Our nation mourns, for we have suffered a tragedy beyond the description of superlatives. With well over 6000 innocents murdered by a faceless enemy, we Americans now find ourselves surrounded by loss. We have lost our loved ones, our sense of security, and perhaps even a portion of our faith in humanity. Yet, from amongst this despair, we can find pride and hope in acknowledging that we did not lose the ideological war waged by the terrorist perpetrators of these horrific events.
It can only be assumed that these malevolent individuals wished for their attack to destabilize our nation with chaos, fear, and oppressive feelings of vulnerability. But the aftermath of these terrorist actions has produced only the opposite of these desired effects. Our nation stands more united now then it has ever been. The sense of patriotism felt across the country is overwhelming, bringing tears to the eyes of the hardiest of our citizens and strength to our weakest.
These terrorists hoped to subvert the foundation of our republic, but have instead produced a society where I can drive down the main street of my hometown and see more American flags than have ever been displayed for any Fourth of July celebration. Our citizens are not frustrated with lack of faith in our country, but are frustrated with their lack of ability to more directly help those who were most affected by the attack. The Red Cross has been deluged with record numbers of blood donors, billions of dollars have been raised by both the commercial and private sector, and support for our president has never been stronger. America is unified.
But even with all this being said, it can't be denied that an uncertain fear remains intertwined with our patriotism. It still seems impossible to dispel worries about the dramatic events that are sure to follow. Listening to the words of our nation's leaders, we know a prolonged retaliatory action is unavoidable. But what will this action entail? Will there be more attacks on the United States? Should we expect large-scale military maneuvers? Will governments be toppled, or will it quickly end with only individuals being brought to justice? At this point we can only speculate. But even though our fear is natural and impossible to completely ignore, we can not let it become overwhelming. The United States of America is stronger now then it has ever been. Those responsible for the tragedy of September 11th made a terrible miscalculation. The enemy that they wished to bring down has instead grown much more powerful, and has rallied the rest of the free world around the goal of eradicating international terrorism.
With the invocation of the NATO alliance, the pledged support of many other nations, and the conviction that war has been declared upon our country, never has more of the world been unified in the destruction of such a small foe. Amidst our mourning and uneasy thoughts of what is to come, we can maintain our national pride. Though we have lost a tragic number of our citizens, our patriotism and freedom have survived unscathed. It is only in the aftermath of our devastation that it becomes clear that it is the terrorists who have truly lost the war they waged against our great nation.
