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Opinion
Sep. 11, 2008
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EDITORIAL: 'What kind of people do they think we are?'

The anniversary of 9/11

Every year, on the morning of Dec. 7, the phone rings.

"Why did you ignore Pearl Harbor?"

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    • "We didn't forget Pearl Harbor, sir. There's a photo and caption inside the paper, showing the veterans saluting the flag at the USS Arizona Memorial."

    "Buried it inside, eh?"

    But there are fewer calls each year.

    Indeed we should not forget Pearl Harbor, nor the wonderful sacrifices of the men and women who refused to say "Quit" in the tough years that followed.

    After that fateful day in 1941, it was nearly 60 years before new enemies found a way to launch an attack of anywhere near equivalent impact on U.S. territory. But the perpetrators of the airline hijackings of Sept. 11, 2001, did not choose primarily military targets, for their goal was not to cripple U.S. military capacity in order to gain a free hand to sweep innocent nations into a fledgling overseas military empire.

    Those who attacked us on Sept. 11 saw their enemy as American culture and strength. They were willing to murder thousands of non-combatants in an attempt to damage American morale, convincing this country that we should withdraw not only our military support but also our trade and commerce from overseas, in the hopes that -- without that American trade and support -- modestly humane and secular regimes on the Arabian peninsula and elsewhere in the near East would crumble before some kind of spontaneous jihad, restoring the Muslim world to the conquering glories of a thousand years ago, free of Playboy, Baywatch, McDonald's, and women in bluejeans.

    It sounds nuts -- actually, it is nuts -- though al-Qaida has had some surprising success based on this simplistic estimate of Western softness when their chosen targets were European.

    All it took was one day of train bombings to convince the Spaniards to change their government, withdraw their minimal forces from the Mideast, and beg the jihadists for a truce. Washington Times columnist Diane West has spent years chronicling the pathetic eagerness with which other Europeans, emulating Neville Chamberlain, now prostrate themselves before the inflated phantom of sword-waving Muslim rage.

    (New French President Nicolas Sarkozy, for the record, has offered a refreshing contrast to such supine simpering.)

    In America, though, al-Qaida ran into something they hadn't counted on. Americans in general -- and their commander-in-chief in particular -- echoed a European of a very different caliber, who asked after British forces in the Pacific were attacked by the Japanese 67 years ago, "Is it possible they do not realize that we shall never cease to persevere against them until they have been taught a lesson which they and the world will never forget? ... What kind of a people do they think we are?"

    George W. Bush -- and his America -- did not cower and ask what the enemy demanded of us. After honoring our innocent dead, we went on the attack.

    Has everything that's been done in the name of the "War on Terror" been wise, necessary, and effective? Of course not -- any more than it proved necessary to fight the Japanese in the Aleutians in 1942.

    The evidence of al-Qaida connections in Afghanistan was far stronger than the minimal evidence of a terrorist connection in Iraq -- although, planned or not, al-Qaida eventually showed up for the party, and has been convincingly trounced on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates.

    Congress has fallen into its traditional habit of larding up subsequent Homeland Security bills with their usual portions of pork fat. And plenty of real and planned infringements on Americans' civil liberties have proven excessive and of little demonstrable worth.

    But let us not overlook the proverbial elephant in the middle of the room: There has not been a successful follow-up terrorist attack on these shores for seven years, and there's no reason to believe it's because the bad guys weren't trying.

    Osama bin Laden and what remains of his scowling, murderous crew are presumably hiding out in some cave on the Afghan-Pakistani border, dodging the incoming, unable to stage any more substantial operations in this hemisphere. Which, second only to dead, is a pretty good place for them.

    And the reason for that, make no mistake, is that the bad guys encountered a very different kind of enemy in America than they ran into in Europe.

    As did Hirohito and his emperor, convinced that an America with her battleship fleet on the bottom of Pearl Harbor would promptly sue for the best peace terms available.

    We signed a peace, all right. On the deck of the battleship Missouri. In Tokyo Harbor.

    That struggle took four years. This one is taking longer. Will Americans finally throw up their hands now, giving up their vigilance and their resolve?

    Wanna bet?



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    patrick wrote on September 11, 2008 11:01 PM: Ok, now I've done my due diligence; guess what, once again Oberman told the truth.

    Oberman said that despite being in charge of the government at all levels, the republican party has not only managed to avoid any responsibility for what happened on 911, they have USED the events of that tragic day to their advantage and insist (crazy as it might seem to a reasonable person) that unless they remain in charge, that it will happen...AGAIN. (huh?)

    Oberman also accused the republicans and specifically McCain of showing graphic images of 911 that most responsible news organizations have declined to show without at least some warning about the graphic nature of those images for the purpose of frightening Americans so that they could again insist that without their (continued) "leadership" America would be attacked...again.

    Sometimes the truth hurts, and sometimes its just the truth.


    Sad Summerlin wrote on September 11, 2008 10:57 PM: Patrick,

    Read the text from the link posted below...

