story7332.xml

story7332.xml

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2002-09-14

I was off of work that day. I was actually still snoozing, recovering from a stomach flu. My roomate came to my door and said-"Shelly, get up, a plane just hit the World Trade Center!" I scrambled to my feet-unsure as to what was really going on. I was still groggy, but I came into the living room and we were crowded around the tv watching CNN like kids on the Cartoon network. We saw it coming, I think we all screamed "Look Out" as if they could hear us. As if we were watching some suspense movie and our cries would give us resolve. The second plane hit. I was frozen-terrified of what would happen next. Redstone Arsenal is less than a mile away from our apartment and I just knew we were going to be next. The news was blaring loud in my ears and right before my eyes I watched in disbelief as the towers collapsed. I was crying. I didn't personally know those people, but they were American-like me. They had gone to work that day like any other, but tonight they wouldn't be going home to thier children, their parents, their loved ones, or their pets. News started coming in about the rescue workers that had lost their lives in the collapsing. The third plane at The Pentagon, the fourth that avoided any landmarks, but crashed in Pennsylvania. What was going on? Why was this happening. Our nation under God was being ravaged by the devil himself. I was in shock for most of the day. I went to lunch with a couple friends and all we could do was talk about the tragedy. What loss the people were suffering. A part of me felt like it had been in that Trade Center. The part of me that lived my life under the guise of safety in our wonderful country. The part of me that trusted other countries to be fair in battle. The part of me that lived freely and went as I pleased, not only because I could, but because I had no fear. I had fear now. I had fear, anguish, mourning, and hate. I felt what true hate was that day. I hated the people responsible for this. I cried for Justice. I begged for retribution. Revenge was a forthought and I couldn't stop wondering how this could go without some sort of pentence. Thank God my hate never turned into prejudice! I managed to tame it before it was misdirected. I wrote my thoughts out the next day in the form of a letter. I called it a Letter To Terrorism. It read as follows............
Yesterday's events have baffled my sense of well-being. It is not that I am not accustomed to the violence that happens around me. I have grown up in a world in constant turmoil. Children killing children, adults killing children and each other, and people generally losing whatever faith they had in the world itself. The biggest problem I have with the goings on of yesterday is the unsettling truth that we were not prepared for this type of devastation. We can never be prepared for this. How many of those innocent people that perished had children? Now what of them? Will they learn to hate all those that even resemble the ones that took their parents away? Acts like this lead to more hate and I think that is what the terrorists want. They want hatred and destruction. They want to see the suffering and the life-long scars that won't heal. The scars that children, parents, loved ones of all races, ages, and nationalities will hold in their hearts from this day forward. We must put an end to this. We must teach our children love, respect, honor. We must teach them values and morals, things that they can use to help them cope. They will never understand this monstrous crime. Neither will I. But I can use my faith, in God and country to try to rise from it and become a better person. I want to spread the word of love and generosity. I want the future to know that we stand united and even a blow to our midsection will leave us unfaltering. You can destroy our buildings, waste the lives of the innocent, and cause chaos, but can you love? Can you make us stop loving? Can you make us stop caring and turn us into the cruel and heartless wretches that you are? I think not. We are in pain, but we will survive. We are in mourning, but soon those tears of sadness will turn into the water that will wash away our grief and supply us with a renewed zest for life. You can sacrifice your people for your cause, but you will not win the war in the end. We will stand tall, taller than both of those towers. We will be proud, to be American, to be free, and to be alive in the greatest country on Earth. What can you be proud of? Death and destruction does not make you a leader, it makes you a coward. Fight face to face. Come one on one-I'm sure our best will gladly meet you on the field. They too are standing ready for the battle. Their belief in God above will carry them through your toughest traps. The people that were killed yesterday-I'm sure are resting now in the arms of Our Father. He is rocking them gently and showing them their homes. Homes that will never be bombed, burned, or terrorized. Their loved ones miss them, but they know-now they are safe. Rest assured that this is far from over. I know that I would love for the killing to stop. I would love for the hate to end, but that is unlikely and impossible as long as there are people in this world naive enough to do the dirty work of the sinister. More lives will be spent, more fires burned and more destruction will follow. But I know the end will justify the means. At least on our soil. These heinous crimes shall not be ignored, the dead shall have their revenge, as shall those left behind. But we must do it right. There has to be an order to things and we shall map that out and complete the task before us. We are a strong force-though we usually choose not to show it. You may think we have gotten soft around the middle, but I'm afraid you are terribly wrong. The United States Armed Forces are a well tuned machine. Be warned. My only regret will be not to be there to see the look on your face in the end. Not to look into your eyes and see the terror you will be feeling. I know that is a morbid thought, but alas, maybe some of your debauchery has affected me in all this time. It will truly be a Kodak moment for our government. The destruction of all that is evil. I'm not sure if Satan will be there waiting to drag you into Hell, but I'm sure you're pretty high on his guest list. May God grant the men and women that will be responsible for your demise the strength, cunning, and faith they need to get the job done. May God bless those who lost yesterday, be it their lives, or loved ones. God be with we the people during this time of despair, lead us forward into the next days with our eyes open and our hearts uplifted to your Grace. Amen


Shelley Kronk
9-12-01

I know that tomorrow is not promised to us, so we must live each day as if it were our last. We must love each human being as if they were our family! This country is still the greatest place on Earth! Our pride has risen to a new level and for that I am thankful. In the years to come I pray that peace will befall the survivors of this travesty. And that is every living, breathing American today!!! God Bless America!!!!!!!