We all may be sick and tired of discussing America’s problems.
Well, we are, as a nation, pretty much coming apart at some of our seams. We are flirting with a frightening level of national unrest on topics that either should have been resolved, permanently, long ago, both legally and socially, or shouldn’t be issues at all save for the seeds of angst being sewn by malcontents and subversives.
Those of us who love this country for the uniqueness of living here and the strength of our population stand by her in her completeness. We don’t try to sift out the diversity of her people or strip her of that which paints her unique colors. When we are at our best, we are a beam of brilliant light. Even when we are breaking, we are the example much of the world looks up to and the nation too many world nations want to knock off that pedestal. We are that enviable.
Chatterbox has spoken often of various aspects of 9/11/01, America’s greatest domestic attack. We’ve talked about that instance in which ordinary people, most unknown to one another, took on risk and responsibility for each other. Strangers were running, rescuing, comforting, and protecting each another. As they fled a deadly situation together, helping one another, no one asked about religion, nationality, or political party. They lifted each other off the ground, out of the cancerous dust, and protected one another disregarding all danger. We mentioned one man, a Muslim, lifting another man who had been blinded by the dust out of the curb. “Come, brother,” he said, to the Hasidic Jew and, together, they ran arm in arm. That’s who Americans are when we are free to be our best.
The day of 9/11, in all its horror was, to most Americans and in the eyes of the world, America’s finest hour ... and America has had many a fine hour. Building doors leading to relative safety opened for everyone. People washed each others’ faces, shared water, cried together, limped together and carried each other to safety. No person was anything but American. No other characteristics mattered. American – the mere word gives me a thrill; together, we are a nationality whose only common characteristic is that we, or our ancestors, all adopted the same haven as our home ... and nothing more.
We’ve also talked about the Boat Lift, which was the spontaneous water rescue operation on 9/11 in New York City. The Boat Lift was a wholly citizen, impromptu response to a human crisis, a reflex from individuals, ordinary people, unbeknownst to one another, without a formal request by any part of any governing body, local or national.
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