I was standing in the facility office watching a television
that was setup to show videos to students. Someone had found a wire hanger and fashioned
it into an antenna so we could see what was going on. We watched in horror as
the first of the twin towers fell. Shortly after we were all sent home to watch
the news and be with our own families. My daughter was in grade school and I
had found out about the attacks on the radio that morning when the plane hit the Pentagon.
I had almost turned the car around at that point to take my daughter home but
decided even if the country was under attack that Albuquerque would be the last
place to face danger.
I knew from the sound of jet fighters taking off at Kirkland
Air Force base that morning that something strange was going on. In my neighborhood
you call that sound a early warning system. Later in the day and for the next few days the
skies were clear of commercial planes as the country determined if it was safe
to allow planes back into our airspace. The only sound was that of fighter
planes taking off from the base.
September 11, 2001 taught most Americans to make sure to
tell their children in the morning that they are loved by both parents. It was
hard to watch so many Americans loss their lives in a senseless act of violence
that day. We remember this day as some Americans still remember Pearl Harbor. Whenever
America is attacked on our own soil we remember the loss of life far more than
if the individuals were killed in a war far off.
Since that day Americas have learned to live in fear of
another attack. As a child I remember practicing what to do if the Soviet Union
bombed our country. I was always thankful until that day that our children had
not thought much about safety because we were at peace in our own homeland. Now
they face dealing with security checks everywhere. Like my generation they lost
a little of their childhood security because of that attack. We learned again
the hard way that events that happen around the world can and do come to our
shores at some point if left unchecked. We don’t want war in other parts of the
world but when Americans are attacked far away then we must react to make sure
that our country remains a safe place for the everyday lives of our children.
Yesterday President Obama addressed the nation on the issue
of ISIS and what must be done to ensure that they will not be a danger to our
citizens both here and abroad. Americans are very supportive of the actions he
is taking to stop this group from spreading terror. We understand that at times
we must make such individuals fear for their own safety if they threaten or
take the lives of Americans. Justice is not always a peaceful and kind approach
to ending conflict. It must never be our first answer but in the end if pushed
too far then America must react to defend our own, in doing so we make the
world a more peaceful place to live for all.
