Four years later: these few zealots, with a couple of dollars and some charge cards have caused us to expend billions, to put our young men and women once more at risk in a wild card war in a far away country, for reasons that shift more frequently than current fashions. We have held investigations, created new governmental departments, and a crazy color warning system that seems more connected to our traffic light system than to any real threats. Those who claim to know tell us it is not a question of whether but when the terrorists will strike again. These are the same people who are telling us we will rebuild New Orleans though the World Trade Center site in New York remains untouched, a silent monument to our unending capacity for bickering and politics.
Four years later: there have been no further attacks here. We’ve had our full compliment of Super Bowls, mass New Year’s gatherings on Times Square, another presidential election and more. All the preplanned, all the public, as usual. Plenty of targets; plenty of opportunity. Nothing has been cancelled yet nothing has been attacked. Even during this past week or so of massive confusion, stumble-bum responses and diverted resources, not even one attempt, and it isn’t because they have compassion for our poor uprooted homeless down south.
Four years later: where have they been? Surely, and especially since our feeble response to the hurricane, they really can’t believe our Homeland Security, or our inept local governments, or our insensitive President can keep them out if they want, really want, to come. Osama still runs free, no weapons of mass destruction have been found, and terrorists can roam pretty much undetected and unstoppable as before. Just ask Londoners. But since the fire and destruction of 9/11/2001 they have been limited to pulling off small time jobs, like minor league hit men.
Four years later: perhaps the terrorism threat isn’t all we have been encouraged to believe. Maybe, just maybe, that small band of terrible men who seized the planes four years ago were emblematic of a particular passion and evil intent and a moment in time, but not a plan with long-range implications or possibilities.
Today: where I am we have had a beautiful, quiet day so far. We are on the cusp between summer and fall. People wear heavier jeans and a sweater but with sandals, pushing out the summer for as long as they can, not quite wanting yet to acknowledge the inevitably of the seasons. Elsewhere in America it is not so pleasant or so simple. The worst disaster this country has had to face also fell from the sky just two weeks ago. We were no more prepared to handle that then we were when the planes hit and the Twin Towers crumbled four years ago.
