Reflections on 9/11

September 11th is America's tremendous bug-a-boo day.  Fifteen years ago, the nation realized that it really was not as secure and tranquil as we believed it to be.  I was seated with my husband in a courtroom in Manassas, Prince William County, Virginia, when the news first broke.  We were witnesses in an accident case.  We gave our testimony, and within 30 minutes, the courthouse closed.  We went home and watched the seemingly crazy news reports for several days.  I had to scramble to find a way to work, four days later, because I normally took the subway at the Pentagon - but no trains could stop there.  The stories, videos, and photographs were shocking.  I was very lucky that I was in court, and not at work on that day.
   Fifteen years later, I live 2,000 miles to the west of the east coast madness. I did not know anyone who lost their life in the multiple tragedies that occurred on that day - but I have a lot of friends and acquaintances who did lose family members.  I still grieve with them and for them.  I believe that all of those who lost their lives - innocent victims and first responders - should always be remembered with love, sadness and dignity.  I remember my feelings of horror and disbelief on that day, and in the first few weeks that followed.  America has never felt safe since then.  It feels safe to me, but not to the majority of our citizens.
  At the age of 60, I now wonder whether I feel safe because I have lived for this amount of time; if I feel safe because I am, primarily, a historian; or if I feel safe because I am (I think/hope) a pragmatist. As I look at things happening in the Middle East, and the rising tide of jihad in Islam, I feel as if I'm looking at the time period before the Crusades in the eleventh century.  Are we going to have a "Holy War" -  Christian versus Muslim, again?  But what about all the other great religions of the world, and their followers?  I do not want to see the world at war in my life time - over religion, over food and water, over natural resources, over any belief system.  I don't believe that religion can rule the world, nor do I believe in a dictatorship, either.
  It is a sad thing that the United Nations are neither united, nor representative of all the people on our planet.  We, the people of the world, of all nations, of all colors, of all creeds and beliefs, need to unite and be heard and moderate a way to mutual understanding and trust.  Otherwise, our world and it's knowledge will be lost....

Thoughts

The fine drizzle of yesterday morning cleared and we had bright sunshine in the afternoon.  A light rain is currently falling, but the weather folks say it will, again, clear by noon, and be sunny.  But then a cold front is coming in, and we are expecting a rain and snow mix around midnight - we'll see if the weather gurus are correct....   - The kits let me sleep until 7:45 this morning, and, after caring for them, I started for the bakery and a fresh bagel for breakfast.  I ran into a neighbor at the building door; she was wearing a T-shirt, a sweatshirt, and a hoodie sweatshirt over all, jeans and boots, I was wearing a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers.  Meredith informed me that I needed to go back and get a coat or jacket because it was "freezing out there!"  I went on out and opened my umbrella as I stepped out the door - it was a trifle chilly (45 degrees), but it was nowhere near freezing. I felt chilled, but not cold, on the walk to and from the store - of course, I had the brolly, while she was getting rained on...
  I didn't go to the bank or the library yesterday - I just lounged with the kits and did a little bit of research - so I'll need to go to both places today.  A big "Thank you" is owed to Hillbillygator for suggesting a new series of mysteries and two other books by different authors - I'll try to get them today, and/or will request them.  I owe you!
   So, yesterday, today and tomorrow are first anniversary of the three worst days of flooding from the "Thousand Year Rain" that Colorado experienced.  The newspapers, magazines, and local news stations are giving remembrance stories and then-and-now stories a flogging.  And, of course, today is September 11th, so there is also the usual out-pouring of grief and patriotism on this day.  Last night, the President talked about ridding the world of ISIL/ISIS with the assistance of other countries.  I honestly don't know how I feel.  A huge number of people were impacted strongly, and are not yet recovered, from last year's flooding.  The world will never be the same again, and hasn't been, since the destruction of the World Trade Towers and the crashed hijacked jets in 2001.  Now it seems that our nation will be at war again in the Middle East....   I know that the President said air raids only, with no US soldier setting foot in the affected countries - but, to me, air strikes equal war.
   I am in no way a complete and total pacifist.  I also know that I don't have all the information and (hopefully) facts, that the President and his advisers have.  But I feel despair that killing and maiming people seem to be the only way that human beings can make any kind of statement.
   Most folks would truly be appalled if I set out exactly what I believe and don't believe in the religion arena.  I believe in a Live And Let Live society - I am happy for you to believe in whatever you wish, as long as you don't try to make me believe as you do.  Why is one person's belief better than another's?  I realize that religion and resources are the only reasons that we human beings resort to war.  It's a very sad thing.  None of us is God, or anywhere near God-like.

   Why can't we just live peaceably together, and allow each person their own belief?