thedrifter
09-11-07, 09:26 AM
The Ghosts of 9-11
Posted by Bobby Eberle
September 11, 2007 at 6:05 am
Six years ago, the lives of all Americans were changed forever when commercial airliners were turned from means of rapid, cross country transportation to weapons of mass destruction. The eyes of the nation were finally opened to the threat of terrorism, and our call to action was clear.
Now, much has been forgotten. Memorial services in honor of those lost on that terrible day are being tainted by accusations that some are "playing politics" with the event. In addition, those are the left are bent on losing the war on terror by undermining the actions of the administration at every turn. The events of September 11, 2001 brought the nation together, and the only way we can win this war is by remaining united in our efforts.
There are several events that have helped shape my attitudes over the years. As a child of the 1980s, I grew up listening to the optimism of Ronald Reagan. Through triumph or tragedy, President Reagan always had the right words to steer this country and make us believe that better days were ahead. I was baptized into politics with the Republican revolution of 1994. This was an exciting time to be a Republican. The Contract with America was put before the country, and Republican candidates said, "Elect us... here is what we'll do." We came into office with a reformist mentality and went about fixing problems. Much has changed since then, but that is a topic for another day.
The third event which has permanently influenced my outlook is September 11, 2001. On that day, I was traveling to a conference near the Pentagon as American Airlines Flight 77 flew overhead and crashed into the side of the structure, killing all aboard and others on the ground as well.
For my full story of that day, please click here.
Following the attacks of that day, it seemed as if those who were lost worked to bring us together. Republican and Democrat joined hands and pledged to fight against the terrorism which struck on that day. New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani earned the respect of all Americans, not only for his actions during the attacks, but afterward as he attended funeral after funeral after funeral. His presence at the 9-11 remembrances helped bring calm and peace to those still grieving the loss of loved ones.
But here we are in 2007, and so much has changed... for the worse. As New Yorkers prepare to honor those lost on 9-11 with a ceremony, the Associated Press is reporting that some are now complaining that Giuliani will be participating in this year's 9-11 ceremony. Fortunately, Giuliani fired back against the claims that politics was playing a role in his participation:
Giuliani, who has made his performance in the months after the 2001 terrorist attacks the cornerstone of his campaign, said last week that his appearance was not intended to be political.
"I was there when it happened, and I've been there every year since then. If I didn't, it would be extremely unusual. As a personal matter, I wouldn't be able to live with myself," Giuliani said Friday at a campaign stop in Florida. "I will do that for as long as they have a ceremony out there."
Now, the war on terror has taken us to Iraq, and regardless of whether you think we should have gone there in the first place or not, one thing is clear: al Qaeda is helping lead the insurgency and is using Iraq as a central point to rally anti-American and anti-Western sentiment. We must succeed in Iraq.
However, the Democrats and far left organizations no longer seem interested in winning but rather in using the troubles in Iraq as a way to win elections. The much anticipated report on Iraq by Gen. David Petraeus was attacked before the General even spoke a word. As noted in the Wall Street Journal, the Democrats have "now normalized the practice of accusing their opponents of lying. If other members of the Democratic Party don't move quickly to repudiate this turn, the ability of the U.S. political system to function will be impaired in a way no one would wish for."
The Journal notes:
Late last week, for instance, we heard it said of General Petraeus that, "He's made a number of statements over the years that have not proven to be factual." This was from Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate.
The Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Lantos, said Thursday that General Petraeus would not be the author of his report; it would be written "by Administration political operatives." He opened yesterday's hearing, moments before General Petraeus was to speak, by saying, "We cannot take anything this Administration says on Iraq at face value."
The Journal also focuses on the ad by the left-wing group MoveOn.org. The organization bought space in the New York Times and accused Gen. Petraeus of "cooking the books for the White House."
As Fox News reports, the ad has garnered rebuke from Republican officials:
Sen. John Ensign, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said a failure of Democrats to denounce the ad would mean they have decided re-election is more important than "moving our country forward" or being fair to Petraeus.
"Today, ostensibly on behalf of National Democrats, Democrat front group MoveOn.org is calling a unanimously confirmed United States General a liar and betrayer of the public trust. Apparently the prospect of campaign funds is enough of an incentive for Senate Democrats to stand idly by while a respected General is maligned before he has even presented his report to Congress,said Ensign of Nevada.
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said: “It’s repugnant, but unfortunately not surprising, to see MoveOn.org launch this despicable ad campaign against General Petraeus."
It is important to remember the events of September 11, 2001 in their proper context. It was not an attack on Democrats nor Republicans, it was an attack on America. Have those on the far left really forgotten so quickly? The only way to defeat al Qaeda is to have a united front and go after them with everything we have. They will not stop, and neither can we.
On this day, let us remember those events which have redirected our country -- events which brought terrorism to our shores in a way never seen before.
To remember those who were lost that day, I invite you to watch GOPUSA's 2001: A Year in Review. In music and pictures, we can all remember those who were lost. We can remember why we are fighting and who the real enemy is. Can someone please tell that to Harry Reid and MoveOn.org?
