On that horrible day of September eleven, the shocking pain confused me. Though just an ordinary citizen, I immediately placed myself in the President’s shoes as I often try to relate while thinking "what would I do?" (Click on title to read more.)
In confused desperation, my emotions and feelings (the passions) conveyed to me that we must retaliate. With an obvious lack of wisdom I was scared and, for once, I was clueless as to what I would do in the President’s shoes. Unlike the rest of the dilemmas regarding domestic or “foreign policy”, this was a tough one!
You see, my passions, will, and intellect were not responding at optimal performance, because my passions were doing all the thinking, my intellect was doing most of the feeling, and my will was overwhelmed with confusion. Also, I obviously lacked the necessary information.
However, the point is this: Given the minimal information I did have, I was not thinking clearly. It was immature to allow my emotional sorrow, pain, and anger to think retaliation rather than defense and to stop the culprit; I was deeply hurt by that tragedy. It’s extremely important however to manage one’s passions and intellect respectively so that the collective roles can harmoniously result in wise decisions.
Could anyone have performed with greater stability than did our President and his Cabinet? Outside looking in, what did we Americans expect as the outcome of Operation Iraqi Freedom?
Regarding that infamous day, just for a moment, let’s you and I put our will and our passions aside as to how much you and I might hate the President! Forget about him for just a moment. Moreover, let’s also put our political discriminations aside. Let’s only engage the intellect, at least for the sixty seconds that it’ll take to think this through…
Regarding the September eleven attacks, intellectually, which of the following approximations do you honestly believe?
It took a well thought-out, well executed plan by:
- Only one person with hatred in his heart
- Ten persons with hatred in their heart
- Fifty persons with hatred in their heart
After:
- One simple meeting in one given afternoon
- One year of training
- Several years of meticulous planning
- Only one country with focused hatred toward Americans
- More than one country with focused hatred toward Americans
- Oops, didn’t think of hiding and destroying evidence.
- Begin plan for hiding and destroying evidence.
- No need to hide and destroy evidence, the US will not investigate nor defend Americans; the US will only defend other countries.
- Hide and destroy evidence before the exceptionally intelligent, tremendously passionate, exceedingly weak, and unsurpassed cowardly mission.
Did we think terrorists would simply be isolated and held accountable? Did we think innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq would not be in harm's way? Did we think post the fall of the regime, the civilians therein lacking in stability, legitimate news, confidence, and freedom for so many years would fall into an American utopia? How callous we have been toward those in the White House. How seemingly ungrateful we are for our freedom. How naïve we are with respect to what it takes to sustain and defend our freedom. Furthermore, and most importantly, how naïve we are in hoping for peace without proactively establishing genuine relationships.
At one time, America thrived on freedom and opportunity. Currently, in the comfort of luxury and “freedom”, controversy seems to be taking the focal point of interest. Everyone is an expert—everyone—unless you happen to be the fool who sits in the Oval Office, including of course if you or I should be so “privileged” to be elected by all the experts to hold such an esteemed position. Everyone in your party supporting you will no longer be considered among the experts. Oh no, those who scrutinize are implicitly considered the experts!
Many people wanted to see a weapon of mass destruction (WMD). I saw one clearly shown on various television channels. The untrained eye did not seem to recognize it. This WMD was perfectly clear to some but unrecognized by most.
There are some people who persist on obtaining proof of WMD. Those who do not understand the cost of our American home have simply lost sight of the very comfort freedom requires.
Although we have failed for decades to promote peace through genuine worthy relationships, heads-of-state were given ample time but failed to communicate and assuage our concern of threats of WMD. This “ample time” could have fearfully proven excessive, while on the other hand, “diplomacy” could have delivered further proof to our American soil. That is precisely what the President carried on his own shoulders with wavering support from all of us.
