Afterwords

When one wants to absorb the grim facts with a large dose of ironical humor, Mark Steyn is the only place to shop. I've linked two articles in which Steyn will have you smiling and shaking your head simultaneously.

I'm looking forward to reading his book, available online at Amazon.com and due for bookstore release at the end of this month: America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It. Coming to know Steyn as I have from his prolific writings, there will undoubtedly be more truth than poetry in it.

"We're in this together"

I flew home to San Diego from New York today, nonstop on American Airlines. It was a light passenger load, with perhaps one-third of the seats filled. The disaster of five years ago no doubt lays heavily on many travelers' minds. It certainly crossed my own mind, after seeing the riot of 9/11 coverage in New York newspapers all weekend and this morning. I prayed more than usual while awaiting takeoff.

It was a beautiful late summer day in New York today, a sparkling image of that tragic morning five years past. On the plane, I spotted a young Marine loading his gear into the overhead, and thanked him for his service--a rewarding habit I have acquired from Hugh Hewitt's oft-repeated advice. The young servicemen I greet and thank are always taken aback at first, and then warmly appreciative of the recognition. More Americans should try this simple gesture that is so important, so appreciated, and so gratifying to extend.

The flight was quiet and uneventful, and it was a rare treat to be able to stretch out across three seats to read my book, as though sitting on my living room sofa. As we approached San Diego, the captain made a brief and poignant statement over the speakers. To paraphrase, he thanked us for traveling with them on this date, when so many of our countrymen died in "such a horrific way." He stated that American Airlines had felt the loss "up close and personal." The captain then asked all passengers, "As you go about your business today in San Diego, please take a moment to pass a thought, raise a toast, or offer a prayer....for those who died."

He concluded with this simple directive, which was startling in its brilliant truth:

"Remember that we are all in this together."

Through the chaos, smoke and ash of September 11, 2001, that one fact seemed so very clear to all Americans. Remember "United We Stand"? We knew we were all in it together then. It's time to remind ourselves: no matter how we vote, or how much we wish things were different now, five years later we are still in it together.

Probably for a very long haul.

Never Forget

The World Trade Center

The Pentagon

Shanksville, Pennsylvania

Never forget the three battlefields of September 11, 2001, where thousands of our fellow citizens were slaughtered in a brutal act of war against the United States and its people.

I'll be in New York on 9/11. I'll also be taking a plane home to California on that day. It seems a fitting action to commemorate our murdered countrymen on the fifth anniversary of the merciless attacks that have come to be known simply as 9/11.

A Bone-Chilling Synopsis

As much as I admire Victor Davis Hanson as a scholar, historian and writer, I must say that his articles often put me in a gloomy state of mind. Today's entry in National Review Online, "The Waiting Game," is no exception.

VDH's pieces depress and alarm me because I think he is correct in his assessments. I, too, believe that yet another "earth-shattering kaboom" must occur on our soil before Americans realize the seriousness of this war.

The Pope and The Physicist

Our faith makes us aware of the fact that many things are beyond the powers of human beings. But the Christian faith also moves the dignity of human life onto centre stage giving the religion a crucial role in present-day life. ~ German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Pope Benedict XVI and Chancellor Angela Merkel met this week and discussed the Middle East in the course of their conversation. I would have given a lot to be a German-speaking fly on the wall while they were chatting.

Here are two highly intelligent world leaders of the Christian faith. As one of her many noteworthy accomplishments, Chancellor Merkel holds a doctorate in physics. Benedict XVI, who chose the name of two significant peacemaking popes, is renowned as one of the most educated, well-read intellectuals to ever ascend to the papacy.

She is a Protestant head of state; he is the leader of the world's Roman Catholics. When these two brilliant minds think together, they can see light years beyond the technicalities of their differing interpretations of Christianity. They can strategize together in the aftermath of Merkel's letter from Ahmadinejad, Iran's Islamo-Maniac-in-Chief, to which no German response will be forthcoming.

