nmah130.xml

nmah130.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-11

I couldn't sleep very well the night of September tenth. I woke up around three or four, to find out Dad was downstairs watching TV, because he also couldn't sleep. We sat there and started flipping channels. We live in Washington, so I don't remember how early it was here when the news casts out of NY started. All I really remember is my eyes just filling with tears when they started talking about the first World Trade Center Tower going down. It was so quiet in the living room, I could hear us both breathing, and when the second hit, I just started to sob. I couldn't believe how it could happen. I had to go to school that morning, and everyone at the community college was walking around, just... listless. The student center was really quiet, we all just sat there crying and holding each other.

I fight to retain tolerance, dignity, and a spirit of fairness in my community. I don't want the loss our country suffered to be an exscuse to be cruel and degrading to others, either because of their skin color or their demand that we stay true to what America should be-a country that is just, fair, and free.

That while we have lost our innocence, and some of our arrogance, we have gained wisdom. I think many of our countries actions have been horrific, but I hope we can step away from that in the future, that we can discontinue war, and strive for peace. September 11th is one more day of loss, of mourning, that should encourage us to seek peace. Be it in the boundaries of our country, or internationally, we must seek peace to find it. War is not the way.

We flew an American flag in the front yard starting that week. It's funny, but I hope you don't mind me telling a story. The only flag in our house is my grandfather's, from his funeral. We felt strange about the thought of flying his memorial flag, so we went to Costco, of all places. My mother and I brought the flag home, and laughed till we cried. Our American flag was made in Asia, which at the time, seemed to be a strange spot of humor in such a horrible time. That flag is still in our front yard on holidays where we see fit to fly it, to show that we are still behind our country.

My feelings about the flag itself haven't changed much. It still says America to me, tells me we're united under the red, white and blue. But the commercialism of the flag after September 11th has made me ill. Patriotism is not about buying a flag-colored swimsuit or Liberty Statue band-aids. It's about a deep and abiding love for our country and its principles. As long as we stand by our founding principles, we still have a hope to be free.