September 11, 2001

I watched some of the documentaries this weekend commemorating the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01. Thought I might share my own thoughts on these events.

After learning of the attacks from a colleague at another telephone company, I searched the intenet for breaking news and confirmed what he had told me. I told my coworkers what had happened, and we walked to our sales office a couple of blocks away to watch the events unfold on the TV in the conference room.

There was an oppressive silence in the room as we watched the scene from New York and listened to the talking heads blather on with their commentary. It was that day that I realized I disliked the national broadcast media.

Then the first tower fell.

No one in the room said a word.

Except me.

The word that escaped my lips was vulgar and crude but I'm certain it was what everyone else was thinking.

Motherfuckers.

How do I know they were thinking the same thing? Because in a professional setting that particular word is taboo. Might even get you fired. Not this day. Not a word was uttered by anyone else.

Many people said when they heard of or saw coverage of the attacks they were in shock, felt incredible sadness, were numb, or some other emotion that one might feel when they are unable to comprehend what it is they are seeing.

Not me.

I felt one thing.

Rage.

Pure.

Unadulterated.

Total.

Complete.

Rage.

All I wanted to do was go to the middle East and start killing people. When I got home that night I told my wife that if I was ten years younger, I would be on my way to a recruiters office in the morning.

She said she knew. She understood.

And the rage did not go away.

Our government failed all of us in the days that followed.

What if I was the President?

I would have called up the militia and dispatched each man to the nearest border. There could have been an armed American every 10 feet on our borders with Canada and Mexico. Shoot and kill anyone crossing the border.

All international flights cancelled. Americans abroad would have been instructed to make they way to the nearest embassy.

No one in.

No one out.

Unless you can prove you have a right to be on this soil.

After sealing the border, every person in this country illegally, whether on an expired visa or an "undocumented" immigrant, would have been rounded up and sent to their own country.

Every application for entry into this country canceled. Reapply. New, tougher standards for getting in.

But we didn't. Because we have turned into a bunch of thumb sucking gutless pussies.

And now we're paying for it.

That's my rant, incomplete as it may be. But my neck and shoulders hurt. I'm tired.

And I need to go pray.