9/11

9/11: We all remember where we were. (Flames Restaurant, San Jose, CA).

9/11: Grief. Horror. Shock. Anger.

9/11: And prayers in full churches. Hugs with family and neighbors. Our Persian landlords bring a fruit basket and share tears with us.

9/11: Our eldest son’s 18th birthday. We still have cake and presents, because life is still worth living.

9/11: A nation in mourning. A nation facing an intractable and zealous, elusive and untraditional foe that hates every value we hold dear.

9/11: Not a conspiracy – a tragedy. Not a time for a religious crusade, but repentance and resolution, moral and spiritual reformation and action.

Today is 9/11/14.

Mr. President, will you lead with civil and political consensus, with international support and moral and military courage? The enemies beheading Americans (and raping and killing across all cultural and religious lines) must be opposed without qualification. We are not facing victims of Western imperialism. Israel is not a genocidal state, she is a democratic ally. Even Egypt knows this!  The West is weak, but not destroyed. The question of the hour is simple: will be stand for freedom, oppose tyranny and not be reduced to the morality of our opponents?

9/11/14: Time to act with courage and wisdom, not platitudes and wishful thinking. We must not allow our self-hatred and historical guilt (some of which is valid) to cloud our vision. Our enemies want our complete submission. We must call for complete freedom of conscience and religion and defend for all others the rights we want for ourselves.

Like the 1930s, we are war weary – and hopeful that generous financial arrangements and a wide toleration of cultural differences will persuade our enemies to desist. Our lack of internal integrity and strategic inaction only increases their resolve.

9/11/14: A time to act.

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