Every nation and most every faith-system has its memorials. Here in the United States, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, New Year’s, Good Friday, Easter, Memorial Day, D-Day, V-E Day, Veterans Day, Presidents Day, and Labor Day are just a few examples of memorials.
Today is the memorial of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. orchestrated by Osama bin Laden. It quickly became known as Patriot Day.
The speech in this video was given by General James Mattis, on September 11th, 2017. The images are stirring.
But the genius of a memorial of such an event is precisely so that the younger generations ‘will never forget.’ There is an entire generation that was born since September 11th, 2001. There is a need to recall and pay tribute to the innocent lives lost.
Agree with the wars in the Middle East or not, one must recall how that war was started. This next video is by Australia’s Sky News, and sheds light from their viewpoint, often using American news footage.
Our publisher, long before this publication was launched, was one of the few voices that ‘supported the troops’ but publicly opposed America’s entry in each of the Middle Eastern conflicts. As a growing chorus of voices on both sides of the two major parties have since come to realize, these wars have been costly in a variety of ways. A strong response to the terror attacks was merited. But invading Iraq? Ponder the spillover effect into Syria and other parts of the Middle East.
That said, the fallen deserve to be honored. And what led up to the terror strikes needs to be contemplated too. Many fail to recall the prior attack on the Twin Towers in the 1990s, or the attack on the U.S.S. Cole, and incidents that absent a decisive response, may have led to an emboldening of terrorists to hijack those planes that resulted in the devastation of the Pentagon and the loss of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center.
9/11: Inside Air Force One, premieres Wednesday, September 11 at 9/8c on HISTORY.
This two-hour feature documentary tells the story of 9/11 from a unique vantage point: Inside Air Force One on its nine-hour journey from Florida, across the country, and finally home to Washington DC. Featuring interviews with President George W, Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Chief of Staff Andy Card, the pilot of Air Force One, Secret Service agents, as well as intelligence and military aides on board. It may be an interesting show to view.
It is more than an act of patriotism to recall such times. It is prudent to remember not only the event, but the causes.
What lessons were learned since then? For example, having seen the horrible destabilization of Iraq from the Bush Administration’s decision, why did the Obama Administration attack Libya? Libya and Iraq have each gone from a tough but stable government to widespread instability and an ongoing loss of blood and treasure. Brown University produced this next video about 3 years ago.
President Donald J. Trump, long before, and since taking office, has decried the high and arguably avoidable costs. He’s far from alone.
Again, none of that is said to diminish the sacrifice of soldiers, first responders, or their loved ones. Quite the opposite. We must not only ‘never forget.’ We ideally must learn the lessons. That applies to more than 9.11.2001. Freedom isn’t free. Could the attacks have been foiled? Some say, yes.
But as it stands, the consequences of that day are seen at our airports, in the NSA, in the caskets of returning dead, thousands of wounded, and trillions of dollars spent. It has been a sad bipartisan mess. At home and abroad, it has cost so much. That’s this morning’s sobering first look at “News Through the Lens of Manufactured Homes and Factory-Built Housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (News, analysis, and commentary.)
Soheyla is a managing member of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com. Connect with us on LinkedIn here and here.
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