What Happened to America?
August 3, 2008 by Jeff White
Do you realize it has been almost seven years since Islamic terrorists flew hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon? It’s one of those defining moments in time when you’ll always remember where you were and what you were doing when you first heard the news. There have been only a handful of such events in my lifetime (I’m 39)… President Regan being shot, the space shuttle disasters, both Challenger and Columbia and September 11, 2001, forever designated as 9-11.
Do you remember how our nation responded in the days and weeks following 9-11. Although tragic, it was a time that made us all proud to be Americans.
Three weeks following 9-11 I was on vacation with my family in Myrtle Beach, SC. We were having dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, a rock & roll themed restaurant that plays music videos on multiple large screens. The restaurant was filled with the sounds of silverware striking plates, waitresses taking orders, children laughing, patrons chatting and of course, lots of loud music.
As the song ended… “‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA”, customers and employees erupted in a cheer normally reserved for college football stadiums. The cheer eventually turned into a chant… USA! USA! USA!
At that moment there were no Democrats or Republicans, liberals or conservatives… only proud Americans… angry Americans… Americans ready to go after the enemy… Americans ready to support their President.
patriotism - love for or devotion to one’s country.
The previous week, on September 20, 2001, President Bush addressed Congress. At the same time In Philadelphia, the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers were tied at 2-2 and were preparing to start the third period. During the intermission the beginning of President Bush’s speech was playing on the big screens above the scoreboard. As the teams took to the ice the screens went blank and the game was set to resume. That’s went something unusual happened. 19,117 hockey fans began to boo. Then they began to chant… “Leave it on!”
Fans that had paid over $50 per ticket to see their Flyers play hockey were demanding to hear the President’s speech instead. They got their wish. The speech was returned to the video screens and both teams returned to their benches.
In that speech, President Bush left no doubt about the path that America was about to travel.
“Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.” (Loud applause by both parties.)
“This war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with a decisive liberation of territory and a swift conclusion. It will not look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat.”
“Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes, visible on TV, and covert operations, secret even in success. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. (loud applause from both parties.) From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.”
Every time the President delivered a strong statement about going after the enemy, the fans erupted into cheers so loud that it drowned out the applause coming from the house chamber. But as soon as the President began to speak again, the crowd instantly became silent.
As the President concluded his speech 36 minutes later, the fans were chanting U-S-A and waiving American flags, a scene reminiscent of the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics when a young USA team shocked the world by beating a much more experienced USSR team to claim the gold. But on this night they were not cheering for a hockey team. They were cheering on their President and sending a message to the world that the United States of America will not tolerate an attack on our homeland.
The game was never finished. Players said it just didn’t seem right to play hockey that night.
Fast forward seven years to 2008 and we now have a country that is resentful of a President that has done exactly what he said he was going to do, a country that thinks we shouldn’t be at war with Muslim extremists, and a country on the verge of electing a president named Barrack Hussein Obama and thinks that we should end this war.
In 2001, Barrack Obama was unknown to most Americans outside of Chicago. What would you have thought, if on September 12, 2001, you somehow were able to peer into the future and see a newspaper from January 2009 with the following headline: “Barrack Hussein Obama Sworn In As 44th President of the United States”? I know what I would have thought. The terrorists have won.
So what happened between 2001 and 2008 that caused such a u-turn in the American psyche? Are we no longer the nation that fought for freedom from British oppression and defended Europe from Nazi and communist schemes to conquer the world? What happened to that America?
I would love you hear your opinion. Leave a comment below.
First of all I agree with everything that you wrote. Americans are like this. When you are up you are cheered. When you are down noone likes you. When you are a winner you are popular, but when it appears that you are losing then noone knows you. Paul the Apostle went through the same stuff. May God have mercy on Americans and her country, but I do not believe He will.
I truly believe that the world is being set up for the rise of the anti-christ. I believe Jesus is coming for his bride very, very, very shortly. I in particular am looking at Rosh Hashanah Sept. 30/Oct. 1 it is the unknown day in the Jewish calendar. Sad to see America being torn apart but I guess the demise of America is eminant for us to succumb to a world leader. Thank God that we don’t have to be here for it!!!
