Five days from today marks the five year anniversary of an event that single-handedly altered the course of the world. September 11, 2001 is a day that will forever be etched in the minds of all Americans, as they were shocked and stunned at the sight of their own flesh and blood being mercilessly slain.
The belief that what goes on overseas stays overseas, and the notion that if we do not do anything to them they will not do anything to us, was instantaneously thrown out.
Such naA_ve thinking was our greatest weakness, and at the same time, is what has always been our greatest strength. We still believe that the goodness and righteousness of the masses will triumph over evil. It is this belief that guided the United States immediately after 9/11, and it continues to be on full display now.
It is hard for U.S. citizens to fathom that people want to kill for the sake of killing, and that these people have no regard for their own lives or anyone else's. That their deepest beliefs center around killing us and themselves to obtain martyrdom that would ascend them to the next world. And yet, that is what these extremists believe. Such ideology and hatred cannot be allowed to be spread, as terrorist circles worldwide would eventually be brimming with kamikaze ""holy warriors"" with the potential to kill many more innocent American civilians.
Right or wrong, justified or unjustified, the war on terror began on September 11, 2001. After being fully humbled and humiliated, the United States went on the offensive, and to this day has not looked back.
An offensive attack allows Americans to sleep with some peace of mind by convincing Americans that they are doing all they can to prevent another such attack. Whether such thinking is rational remains to be seen, but ultimately, it is human nature to want to control one's own destiny: to kill the ""bad guys"" before they get to you.
Retaliation was a foregone conclusion as the U.S. could not let the deaths of 3,000 innocent citizens be for naught. If nothing else, the United States had to attack these terrorist groups to restore the psyche of American citizens and to show that the United States would not be intimidated by terrorists.
Five years ago American ideology underwent a 180 degree U-turn, as the United States went from a nation that seldom cared about overseas terrorism to a nation that now finds itself dutifully and diligently preoccupied with every possible foreign or domestic threat.
Such a dramatic change was inevitable, and —as seen by the recent attempt to simultaneously take down 10 passenger jets over the Atlantic Ocean just a month ago—extremists are still out there.
The war on terror will continue until it is successful. Unfortunately, that may be years from now, as many of these extremists have grown up under the belief that martyrdom is the answer to their problems. Yet, over time and through a continued, consistent effort, these groups of people can be weeded out. It is the fortitude and self-assurance of Americans that will ultimately be the key to winning the war on terror.
Like a wedding anniversary where a couple celebrates their vows and their faith in each other, the five year anniversary of September 11th should be a way of rekindling the fire and strength that united every American. It should not only be remembered as the day approx. 3000 Americans died, but instead it should be remembered for what it was—the day that the proudest nation rose above the tyranny that was beset upon it. The day that human power, will and might triumphed over human desire, greed and ignorance—the day when every American was united under the same cause. This coming Monday should be used as a springboard to finish the war on terror. The 3000 victims of that day should not be mourned, but instead should be celebrated as a form of martyrs themselves, for their deaths lead to this generation's finest and most defining hour.
