Remembering 9/11

I was going to post some relevant news or story regarding the music industry, but somehow i just cant feel it . Today Marks eleven years to the day that 9/11 occurred. That day changed our lives and the course of this great nation forever.

I don't want to focus on why, there are tons of stories about that, both true and false. Im not going to launch into a political tirade because, well, todays just not the day for it: i've seen enough hate spread in the name of 9/11 to fill a lifetime.

No, today I want to focus on what makes this nation great, at least in my eyes. Today, I see a nation deeply divided as do the rest of you, but what about the things we all have in common? We all share so much that unites us, and in the days since the WTC bombing, we've  lost sight of that. Id like to share a few of the things we all have in common, what we all strive for, regardless of faith or political affiliation.

• We love our families and we want the best for them.
• We need a community in which to thrive in.
• We all feel pain at the loss of a loved one.
• We all want a balance  between freedom and safety.
• We all  need love and acceptance.
• We're all annoyed with the garbled voice at the drive through.
• We all question our place in the universe at one time or another.
• We all need guidance from time to time.
• We all have moments of weakness.
• We all have days that we wake up and all day long, for some reason, can't figure out what day it      is.
• We all want to be a part of something greater than ourselves
• We all band together in times of darkness and forget everything else.

Id like to focus on the last line for a bit, but first id like to describe my experience.

9/11 

I remember when I first heard the news I was working graveyard shift at the AM/PM by my house. around 6 am ( PST), someone came in and told me we were bombed. I didn't believe her at first.  

At that time the thought was inconceivable. In fact, we were so sure of our military superiority that no one ever really considered the possibility of a handful of extremists hijacking a plane and crashing it into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and trying to do the same to The White House. That sort of thing just didn't happen, not to America. It couldn't happen as far as we were concerned, and we never even gave it a thought.

So I clock out and take the bus home. People were talking about it but still, i didn't believe it. In fact, at that time, no one knew what to believe, but none of us had actually seen anything yet so it was just gossip and I still didn't believe it.

I got home to our little apartment in Riverside and my neighbor Marcus pulled me inside. My fiance` at the time was already on the couch with a horrible look on her face. I turned to look at the television and saw the footage of the plane hitting the second tower and my world suddenly stopped. Nothing moved. I couldn't breathe. We all just sat there numbed and watched as they replayed to footage over and over. 

We all knew life was never going to be the same and that war was eminent.  Most of us never even dreamed this was possible but there it was, it was a reality and we could never go back, our illusions of safety shattered forever.

Lessons I learned

Now what i remember about that day is not only the loss, but the profound sense that we were all in it together, all of us were united in a way that forgot about racial, cultural and religious differences. For the briefest of moments, in the days that followed, every American looked at each other and saw only brothers and sisters. We were all looking to one another for comfort, support and shared a deep pain. We didn't bother to check whether the other fella was a republican or democrat, or where they went to church, or what color the other guy was. all we cared about was each other. That was beautiful, in spite of the tragedy that caused it.

Perhaps time and politics has clouded the memories of those feelings, and perhaps you're too young to remember how it really was that day, or even how society was before that day but I tell you I do remember and we were united, every one of us, and it pains me to hear people talk about my fellow country men being un-American and un-patriotic because I know that for all our differences, thats just not true.

It was not Muslims that flew those airplanes into the towers, it was religious extremism. It was hatred, it was fear and frustration personified by deeply troubled and disturbed men, led by a man who used that fear as a weapon and a tool. This man disgraced his religion, and his humanity, and all the world suffers for it from America, to Belgium, from Buddhist to Muslims and Christians. 

My Fellow Americans

I tell you that many Muslim Americans were as deeply wounded by the attack as anyone else. I know, because one of my fellow co-workers at the time was a Pakistani who cried on that day. We shared sorrow on the day after and he was telling me how he and his family had already become the targets of extremist hate and bigotry in our town. He was spit on, and threatened and scared. Why? because he happened to be from an Islamic country.  

This man grew up in America, shared in the dream with all of us and he never spoke a word against anyone, even in that time. He refused to let them get the better of him, and he still loved this country, despite all of that, He worked and he lived and we were very good friends. We talked politics and religion, but in a very civilized manner and we did disagree on many things, but at the end of the day were were always friends.  He was a good man. 

I understand why people lash out at others of differing faith and politics. I know that people turn to violence because they cannot deal with their fears. I know many muslim Americans are the focus of extremism in our country because sometimes, we need a singular place to point blame at, especially in a situation without easy answers. It much easier to lash out and lump all of one society that deal with the specific elements in humanity that cause fanatic views. Its natural and part of the grieving process. Its also irrational and harmful to do so. Think bout this:

If one groups actions were enough to condemn a whole society, then it would stand to reason the the Westboro Baptist Church, infamous for celebrating the death of soldiers as Gods will, could be used to describe all Baptists in America. We all know that to be untrue.

Anders Breivik, the Christian terrorist responsible for the deaths of 77 innocent lives in Norway last year in no way represents mainstream Christianity so let us not condemn all of Islam for the acts of a few terrorists. Let us find the cause of extremism as a whole, across all faiths and nations. Me must realize that there is no easy, quick or simple solution and even though we may have different views an ideas, if we work together for a common goal, we can overcome the tragedies we face. There s room for rugged individuals as well as community. 

I say this only to illustrate that we can have differences in many area yet be at peace with one another.The extremism that wounded us so deeply that day was a result of those who violated the base humanity that we all share and is steeped in hate. How do you fight hate? with love.

Why else would you attend church besides faith in God? Because it is a community of individuals, seeking the same thing. Comfort and support and a shared vision of the future. Do you share everything in common with your flock or congregation? No, but what you share in common far outweighs those differences.

In that spirit, let us remember 9/11 not only as a day of sorrow, but as time when every American, regardless of race, creed, religion or ethnicity banded together in search of comfort and understanding. This is when America is at its strongest,when we realize the meaning of  'We The People'.

Instead of sowing fear and hatred, instead of wallowing in our grief, let us move forward. The original perpetrators are dead, or in captivity, and Osama Bin Laden is dead. This should provide us with the closure we need to move on. 

So on this day of memorial, let us revisit the time when we were all brothers and sisters, let us remember that feeling when we looked past our differences in order to find support in one another. You, the reader, are my brother or sister. Let us remember that while we have lost our innocence, we do not have to sacrifice what makes us a great nation; the  knowledge that despite our differences, we are all Americans and we are in this together.

 To all of our servicemen who have fought and died for us , I cannot express my gratitude enough. Thank you.

-Dan Hazard