A civilian makes a choice on whether to become an American soldier of freedom. A private, sergeant, colonel, general or whatever the rank, a soldier has a responsibility to defend the decision of the Commander-in-chief—whomever America’s election system elects. If everyone must decide whether or not the command is agreeable, such would only assume that all the information with which to make such a notion is at one’s disposal, as if the private were at the conference-table at the command-post or at the Oval Office meeting with the Commander-in-chief.
I listened to many critics’ indecision before, during, and after regarding the response to the September-eleven attacks. Repeatedly, I have heard people state that they don’t support the war but they support our troops. Some people pity the troops and simultaneously recognize them as heroes. This supports neither the honor of the soldier nor the Constitution of the United States, or simply does not focus far enough to recognize the actual culprit—negligence regarding genuine relationships whenever and wherever appropriate!
It’s important to recognize that you and I did not and do not have all the informational intelligence. It is unfortunate that war is sometimes necessary because of the negligence in the past regarding the genuine formation of relationships.
As a veteran I do not pity the soldier. Rather, I understand the patriotic responsibility for which some must step-up—a responsibility that remains heartfelt for an entire lifetime. This beautiful country is definitely worth defending as is its honorable Constitution—but do we honor it?
We, as citizens, have the opportunity to discuss, debate, and change our mind repeatedly before, during, and after. A qualified president does not have such luxury of indecision.
For example, faced with the heavy responsibility upon the September-eleven attacks, the President had the three following options:
- Analyze and understand the problem and respond immediately.
- Place the decision on the United Nations; disregard time and the possibility of a member therein representing both the United Nations and the aggressor.
- Shake your head and console the nation; then focus on domestic issues such as the economy and shirk responsibility for National Security.
An effective president does not have the option to choose all three.
If we don’t support our President especially at a time of real crisis upon which defense is imperative, it becomes a losing hand regardless how good or lousy the hand. It’s like a poker game in which the President of the United States is playing our hand. We insist that he show us the cards on television…not taking into consideration that in so doing the other player is the one who benefits the most from our impatient demands to see the cards in the President’s hand—our cards.
The citizens under the opponent’s tyranny also suffer from our impatient demands because we’re showing the opponent all of our cards! How then can we expect to logically help them if we are so increasingly divided regardless of which party happens to sit in the Oval Office?
If the opponent would show us “the ace” in his hand, it would most obviously be the very impatience we show in our demands. This “ace” serves as his benefit before, during, and after the conflict.
There was lots of time prior to the September-eleven attacks to establish relationships. However, when America was attacked with multiple planes on the same day, it was a little late to initiate and nurture “diplomatic” dialogue. In such a situation for the benefit of humanity, we must go out, address, and stop the culprit.
I think a year’s time to assess the problem and plan the response is ample time. Time was a factor. Leadership could not wait while the United Nations nurtured “diplomatic” dialogue. Don’t get me wrong, I strongly believe that the mission of the United Nations is a superb concept but so is commonsense!
National Security is a basic element that defends humanity within the United States. Because of the September-eleven attacks, the President’s responsibility has been enormous. When a president is sworn-in to Office, he takes-on the responsibility to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. American citizens should strongly support a president who upholds that responsibility.
It is irresponsible to do nothing until the next cause for war. We should not merely establish allies; we must establish friendships. However, learning about terrorism, we must try to understand and find how we can possibly relate so that we may poise to inspire improvement.
The United Nations must be an organization of conviction. When sanctions are made, the United Nations must hold each country’s leader accountable to adhere to the sanctions. If the United Nations waffles, the organization becomes meaningless and therefore unnecessary. Being a person of conviction, the President clearly understands this.
If we are struck with acts of terror, we must defend the Constitution of the United States by safeguarding Americans. However, if we step-up to our mature responsibilities of humanity, we could prevent the necessity of war altogether.
America’s strength of diversity could be a beneficial quality to all humanity. However, we must exercise and use our hearts and minds toward improving relations by developing true, meaningful, and prosperous friendships here at home first.
0 comments:
Post a Comment