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Gifts for all occasions in the Galleria! Subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list. September 14, 2003 What is the Deal with Remembering September 11? By Jan A. Larson Last Thursday marked the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Virtually every media outlet devoted time to recall the horrific events of that awful day. I am torn about revisiting such events each year. On one hand, I believe we should look to the future rather than rehashing the past again and again, opening old wounds in the process. On the other hand, we must remember the lives that were lost and the lives that were changed forever on that day. We must remember the sacrifices made by so many on that day and we must remember why we are engaged in the war on terror. Much as a previous generation lost their innocence on December 7, 1941, we lost our innocence on September 11, 2001. As the President stated shortly after September 11, the war on terror will not be won easily, it will not be won quickly and it will not be won cheaply. Many Americans seem to have forgotten these facts. Unlike the "traditional" wars of the past, the war on terror is not being fought against soldiers wearing red coats and doesn't involve facing columns of enemy tanks or armadas of warships. The war is being fought on many fronts against a shadowy and ill-defined opponent. The enemy might look like your next-door neighbor. He could be your next-door neighbor. The enemy is hiding in cities and villages around the world blending in with his surroundings. This enemy will not negotiate and is not afraid to die for his cause. We learned that first hand on September 11. This enemy has promised future attacks that will dwarf the attacks of September 11. This enemy thinks the Americans are weak and don't have the backbone to continue the fight. There are some in this country that are weak and don't have the backbone. This enemy kills soldiers and civilians in Iraq and he kills innocents in Israel. Do not think for one minute that he would hesitate to kill innocents in Maine, Missouri or Montana. Some are saying that we should turn tail and run from our obligations in Iraq. Some are saying that Iraq posed no threat and it was a mistake to go there. Many are the same that opposed military action in Afghanistan. They would have us cower while our opponent gained strength. There is grousing that bin Laden and Hussein have not been captured and that the war costs too much. What was the cost of September 11? What would it cost if it were to happen again? We got a wakeup call on September 11, but some have seemingly again fallen asleep. I do not want to relive the horror of September 11, and one important way to ensure that we do not see another day like that is to remember and to realize that until the war on terror is won, it could happen again. -- Send feedback to the author. The "What is the Deal?" column will appears weekly on the Pie of Knowledge website. Guest submissions are welcome and encouraged. To submit an article to "What is the Deal?" click here. To subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list and receive early notification when a new column is available, click here. The Pie of Knowledge will never, ever divulge email addresses to any third party for any reason unless so ordered by a court of law. Contributions to the Pie of Knowledge are greatly appreciated. 
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