The Good And The Bad 911
Have you ever stopped to consider that there are two 911s
important in our lives?
There's the good 911 and the bad 911.
The good 911 is the emergency service that saved my life a
few years ago and continues to be there as a dependable public service,
available when you dial 911 on the telephone.
This service, manned by devoted people who stand ready to help you when
you really need help, is relatively new in the history of the United
States.
Time was when you were "on your own" regardless of what happened. It's a good thing, no doubt about it.
But there's the bad 911.
It is a date that was burned into the memory of everyone on September 11th,
just eight years ago.
The bad 911 memory reminds us of the fleeting frailty of false
security -- the innocent assumption that security exists on its own. WWII and 911 are the only two times in modern
history when the US
was attacked. Both times the leaders of
the attacks were religious zealots.
Even the ancient Crusades, when millions were murdered, were
born and directed by misguided religious zealots.
We vanquished the powers that struck us in World War II, and
turned Japan
into a democratic, peaceful, productive country. Our nation was united behind the effort. We are not doing so well regarding 911. Although our intelligence services and the
armed forces have rounded up a few of the Muslim extremists, there are
thousands more just waiting for the opportunity to strike again. Many misguided politicians and civilian
activists are hard at work thwarting our efforts to find and neutralize these
criminals.
Don't you think it's about time for America
to cease the petty political bickering and blaming and publicity-hungry
demonstrations that dominate the news, and get back to work doing what we do
best - producing food, products and services that benefit all, and doing so in
a peaceful fashion, helping our neighbors when the need arises?
Think about it, especially when you vote.
|