September 11th was indeed a tragic and memorable day, and it understandably united Americans in defense of their country. Retaliation was inevitable, and many Americans stood behind military action as a defensive strategy. The president in office reflected the attitudes of many (but not all) Americans at the time, by encouraging action against the terrorists.
Seven years is a long time, and I don’t think anyone can claim that Bush has taken every right move that entire time. He and his cabinet and advisers have made many errors, have kept essential knowledge from the American public, and have threatened our essential freedoms in the name of defense. This administration has consistently evoked fear in American citizens, and made those who disagree out to be unpatriotic. People are fed up with feeling like their government has its own agenda, one of complete disregard for what is actually best for its people. They are ready for a change.
And Barack Obama is change. Maybe he’s not perfect. And maybe you’re not going to vote for him because he doesn’t represent your values, or simply because of his name. Just because someone’s parents give him the middle name Hussein does not make him a Muslim. You’ve probably joined in ridiculing him for his association with Jeremiah Wright, his BAPTIST minister. The man is a Christian, as hard as that may be for you to believe.
That said, being a Muslim does not make one a terrorist, just as being a Christian does not make one an abortion clinic bomber. There are extremists of all faiths, and it is unfair to make judgments about a persons character based on their name, not to mention plain ridiculous. If you don’t agree with someone’s political values, don’t vote for them. It’s as simple as that. But it is unnecessary and, quite plainly, immature to attack someone’s character.
Hi Jessie, thanks for the feedback. As I’m sure you guessed, I’m going to strongly disagree.
Yes, President Bush has made many mistakes in handling the war. But there has never been a war where mistakes were not made. It’s always easy to look back and see what should have been done.
Obama has zero experience with international affairs and has shown that with his comments. At one point he said we should have invaded Pakistan instead of Iraq. Pakistan is one of our allies in the region. They also have a nuclear weapons which are controlled by a very unstable government. If we upset the balance of power in Pakistan we risk having those weapons fall into the hands of terrorists.
Obama recently said he would never use nuclear weapons under any circumstance. He just told the whole world that if he is President we will not retaliate with nukes no matter what. That puts the US in a very vulnerable position. Nuclear weapons are effective because of the fear they MAY be used. With Russia becoming more of a threat, China building the largest military in the world and the uncertainty of North Korea’s nuclear program he just put us in a very vulnerable situation. China’s military outnumbers ours 5 to 1. Possibly the only thing keeping them from invading us is the threat of nuclear weapons.
Jeremiah Wright is not a Christian. He says that Christ is not the only way to God and he believes Muslims and other religions can get you to Heaven. Simply claiming to be a Christian doesn’t make you one.
I agree that mistakes are made in all wars. Wars are waged by humans, and humans are imperfect creatures. I also agree that claiming to be a Christian does not make you one, similar to how other people claiming you’re a Muslim does not make you one. I would also agree that Obama’s experience with foreign relations is not as well-rounded as is ideal, and I’m sure he would make mistakes if elected. He is only human, after all.
I suppose my point was that it’s not too far-fetched that people have problems with Bush, and it has very little to do with him taking an unpopular position. And I get so tired of the constant attacks on Barack for something so insignificant as his name. The so-called “liberal” media has spent more time berating Obama (and Hilary, when she was running) for some of the most insignificant things like a middle name, the cut of a garment, or the cracking of a voice, and this distracts us from the most important part of a candidate - their positions on political issues. The media is starting to resemble a school yard of children, making fun of someone for having a funny name or for being a crybaby. And posts such as these simply prove that their tactics are working and are distracting people from important issues.
I am glad however, that you seem to have done some research into Obama’s background. I would just encourage you to be open to hearing the other side as well. You might be surprised to find that 1) Obama may have some positive qualities as well, and 2) McCain has some flaws of his own. I’m not asking you to change your position, just make sure you have as many of the facts as possible.
Jessie,
Thank you for what you wrote - both times. I agree with you whole-heartedly.