tp170.xml
Title
tp170.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2003-03-03
TomPaine Story: Story
Toward a More Perfect Union: Lessons Learned - Or Not
Events of September 11, 2001, were not the result of an imperfect union. They were caused by imperfect people whose goal is to destroy our confidence in who we are, and what we do. The terrible events made us think, not about our faults, but about our weaknesses.
Our Statue of Liberty has an engraving which expressed our attitude toward allowing people from other countries to seek a better life in our country. I think that attitude has changed. Our arms won't be open, our handshakes will be reserved for each other, not the stranger. The stranger will have to prove he or she is one of our kind, intending to do good, before we will be happy he or she is here.
The terrorists changed us, but not for the worst. We were one as we reacted to the horror. Any one of us would have been willing to take up arms to protect our country. But the people we needed protecting from had self-destructed, like missiles sent by a far away enemy.
We collectively became protective, ready to help each other, and knew our greatness had not been damaged at all.
Physical things can be destroyed, but principles, and goodness are indestructible. A year later, we can look back and feel proud of our nation, and its great people.
Events of September 11, 2001, were not the result of an imperfect union. They were caused by imperfect people whose goal is to destroy our confidence in who we are, and what we do. The terrible events made us think, not about our faults, but about our weaknesses.
Our Statue of Liberty has an engraving which expressed our attitude toward allowing people from other countries to seek a better life in our country. I think that attitude has changed. Our arms won't be open, our handshakes will be reserved for each other, not the stranger. The stranger will have to prove he or she is one of our kind, intending to do good, before we will be happy he or she is here.
The terrorists changed us, but not for the worst. We were one as we reacted to the horror. Any one of us would have been willing to take up arms to protect our country. But the people we needed protecting from had self-destructed, like missiles sent by a far away enemy.
We collectively became protective, ready to help each other, and knew our greatness had not been damaged at all.
Physical things can be destroyed, but principles, and goodness are indestructible. A year later, we can look back and feel proud of our nation, and its great people.
Collection
Citation
“tp170.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 23, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/695.