Travesty in America

By Tonyia Young

"This day shall live in infamy." FD Roosevelt

All of America stood shocked, horrified in the moment, as we watched the most important building in the world crumble to the ground, who, only hours before, had stood gallantly reaching to the sky, capable of world influence and change.

The World Trade Center stood as an American landmark of freedom, power, and democracy. All that crossed the Hudson River and saw the center towering into the sky would forever view the great New York state as a symbol of the past and future. Many who viewed her would return to their homeland, and forever remember her as a representation of democratic ideas, projected forward so many years ago by our forefathers, who said, "All men are created equal, liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness for all."

We, as Americans, took great pride in the very stones of justice and freedom, which were used to create a center, which projected our global marketplace of ideas and trade. She was our representation and proof that a country, still youthful, would forever succeed because of a people who refused to surrender to tyranny, suppression, and whose burning desire for freedom and justice had, indeed, become a world dominating force.

Now, we, as a people, mourn for her loss, for the stones that lay lost in the dust, and our dead cry for justice, trapped in a smoldering grave. And we will surrender to nothing less than justice and quick delivery of action to those who perpetrated this global crime. We imagine the terror of impact for those trapped on the planes, the immense agony of those who chose to jump from the burning trade center, and cannot comprehend the anticipatory desecration of life to the innocent victims, buried in the rubble of the trade center. Nor do we yet know how many will be tallied dead in the coming weeks.

We have watched, analyzed, and theorized regarding terrorist activity in other countries, and we became much too comfortable in our own houses, on our own soil, to understand that our sense of security was false. We did not believe there would be any group existing that could judge such activity adequately effective, particularly in analyzing the ultimate results. After all, we are capable of nuclear power, can quickly align with NATO forces, and surely, we thought, terrorists would surmise that the world as a whole would be outraged at such an attack, and they, therefore, would ultimately decide such an attack would be useless in nature. Especially, given the loss of their own life, given the loss of their own people, given the aligned powers against them that would force proper and just action against them. We were wrong.

Never, did we take into consideration such a group would be willing to sacrifice innocent lives. Nor did we consider the war tactic behavior, resulting from a group with no human concern for life. Never did we consider that by such an act, those involved might become a hero to their own, and we certainly never considered that our planes and passengers would be used against us to become live missiles of destruction. Nor did we consider that the buildings would crumble to the ground, sending devastation through the great city of New York, or the devastation that would filter throughout the United States as our lives became personally touched with missing or dead loved ones.

We thought, because we live in a Great Nation of freedom, liberty and justice, and because we are a powerful and persistent nation, that our people were secure, our land safe from terror, and our children comfortable. This attack upon our land should do nothing less than awaken the giant that we are, and align our thoughts with direct military action. To allow such a crime to occur without retaliation will do nothing less than send a message to all terrorists, throughout this world, that America is in a weakened state of government, inviting future attacks from radical people, seeking unjustified and evil means of accomplishing political goals.

If the events of the attack should do nothing else, it should send a very clear message to our people and government that we are not safe in a world that views violence as a solution to issues, and regards a deep sense of apathy toward human life. As such, we can do nothing less than retaliate against not only an attack against our land, our dead, but also against terrorism in this world, and against forceful action of this kind. We must send a very clear message that we are indeed a land that will not tolerate the death of our people, an attack on our own soil, and with this message we remain a great and powerful nation, capable of world change.

Justice, liberty, freedom and the pursuit of happiness did not mean pacifist attitudes against violence in our land. After all, our forefathers and great leaders of this country went to great lengths to ensure the future well being of this country by fighting for her, sacrificing their lives for her, and directly retaliating against tyranny and suppression. And after a long calm of peace and comfort in America, it is again time for our people and government to respond, to stand together united, with a fighting spirit, retaliating with a force and power that will demand those responsible to cower in response to her immense anger and power. Only then will our dead rest. Only then will our people return to the pursuit of happiness. Only then will the world respect our United States. Only then will we diminish future possibilities of attacks, and awaken the giant spirit of pride and justice in our great land, remain united, and stand together in faith and pride, again to say, "Liberty and justice for all." And the words of great Roosevelt will ring out from the past, with thundering bells of freedom, with the lightning of God's wrath, to pronounce, "This day, this nation, this people, shall live in infamy."

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