The War on Terror

Imagine having to live your life as if every day is September 11, 2001. 

Today we remember the lives lost to the terrorist attack on American people on American land. I know this might be a controversial take, and please understand that I mean absolutely no disrespect to anyone for using the story of this tragedy as an attempt to share a lesson, but I believe this is the only attack on American land that every American who was alive at that time viscerally remembers. 

I want you to remember what that day felt like, on September 11, 2001. You remember where you were. You remember those feelings. The initial confusion, trying to understand if this was an accident. You remember the growing horror as the events unfolded, when we finally understood it was an attack. You remember how difficult it was for your brain to comprehend, because we felt safe in the USA. The overwhelming grief and sadness, and the fear of no longer feeling safe. To this day, the images still haunt you. Listening to the audio from the voicemails that people left before they died still brings tears. The video footage still chokes you with emotions, even 25 years later. I know I'm describing my own reactions, but I feel strongly that most Americans share these feelings and reactions. There was no question; we went to war to protect ourselves. Americans were united in this, in a way that we have never been before or after. We knew who was responsible and we knew we had to fight back. Now hold on to this feeling, because you are so close to understanding.

Now I want you to imagine this happening every day. I want you to imagine waking up every morning and checking the news to hear which building was targeted over night. Feeling the confusion, the horror, the overwhelming grief and sadness of hearing how many people were killed by a terrorist attack. I want you to imagine knowing that every day a new building would be targeted, but you don't know which one. It could be your office building. It could be your church. It could be your mother's apartment building. It could be your child's school. It could be your grandmother's hospital. But you know with certainty that it will happen. Because terrorists target civilians, children, hospitals, schools, churches. Apartment buildings. Imagine having to go to bed every night, wake up every day, go to work, go to school, go to church, knowing your building could be the next target. 

Ukraine is living a terrorist attack every day, with no end in sight. No matter your politics. No matter your nationality. We all know civilians are not targets. Children are not war trophies. And yet we allow these things to be true in Ukraine, because it is very far away and we think it doesn't affect us. If we allow this now, in another country, will it redefine what future wars look like? If we allow genocide, in another country, does that bring genocide closer to our doorstep? I don't have the answers. I just knew I couldn't sit at home in safety and watch people die when I was pretty sure I could be helpful. I showed up, looked around, asked lots of questions, and then got to work providing the thing that everyone said was most helpful. My contribution feels pretty small, but if everyone did something small, it would add up to something big.