I sit here on September 11th with so much on my mind. I am not sure where this blog is going. I guess as usual I will just start typing and see where my rant takes me. I am melancholy today and should be doing a thousand other things. Instead I will sit and type to clear my head. I don't expect people to like my views or applaud my infinite wisdom. I am just a soccer mom who doesn't even like politics--sometimes I just see so much injustice that I have to vent so that I can be done with it and move on.
Twelve years ago today I sat in stunned silence in my living room and watched in horror with thousands of others as a second plane hit the twin towers on live television. Life as we knew it suddenly ceased. Our great nation was under attack and we were helpless to stop the senseless destruction as hundreds of lives perished right before our eyes. Tears rolled down my face as I continued to watch through out the day as events unfolded. We were all glued to the television regardless of who we were. At that moment in time we were all Americans and our differences were forgotten. Unlikely heroes emerged through the hours, days and weeks following the attack. People wanted to do something to feel that they were making a difference. It was one of our darkest hours but also a time when we were more united than ever as a nation. What we witnessed made us better friends and neighbors for awhile, but as the years have gone by, the horror has faded. It is not in our backyard anymore so we can go back to being self absorbed. We can bitch about the security at the airport and how inconvenient it is. I bet the passengers on the 9-11 planes wish that security measures would have been tighter on that day.
Every day acts of terrorism are meted out in varying degrees across the globe. Much of it done in the name of religion. This is nothing new. Religious persecution has been an ongoing theme throughout history. People are slaughtered in the name of God by those who believe it is His will. So many of the world religions believe that theirs is the one true religion. Not all are radicals who believe that killing the unholy makes them martyrs. Unfortunately many religions preach intolerance and hate. Sadly the horror that we felt during the attack on our nation is something that other nations see on a daily basis. We thought we were immune, but as the world becomes smaller and smaller, we are all at risk. Terrorism is not something that only happens in the Middle East by people with dark skin and strange religious beliefs. Terrorism is done by individuals of all colors, nationalities and religions. It is acted out by radical individuals who are fueled by hatred. Religion isn't always the motivator. Who knows what motivates that much hate and anger.
I may be a naive sinner who is headed straight for Hell, but I believe in a loving benevolent God. A God who would rather see the world work together to feed the hungry, cure diseases and share resources. I don't believe that God worries about who has the biggest weapons, who makes the most money and who can claw their way to the top to achieve world domination. I'm not sure how He feels about churches like the Westboro Baptist Church who preach hate to their followers and continuously defy common decency by flaunting their narrow views. What happened to love? Does anyone ever really stop to think about the Golden Rule? Do our children even know what the Golden Rule is? The Golden Rule has been around since the 1600's and was used by most religions as an ethical rule of life. Wikipedia cites Leviticus 19:18 which says "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself. I AM Lord.". Vengeance? What is terrorism if not an act of vengeance? I know many people who hate their neighbors and do rude things just to piss their neighbors off. I'm not really sure what satisfaction that can bring, but these people are proud of their pranks and antics. It isn't so funny when the neighbors do it back though.
I guess I have just had a rough week. I see stories of human kindness and genuine caring buried in the back pages of newspapers while death, destruction and the completely inappropriate behaviors of celebrities steal the headlines. Reporters want the hard edge stories that shock and terrify the nation. No one wants to be put on the stories of little kids saving their allowance to help sick classmates or endangered species. Where is the blood and guts? The blood and guts is in the horror stories, the terrorists, the radicals and those who commit senseless acts of brutality against the innocent. Damn I'm the leader of the justice league or something today. I just hate injustice at all levels. It is hard to teach your children honesty and good values when everyone is trying to cheat the system, scammers are lying in wait around every corner and people randomly walk into schools and shopping malls and open fire with assault weapons. See why I can't watch the news.
What can I do to make the world a better place? Love my children. Be kind to everyone. Listen. Help when able. Try to set a good example. Admit when I am wrong. Take responsibility for my mistakes. Rant on my blog when I feel like things are hopeless and look to the positive. There are always positives. There are children saving their allowance to help people in need. There are good an honest people running non-profits that actually do help people. Not everyone is power hungry and filled with ulterior motives. Most of us are simple people who want to make small differences daily. When I say most I mean most--it doesn't matter what color, nation, religion or sexual orientation--most people are good. Most people don't make the news. Most people hate injustice as much as I do. As you remember the lives lost on 9-11-01, remember the unlikely heroes, the love and the compassion. Remember the Golden Rule and try to live it no matter what the people around you are doing. The biggest differences are made by the smallest of acts.
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