I was standing at the front door of our school when news came to me about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center. I have to admit, I was a bit baffled. I had seen pictures of the building, but having grown up on the West Coast and then relocating to the midwest, I had never had the experience of standing downtown Manhatten and staring up at those incredible towers...so I have to admit I didn't have a strong reaction when I heard.
Then news came of the second plane. I had a strange feeling that something significant was happening (Duh) and that I better pay attention.
I pulled a TV into my office and watched as the towers collapsed. I heard the rumors of the pentagon being hit and for the first time in my life I felt the vulnerability of, "We are under attack." We put the school on high alert for the next six months (as if a small Christian school buried in the southern burbs of St. Louis would make a good target) and everyone (I mean everyone) flew flags.
It was suddenly popular to be patriotic. The flag, previously the property of country-western loving guys in large pickup trucks, was reclaimed by latte-drinking, Volvo-driving Americans.
I remember being so impressed with President Bush. He commanded our attention and our respect. He was strong and we felt stronger because of it. He told us we were going to go kick the Talliban's asses and we were ready and eager and ready. Sometimes the best defense is to show the world a strong offense.
Then we went into Iraq. I was supportive of the war. I believed our president and Colin Powell when they told us there was absolute evidence of WMD...but I was also nervous. I remember saying to my wife during Powell's momentous press conference, "I trust them, but if they are wrong, both Bush and Blair should be impeached."
Now we hear about the surge, and how it is helping (though everyone has already admitted there is no way a miliary solution will be the solution)...
Evolution says that all you need to produce life and order is the building blocks of life and time. The statistical odds may be astronomical, but given enough time, they say, even the impossible can happen. All you need is lots and lots of time.
I have no doubt our president rejects evolutionary theory. I am sure he is a creationist -- and every creationist knows you need not just time and building the building blocks: you also need intelligent design.
That is the problem. I see requests for more and more time, but hear very little in the way of an intelligent design.
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4 comments:
Too bad you are linking the tragedy of 9/11 with your current view of Bush. But, I guess the media has influenced you.
Hi Mr. / Ms. Anonymous! Thanks for leaving my first comment!
As far as you comment goes, my response is, "???"
Why wouldn't I link the 9/11 tragedy with my current view of Bush? As the title of the post said, this is a rambling reflection of both the tragedy and the sequence of events that followed it.
And as far as the last part goes, the media influences everyone. That's its job.
Firstly, I'm surprised at being your first commenter. As far as your post, it is just "unlike your other writings" in that you are making a huge leap in thinking (as does the media which uses 9/11 as their platform for bashing Bush).
I guess I am still not following you. How is it a leap in thinking for a "rambling reflection" to start with 9/11, move on to our response in our attack on the Taliban in Afghanistan, then reflect on how that was immediately followed up with the administration's insistence that we also had to attack Iraq...which has led us to the present conundrum?
BTW, I do not consider myself a Bush-basher. I supported our president's judgment in both the attack on the Taliban and the invasion of Iraq. In retrospect, it seems to me that he and his administration were over-zealous in their interpretation of the available evidence of WMD and used it to justify the invasion.
It also seems to me that once in Iraq, the administration has responded to the challenging and changing currents of the situation like the Titanic trying to dodge an iceberg.
I still do not hear a holistic strategy for success in Iraq, especially from president Bush. The violence in Iraq is an outgrowth of deeper, more systemic problems...and when asked semi-privately how the surge is working, his response is simply, "We're kicking ass." That simply does not inspire me with confidence.
Now, I also admit openly that I am no expert and that these are my opinions based on the information I have been given...which is mainly the media (both liberal and conservative -- everybody has an agenda).
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