September 11 Must Never Become Just A Date In History

Mrs. Scottish Right and I spent Friday and Saturday in Chicago.  We drove up to attend a couple of games featuring the World Series Champion Chicago White Sox.  Happily, the "good guys in black" won both games over the division rival Cleveland Indians and a good time was had by all (except for the Indians).  After leaving the park in a celebratory mood on Friday night and driving to our lakefront hotel, we were moved to see this tribute in remembrance of 9-11 gracing the beautiful Chicago skyline.

It was a very powerful moment when we curved around Lake Shore Drive, past McCormick Place and Soldier Field, and first caught sight of the tribute.  Having been in Chicago when the local sports teams were having success, I was not unaccustomed to seeing supportive phrases spelled out using building lights.  Messages like "Go Sox" or "Go Bears" are exciting to see and, as a fan, foster feelings of excitement and pride in support of a team. 

This message was totally different.  It left me with a very somber and reflective feeling appropriate for the nature of the occasion for which the tribute was inspired.  It made me think of those who died, not only on that day of horror, but in the following days when so many brave Americans made the ultimate sacrifice so that we don't have to see additional dates shone in lights on the side of skyscrapers. 

To me, the anniversary of 9-11 is an opportunity to not just remember what happened, but to be girded by that memory so that we can shape our actions to prevent the recurrence of the brutal and cold-blooded murder witnessed on that day.  I can only hope that, when others see symbols and messages reminding them of 9-11, they too see more than just a reminder of what has already happened.  It is my deepest, most sincere aspiration that they see a call to duty, a call to action, a call to be patient and a call to victory.  We can ill afford to allow 9-11 to become just another date in history.  An event that happened in New York City during a previous time.  I fear that such an attitude of complacency would exponentially increase the possibility of further suffering at the hands of a murderous ideology bent on death and destruction for its own sake despite dressing its grim and tyrannical worldview in the garments of religious devotion.  Instead, the memory of 9-11 must be an awakening to a dangerous period in history that can be tempered and brought to heel through the choices made by free societies.  The only honorable and worthwhile choice is one of engagement to, in the words of President Woodrow Wilson, "make the world safe for democracy."   

Here is a round-up of some 9-11 tribute posts:

Wizbang has a ton of links.  LaShawn Barber.  Pajamas Media.  Michelle Malkin has several individual posts on her blog.  Dean Barnett.  Blogs of War has several video clips available.