"Just do good"

 

"As we continue to do good for our innocent and wounded, bad guys are still out there. Bad guys who want to kill our people, as well as our way of life. We can not, and will not, let that happen. Never, ever again. We will always remember. We will never forget."    

Glenn Beck reported this past week, that 9/11 is a national holiday. It is? I didn't know that. It is a national holiday not in the United States (as it should be), it is a national holiday for the Taliban. Seeing our twin towers fall, was a mark of victory for them. Then twenty years later, seeing us retreat and surrender was another mark of victory. But I am not going there this morning. That ground has already been plowed. I want to remember in all the horror of that terrible day, some unexpected national good was found. And that started on 9/12.

A short time after the towers fell, President Bush went to the site in New York and spoke not only the first responders who were digging through the rubble, he also spoke to a shaken nation. Bush grabbed a bullhorn and said to the responders, "I can hear you. Soon the people who brought down these towers will hear from all of us".

A while later, when he addressed the nation from the Oval Office, Bush again made this vow. "We will bring those who are guilty to justice. It will at on our time, and in a place of our choosing." Thus started our twenty year war in Afghanistan.

This morning, Frank Stiller from Tunnel to Towers, finished his 500 mile walk. His journey went from Shanksville, to Washington DC, and finished in New York City at ground zero. Frank lost his brother that horrible day. A member of the FDNY, his brother was on his way to work, when the first plane hit. He pulled his car over, grabbed his gear, and ran through the tunnel towards the struck tower. Thus the name, Tunnel to Towers was born. Frank's brother was one of over 300 fire fighters who perished that day. Everyone of them, dying in the attempt to save others. 

The motto of Tunnel to Towers is "just do good". We can't go back and undo the horror which happened that day. Oh, if only we could. But what we can do, is cast our vision forward. Be good, and do good. Tunnel to Towers can't replace a loved one who dies in the service of his or her country or community. Tunnel to Towers can't replace lost arms or legs, lost in battle. But what Tunnel to Towers can do, is provide a mortgage free house to the family of a fallen and/or wounded veteran. Not only free, but if special modifications are needed to accommodate an injured veteran, that is also taken care of by Tunnel to Towers. 

Some of wondering, if now that we have ceded Afghanistan, will Al-Qaeda (with the help of the Taliban), hit us again. Even the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs thinks this is a very possible scenario. Well, here is a message from only one of the millions of patriots who live in this great country. It may appear right now that we are weak and feckless. That is only our current leadership. The backbone of this country is just as strong as it has always been. Maybe even stronger.

"Just do good." Yes Frank Stiller, this country is now, and has been in the past, very capable of doing good. Even though we can do good,  we can also seek out, and implement justice. In my opinion, part of doing good, is making sure those who choose to do bad things to this great country, are taken care of. In other words, eliminated. Not scolded, not jailed, but eliminated. This country knows how to protect the innocent, and how to punish the guilty.

Will we ever forget 9/11? I hope not. We need to remember the lesson of complacency and naivety. We need to be vigilant. Alert times four.

As we continue to do good for our innocent and wounded, bad guys are still out there. Bad guys who want to kill our people, as well as our way of life. We can not, and will not, let that happen. Never, ever again. We will always remember. We will never forget.