September 11th, 2002: A time to celebrate?

By Mike Ferguson

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By any measure, Americans are an amazing people that extends from the infancy of our nation --which was born because of the uncompromising desire for freedom -- to the resiliency of current generations who have seen war, depression and now terrorism within our borders.

It would be condescending and trivial of me to try to articulate the impact that September 11th, 2001 had on the United States. The horrific loss of human life, the images of the Twin Towers collapsing on New York City, the resulting acceleration of an economic recession that had already begun and the intangible emotional impact on a stunned country are all elements of the events we now look back on one year later.

For most people, this is a time to reflect and mourn. The news media is already competing to see who can out-memorialize each other to the greatest degree. Survivors, relatives of victims and - dare I say - tourists are in New York City's "Ground Zero" to be part of the many ceremonies that mark the anniversary of 9-11.

Personally, I have chosen to take a different approach to September 11th, 2002. I see reasons to celebrate. Obviously, I do not mean to diminish the pain and suffering of all those affected both directly and indirectly by the attacks. But through tragedy comes opportunity and growth. I choose to celebrate the undeniable strength, unity and resolve the United States has shown, and continues to show in reaction to 9-11.

That strength and resolve certainly has not come from Washington, D.C. George W. Bush, John Ashcroft, Dick Gephardt, Hillary Clinton and many others in government continue to use September 11th as an excuse to repeatedly strike the tree of liberty with the axe of politics in a most calculated and vicious manner. While many Americans were reminded of why we should cherish the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, most of those elected to represent us in Congress have reacted by discussing or even promoting the erosion of those precious liberties in the name of safety and "homeland security". No, that strength and resolve is not found on Pennsylvania Avenue or in the halls of the Capitol.

That strength and resolve is found on the Main Streets, in the neighborhoods, at the churches and in the business districts of America. That strength and resolve is manifest when we realize that the United States is not defined by what our politicians do or say, the United States is defined by the spirit of her people. After the shock and pain of the attacks, Americans have responded with defiance and pride. We should celebrate all of the little reminders of American strength. Those reminders are everywhere.

You cannot pass (or be passed by) more than a couple of cars without seeing a window or bumper sticker that reads "United We Stand", "God Bless America" or "Let Freedom Ring". The American Flag is now proudly displayed on homes and business fronts where nothing flew before. Patriotic t-shirts and buttons are commonplace. The best part is that this spirit is real and continues a year later. No longer is the display of the Stars and Stripes limited to a crass Fourth of July or Presidents' Day commercial campaign that comes and goes each year. No longer are those who profess patriotism considered idealists or looked at as simply sentimental of values long past. No longer is prayer for our nation scolded as a fringe political gimmick.

September 11th is more than a reminder of the pain and suffering that impacted an entire nation. September 11th is also a reminder of the American strength that has carried us through events like the attack on Pearl Harbor, a president's assassination and the Oklahoma City bombing. That strength has now been called on once again, this time to see us through the wake of 9-11's terrorism.

That strength we should celebrate is manifest privately as well as publicly. My six-year-old son, Austin, is one such reminder for me.

Austin watched TV with Janeth and me that fateful day. I wasn't sure he understood the magnitude of the event then. I still don't know if he does today, but he understands at least some of the impact.

Today, a year later, he rarely forgets to pray for the "American soldiers" who are fighting the "bad guys who killed all those nice people with the airplane." Before last September, prayer to him was "thank You for this food" and "help me to not have scary dreams tonight."  Now, Austin has some understanding of what prayer really is and he feels more secure because of that.

Austin should feel more secure. Even though more attacks on Americans are inevitable, we know that despite whatever chaos may take place we will survive as a people while those who attack us must practice having "Allah" on their breath every time a loud noise happens around them. We will persevere while they must resign themselves to a sick concept of martyrdom.

We are certainly not a nation or culture without flaws. Our political, economic and social strife will continue as we struggle with our differences in the media, in the halls of government and over heated debates in coffee shops. Our moral and spiritual shortcomings will continue to be something we wrestle with in churches and on academic campuses. No, we are far from perfect.

We are, however, strong. While politicians are back to partisan division, real Americans are united in an effort to restore our way of life as much as possible. While media pundits exploit the pain and suffering of 9-11 for programming purposes and ratings, real Americans are again committed to meeting the needs of our neighbors and rebuilding local, state and national economies. While the rest of the world resumes its contempt for our government, envy of our wealth and confusion about our diverse culture, Americans are renewing the ideals of self-reliance and self-determination that our Founding Fathers harnessed to build this great country.

That is why I choose to celebrate September 11th, 2002.