Ellie
Posted by Bobby Eberle
September 11, 2007 at 6:05 am
Six years ago, the lives of all Americans were changed forever when commercial airliners were turned from means of rapid, cross country transportation to weapons of mass destruction. The eyes of the nation were finally opened to the threat of terrorism, and our call to action was clear.
Now, much has been forgotten. Memorial services in honor of those lost on that terrible day are being tainted by accusations that some are "playing politics" with the event. In addition, those are the left are bent on losing the war on terror by undermining the actions of the administration at every turn. The events of September 11, 2001 brought the nation together, and the only way we can win this war is by remaining united in our efforts.
There are several events that have helped shape my attitudes over the years. As a child of the 1980s, I grew up listening to the optimism of Ronald Reagan. Through triumph or tragedy, President Reagan always had the right words to steer this country and make us believe that better days were ahead. I was baptized into politics with the Republican revolution of 1994. This was an exciting time to be a Republican. The Contract with America was put before the country, and Republican candidates said, "Elect us... here is what we'll do." We came into office with a reformist mentality and went about fixing problems. Much has changed since then, but that is a topic for another day.
The third event which has permanently influenced my outlook is September 11, 2001. On that day, I was traveling to a conference near the Pentagon as American Airlines Flight 77 flew overhead and crashed into the side of the structure, killing all aboard and others on the ground as well.
For my full story of that day, please click here.
Following the attacks of that day, it seemed as if those who were lost worked to bring us together. Republican and Democrat joined hands and pledged to fight against the terrorism which struck on that day. New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani earned the respect of all Americans, not only for his actions during the attacks, but afterward as he attended funeral after funeral after funeral. His presence at the 9-11 remembrances helped bring calm and peace to those still grieving the loss of loved ones.
But here we are in 2007, and so much has changed... for the worse. As New Yorkers prepare to honor those lost on 9-11 with a ceremony, the Associated Press is reporting that some are now complaining that Giuliani will be participating in this year's 9-11 ceremony. Fortunately, Giuliani fired back against the claims that politics was playing a role in his participation:
Giuliani, who has made his performance in the months after the 2001 terrorist attacks the cornerstone of his campaign, said last week that his appearance was not intended to be political.
"I was there when it happened, and I've been there every year since then. If I didn't, it would be extremely unusual. As a personal matter, I wouldn't be able to live with myself," Giuliani said Friday at a campaign stop in Florida. "I will do that for as long as they have a ceremony out there."
Now, the war on terror has taken us to Iraq, and regardless of whether you think we should have gone there in the first place or not, one thing is clear: al Qaeda is helping lead the insurgency and is using Iraq as a central point to rally anti-American and anti-Western sentiment. We must succeed in Iraq.
However, the Democrats and far left organizations no longer seem interested in winning but rather in using the troubles in Iraq as a way to win elections. The much anticipated report on Iraq by Gen. David Petraeus was attacked before the General even spoke a word. As noted in the Wall Street Journal, the Democrats have "now normalized the practice of accusing their opponents of lying. If other members of the Democratic Party don't move quickly to repudiate this turn, the ability of the U.S. political system to function will be impaired in a way no one would wish for."
The Journal notes:
Late last week, for instance, we heard it said of General Petraeus that, "He's made a number of statements over the years that have not proven to be factual." This was from Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate.
The Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Lantos, said Thursday that General Petraeus would not be the author of his report; it would be written "by Administration political operatives." He opened yesterday's hearing, moments before General Petraeus was to speak, by saying, "We cannot take anything this Administration says on Iraq at face value."
The Journal also focuses on the ad by the left-wing group MoveOn.org. The organization bought space in the New York Times and accused Gen. Petraeus of "cooking the books for the White House."
As Fox News reports, the ad has garnered rebuke from Republican officials:
Sen. John Ensign, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said a failure of Democrats to denounce the ad would mean they have decided re-election is more important than "moving our country forward" or being fair to Petraeus.
"Today, ostensibly on behalf of National Democrats, Democrat front group MoveOn.org is calling a unanimously confirmed United States General a liar and betrayer of the public trust. Apparently the prospect of campaign funds is enough of an incentive for Senate Democrats to stand idly by while a respected General is maligned before he has even presented his report to Congress,said Ensign of Nevada.
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said: “It’s repugnant, but unfortunately not surprising, to see MoveOn.org launch this despicable ad campaign against General Petraeus."
It is important to remember the events of September 11, 2001 in their proper context. It was not an attack on Democrats nor Republicans, it was an attack on America. Have those on the far left really forgotten so quickly? The only way to defeat al Qaeda is to have a united front and go after them with everything we have. They will not stop, and neither can we.
On this day, let us remember those events which have redirected our country -- events which brought terrorism to our shores in a way never seen before.
To remember those who were lost that day, I invite you to watch GOPUSA's 2001: A Year in Review. In music and pictures, we can all remember those who were lost. We can remember why we are fighting and who the real enemy is. Can someone please tell that to Harry Reid and MoveOn.org?
Ellie