WeWillAlwaysBeAmerican.

     There are so many things I could say on a day such as this... But I'm going to start with something very small and minuscule to most. I help teach a Sunday school class on Sunday mornings.... I had this little girl say a prayer today that touched my heart; "Dear Lord, I pray that everybody stays happy today. And I love love love this world, so thank you for making it. I also love the people in this world, so thank you for them to. Today we should all make good choices. But  really do love love LOVE this world and all my friends, so thanks. Amen." This little girl was not alive for 9/11 so she may never be able to grasp the magnitude of the event, but she has the right idea. When did people stop loving each other? Why/when did all of this hate begin? There is no reason to hate each other...

     I was 8 years old when 9/11 happened. Meaning I was in the 4th grade... I don't remember much from that day besides everybody being shocked and sad... I remember parents rushing to the school to pick their children up. Teachers turned on the TV to see what had happened. I remember my mom picking me up after school and she took me home. We sat in our blue recliner and watched the news. She cried and I didn't quite understand... I remember asking question after question... "Who did this?" "Why did they do this?" "Do they not like us?" "Why don't they like America?" "What did we do to make them not like us?"...

      People are constantly fighting to take the Pledge of Allegiance and a Moment of Silence out of schools, but why should we. "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, ONE nation under God, Indivisible, With LIBERTY and JUSTICE for all." I see nothing wrong with that. It simply states that we are One nation that is unable to be divided and that we provide liberty and justice to all who live within our borders. You shake your head at that last part and think "No, we don't give justice to people all the time, innocent people are in jail and criminals roam free." Well let me tell you something, the only reason those things happen is because people don't listen to the pledge, they don't believe in being "ONE NATION" they turn themselves and others into greedy self-serving people and that is why our Pledge has less of a meaning than it used to. If we were to live by the morals and rights that our country was originally founded on, none of this would be a problem. We are constantly antagonizing each other and it's ridiculous. We all have something in common, no matter if you're black, purple, atheist, Buddhist, blind, deaf, smart, dumb, muscular or weak. We are AMERICAN. Take pride in being American. You don't have to take pride in the self-serving people, the corrupt citizens, the cheaters, liars or fakes. Take pride in what our country means. Would you rather live in a country that is full of communists? And for those of you who are right now saying we do live in a country dominated by socialists and communists, well you have a right to your own opinion, but remember that if you were anywhere else, besides the United States of America, you would not be able to hold that opinion. Just keep that in mind.

    And as for the Moment of Silence, I think it is a wonderful idea. No it isn't just for Jesus freaks, No it isn't just to pray, and NO you aren't obligated to do it. The definition of a Moment of Silence  is "the expression for a period of silent contemplation, prayer, reflection, or meditation. Similar to flying a flag at half-mast, a moment of silence is often a gesture of respect, particularly in/ mourning for those who have recently died or as part of a commemoration ceremony of a tragic historical event." No where does it state that you HAVE to partake in it, but out of respect for others you shouldn't make noise and snide comments, or nasty remarks towards the ones that are observing a moment of silence. And that isn't because of what the definition says, it comes down to having respect for another persons beliefs and freedoms of expression. Well yes, you could counter act that and state that as one of your freedoms you can talk, yell, make remarks and what not all throughout a person's moment of silence, and that is true. But that's up to you and your morals to decide.

     Now, this particular blog post wasn't for me to rant and rave about how you should be more American and love each other, no. It was to honor today. 9/11. On that day the country was consumed with sadness. The Towers Fell. People Died. We lost family. Children died. But despite all of these horrific things, our country managed to pull together for each other in our time of need. Firefighters, Police, and strangers came to help without being asked. Local food places and stores just handed out water and food without asking to be paid. This is what it means to be American. It means to Love each other, be there for each other, respect each other, and above all not hate each other. Hate is what got us here in the first place. Even when the world around us seems to be crashing down, we need to stand together as one. We are one. Even on days when terrorists aren't attacking, we need to stand together and show the world that, we as Americans, are strong no matter what. You may not like the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, but pray for our Soldiers, they need to know we care. You may not know the people whose house burns down, but pray for the firefighters, they need to know we care. You may not know the person who got robbed, but pray for the police that helped, they need to know we care. You may not know the person in labor, in surgery, or the person who just passed away, but pray for our doctors and nurses, they need to know we care. You may not know the person down the street from you, but even if theyre a stranger, pray for them. We can't be a successful, free country with people hating others and constantly antagonizing others or causing problems. This is not what our Country was founded on. Do not show the enemy our weaknesses.

     September 11, 2001 was a tragic day for the United States of America and though we lost alot of lives, we also gained friendship and strength with our fellow citizens. Please remember those who lost their lives, those who lost loved ones, those who came into help the ones in needs, and those around you every single day. Do not let the struggles of life let you forget what you are blessed with. Everything happens for a reason and when God closes a door, he opens a window and it's your choice whether you crawl out the window or not. May God bless the ones who have lost their loved ones and may the lost loved ones continue to look upon their friends and family from Heaven and continue to guide and protect them. We will always be a strong country. We will always be based on courage, love and strength. We will always be American.