    It is no less truthful than people claiming Obama is a Muslim... and neither are right.


    patrick wrote on September 11, 2008 10:36 PM: I have listened to Keith Oberman many times and the man says what needs to be said; truth hurts sometimes but it remains the truth.

    Oberman says bush lied to the American people and it hurts some people to think so, but it remains the truth. Most of what Oberman says is loud and pointed, and to some may seem disrespectful, but it remains the truth.

    You do not hear those on the other side of Obermans comments say that he is not telling the truth they simply don't like the facts and don't want anyone else to mention them.

    I will listen to what Oberman had to say about today in history and I will withhold any comments about it, but I will say that if he said that bush has ruined this country since that tragic day then he has only spoken the truth and that can't be a bad thing.


    joe wrote on September 11, 2008 09:40 PM: I just stumbled into the sad summerlin blog. zzzzzzzzz


    Jen wrote on September 11, 2008 07:59 PM: Sad, you're a great person - have a good night. I too will pour a glass of cab.


    Sad Summerlin wrote on September 11, 2008 07:46 PM: Jen -

    Tonight I will be drinking a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon in solidarity with you...

    I don't think you can be American (liberal or conservative) and not be emotional today. I would equally challenge any conservative commentator who uses such language as Olbermann... this is not the time or place...

    Remember that people like that who are condemning the GOP for using the images are themselves using that same emotion and imagery to evoke your emotions... so who is right and who is wrong?

    I saw pox on both if they are both using the images.

    I am glad that both Obama and McCain took time away from the campaign to honor the fallen... perhaps we all should take a moment to do the same and leave the partisan bickering aside for a day...

    9-11 in American Politics should be like the Christmas Truce of 1914 during WWI. It is time to recognize that we are much more than opponents on a battlefield... we are human beings (or Americans in the case) first...

    Until tomorrow... we can get back to scrapping...


    Jen wrote on September 11, 2008 06:57 PM: Sad,

    No, I don't think there's a "secret plan" to capture Bin Laden that we're not using.

    Yes, I believe the Republicans run somewhat on the belief "vote for us or this will happen again"

    No, this isn't indicitive of the "change" that BO is seeking.

    This is a very emotional day for me, and when I read the rant, and it appeared the GOP is using those images to campaign, it just sickened and saddened me. Did they use those images in their campaign? I simply don't know - I'm afraid I reacted solely on the emotion that evoked.

    Thank you for respecting my opinion, even though it differs so greatly from your own at times. That alone gives hope for the future. I too, would be honored to have a glass of wine with a number of you, even those who would prefer beer. :)




    Frank M wrote on September 11, 2008 04:42 PM: Alicia, thank you for that link. I don't think I have ever been this disgusted about a newscast. They removed him from his anchor position? They, MSNBC, should have sent him to Florida to see if Sparky still works.


    Sad Summerlin wrote on September 11, 2008 04:26 PM: Jen and Alicia -

    Do you REALLY believe what Olbermann is saying in his rant?

    Do you think that we are that far gone?

    Do you really believe there is a "secret plan" to capture Bin Laden that we are not using?

    Do you really believe the Republicans are saying "vote for us or this will happen again"?

    In all of that speech... do you know what I read... I read a man who has so much hate in his heart that he wants to tear down anyone that doesn't share his beliefs... and he has to power to do so with a microphone... I read a man that is such a hypocrite that he is using the 9-11 anniversary to attack the very people who are somber about the anniversary by himself politicizing the anniversary...

    I think you really ought to read the speech again and even listen to it... and ask yourself... does this represent the positive change that Obama is seeking in today's discourse, or is this just someone trying to offend and appeal to emotions you don't really want to have tapped in this country?

    I am saddened to think that we have stooped so low as to accept this type of rant (Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal)... this does nothing but destroy and divide...

    Today more than ever... we need to come together...


    Sad Summerlin wrote on September 11, 2008 04:16 PM: James - Bill Clinton could have ended Osama's life long before 9-11 but didn't... that should tell you all you need to know about the Democrat Party.


    Michael and John F said it best. This isn't a liberal versus conservative issue. Both liberals and conservative governments in the USA had policies that were assaulted and attacked 7 years ago.

    How we have gone about business since is slightly different but to cast any blame on either side is a specious argument. I absolutely shudder when I see people's express such hatred towards the "political opposite"... As much as I scowl when people like Jen, John or Michael spew what I consider "liberal bile", I fully appreciate their positions and the fact that they have a different view. I believe they have the right to that view, that they have families like me, and put their pants on the same way I do in the morning. And that in the end at a baseball game or something like that, we are all standing with our hands on our hearts saluting the flag - TOGETHER.

    We may have different views, but we are united as AMERICANS. That doesn't change...

    Yet, today I see both Republicans and Democrats spewing such hatred at the opposite that I wonder if we are changing from Americans to members of a political party... I certainly hope not. We solve our problems with debates... not violence towards each other... and even though we are quite opposed in our views, I would be honored to have a beer with John or Michael or Jen --- because they are Americans too... That is something that a few airplanes and a few fallen buildings can't change...


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