refuse to allow them to be forgotten.  There are children growing up in this country today whose parents will not allow them to remember or understand the events of that day, and that is wrong in my opinion.  Those events DID happen.  This country WAS attacked.  I for one am not willing to forget that.

The events of that day are as clear to me today as they were the first time I saw them on television, and that was as some of them were actually occurring.  Call me a warmonger or a racist or whatever other tag you want to give me but don't forget to stick one more word ahead of the title you choose.  Don't forget the word American.  I watched too many of my countrymen die that day to ever allow it to be forgotten.  It absolutely disgusts me that there are people who live here that would even consider allowing that day to become only a forgotten memory in the dust of time.

September 12, 2009

Want to know who the American Hero is?  It isn't an entertainer or media personality or sports figure or politician.  It sure as hell isn't that dimwit in the White House right now.  The true American Hero is the kid next door who wears the Marine Corps uniform.  It's the kid who traded his pizza delivery uniform for desert camo.  It's your daughter's best friend who is now in the Air Force.  It's all of the mothers and fathers and sons and daughters and brothers and sisters who wear the uniform of ANY of our armed forces.  It is the firefighters and the police and paramedics and air evac crews.  They are ALL heroes in my book.  Every single one of them.

Eight years ago yesterday, on September 11, 2001, 2,993 people died in my country because of the beliefs of a small cadre of terrorists.  Eight years and I remember it as vividly as if it were yesterday.  I can remember exactly where I was, exactly what I was doing, and exactly how shocked and disgusted I was.  There are many in this country who would have us forgive those who caused this, who would have us pretend that it never happened, who would prefer that we turn the other cheek so that it can happen again.  I for one am not willing to do that.  I will never forget for as long as I live nor will I ever forgive those who were in any way responsible.

The memorial below was set up behind my office building yesterday and I rode over there today to take a few photos of it.  It is the only one I've seen in this entire area.  The flags are in honor of Tennesseans who died in the service of their country since 9/11.  Men and women who died for something they believed in.  They died protecting me and my way of life, and I don't know how to repay that debt.  All I can do is honor their memory and I do that gladly.
 

There was a remembrance service at 5:00pm and I went back for that.  Perhaps this event wasn't very well publicized.  Perhaps, as I said above, people today just want to push distasteful events under the rug and pretend that they didn't happen.  I didn't count the number of people there but there were probably a couple of dozen.  I'm not sure which is sadder, the event that caused this service or the fact that so few people cared.

The Patriot Guard had a contingent there.  I respect what the Patriot Guard does but that little game of "My Bike Is Louder Than Your Bike" when they pulled in was completely inappropriate and completely inexcusable.  This was NOT the place to try and impress everyone with how much noise they could make, and my respect for them dropped a few degrees today.

More photos are below.  They are very much like the ones above, but I'd post a hundred more if it would make people pay attention.  This is MY country that those people attacked.  Those were MY countrymen and allies who died.  I am NOT willing to forgive and forget, nor am I willing to pretend it never happened.  I am proud of our armed forces and emergency services.  I respect them for what they are, for what they do, and for what they have sacrificed.  If that offends your tender sensibilities, tough.  I couldn't care less.  Feel free to go to another web site that will humor your politically correct nature.  This one is mine and I write what I believe.