The pope and the physicist arrived at a powerful, perfectly peaceful, counter move. Endorsing Pope Benedict's position, Chancellor Merkel announced that she will work for an EU constitution that emphasizes Europe's "Christian values." I'll wager that's not quite the intended effect the letter writer was hoping for. How did Chancellor Merkel put it? Christianity holds "a crucial role in present-day life."

Let's hope that President Ahmadinejad's knickers are in enough of a twist that he'll have to forego letterwriting for a while.

Must-See TV

"The Path to 9/11" is an ABC miniseries scheduled to air Sunday, September 10, and Monday, September 11. It is based upon the 9/11 Commission report and marks the fifth anniversary of the Islamic terrorist attacks upon our country. Preliminary accounts suggest it is an outstanding program.

I am staggered by the fact that Hollywood is actually portraying the significance of former president Bill Clinton's inaction, which allowed the terrorists to build their strength during the 1990s.

This is one show for which I'll be dusting off the VCR. I haven't seen this show advertised at all, so I'm trying to help spread the word.
(HT:HH)

Stars for Soldiers

Soldiers' Angels has a page with links to sites for the celebrities who support our troops. I knew about some of the names, but others surprised me.

My next care package for Iraq is about halfway done. I plan to stuff it full during Labor Day weekend and send it off next week. General Abizaid said in his Hugh Hewitt interview last week that he doesn't see much evidence in the U.S. that we are at war, and he's right. Being a Soldiers' Angel reminds me of the tremendous sacrifices being made by our military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I'm pleased to see that even many of the stars can appreciate what is being done, for all of us.

Sobering Thoughts

It is hard to think of a time when a nation -- and a whole civilization -- has drifted more futilely toward a bigger catastrophe than that looming over the United States and western civilization today. ~ Thomas Sowell

Read the whole piece.

UPDATE: Read this one, too.

...unless we in the West adapt more quickly than do canny Islamic terrorists in this constantly evolving war, cease our internecine fighting and stop forgetting what we've learned about our enemies - there will be disasters to come far worse than Sept. 11. ~ Victor Davis Hanson

Ten Questions For MSM

Mainstream media, or "MSM" as it has been anagrammed in the blogosphere, obsesses on very specific, often inane and completely vapid topics. The story of Nero fiddling while Rome burns comes to mind, suddenly seeming not so distant or implausible.

I don't know where MSM reporters get their marching orders, but I've got questions. If anyone can give me one reasonable answer for any of the following, I'll sit through the next Barbara Walters special:

1. What bearing does the status of Tom Cruise's career have on world events?
2. Why must I view a photo of Baby Suri before my life can be considered complete?
3. How does what John Mark Karr--or is that John Karr Mark?--drank on the plane from Thailand have anything to do with anybody?
4. Why must murderous psychopaths always be identified by three names?
5. Since almost 100% of the terrorist attacks against the West are committed by Muslim men between 20 and 40, why don't airport security teams search Muslim men between 20 and 40?
6. Why is pop music at Gitmo considered torture, but videotaped beheadings are not?
7. Why should we worry about hurting a terrorist's feelings by calling them Islamo-fascists?
8. If we don't hurt terrorist's feelings, do you think they'll stop blowing us up?
9. If we don't hurt terrorist's feelings, and they don't stop blowing us up, will you finally understand that they're the bad guys?
10. If and when you finally understand that they're the bad guys, do you think we'll have enough time to crawl out of the rubble and save our country?

From One Who Knows

On his radio show today, Hugh Hewitt interviewed General John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command. Listening to Gen. Abizaid was a riveting lesson in what we are dealing with in Iraq, straight from the one who best knows the dangers and understands the stakes of this war.

I highly recommend that any American interested in being better informed about our invaluable role in world events today either read the interview, or listen to it at this link. It is impossible not to learn from it. Knowledge is power, and never moreso than at this point in our history.

I was left with one question, rhetorical in nature. Why aren't any of our TV alphabet networks bringing us this intelligent, educational interview?