It has now been one month since our nation was transformed once again. On September 11, 2001, we were changed forever in the blast of fire, rubble, horror, and hate.
Now, as with the generations that preceded us, we will evolve and renew ourselves by the challenges that lay ahead. I am confident in us and proud to be an American. Still, I am troubled by something that hangs in the air. It is thicker and more dangerous than the dust and smoke that settled over New York and Washington. It is deeper than any crater in Pennsylvania. That something is our inability to describe what happened to us on that Tuesday morning when the sun shone so bright. Words are important. We must properly identify, with words, what has happened. We need the right frame of reference so we can deal with our fear, face the future with courage, and begin to heal.
I am perplexed by the array of descriptions given to the attack on our national sovereignty. I hear three classifications given to the attack. First, it is called by its correct name; it was an attack, an act of war committed on our nation. It is with this first group I agree. Next, I notice that many people have no name for it. I hear it referred to as the incident, recent events, the events in New York, and so forth (My personal favorite is 9-11). To my fellow citizens who use these references I must concluded that you might still be in shock. I know because I was in this second group. For almost a week I could not put into words what I had seen on the television set. I struggled with finding the right frame of reference for what had happened to us, until now. The last group simply describes the attack as something that it is not. I hear the attack described as the disaster or the tragedy. While this attack was disastrous and tragic, I find it self-deluding to put it in the same category as a hurricane, industrial accident, or criminal act.
What occurred on September 11, 2001 was as act of war, an attack on America. In short, it was an attack on you. Why are words so important? They bring clarity to our lives. They define our purpose. Words help us focus on the task at hand with courage and conviction. Think of these two simple words, “Pearl Harbor.” Words mean a great deal.
But, words do much more than that. They can help heal. I take comfort in an ancient Native American proverb. It goes something like this: When you must face something unknown, name it. Because, once you name it, you own it. Once, you own it, it can not hurt you, and nothing can put you asunder. We must own this attack. It belongs to us and soon our enemies will know what that means. It will shape us into a better nation, a stronger nation. We will make the world a safer and freer place for our children and all humanity. We certainly own our own destiny. God bless America.
Note: I revisited this issue on my post of September 7, 2009.
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