Why We Remember September 11th

 

Today is now what we have called Patriot Day, as a remembrance to those lost to our nation from the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.  For most of us that date, and the event, is etched upon our memories.  Prior to that date, people often talked about remembering where they were and what they were doing when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated – except those of us who were too young or not yet born.  We now speak of memories like that regarding the September 11th attack.  All of us, except the youngest among us, remember where we were and how we heard the events of that day and all that followed.

It was a loss of innocence.  These kind of things weren’t supposed to happen here.  They happened in other places, but not here.  Yes, there had been prior attacks.  There was the bombing of the Trade Center in 1993 and the bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995.  However, this was different.  Those seemed to be isolated incidents.  This was an orchestrated attack.  A group of people actively wanted to kill us and had lived and worked among us.  We lost almost 3,000 people.  Our financial center appeared to be crippled.  The stock market shut down.  Our nation’s capital was under attack.  The airlines all shut down.  The skies were empty. There were no contrails in the sky.

The days that followed were troublesome still.  Between the events of that day and the anthrax attacks that followed, none of us felt safe.  We all knew that the world had changed.  There would be many changes in the way we live and travel.  However, 14 years removed, the memory becomes more distant.  I read from some postings in social media today that we should “let it go.”  Have we moved on?  Is it something we just “get over” and “move on”?

Those posts trouble me.  How do you just “let go” of an event which profoundly shaped our culture and our lives?  How does it serve the memories of the victims and their families to just “let it go”?  How does it serve the memories of the heroes of that day?

On that day, 2.977 people started a day like any ordinary day, only to have no other days. They went to work or boarded planes.  On that day, children suddenly became fatherless and/or motherless.  On that day, married people suddenly became widows and widowers.  On that day, parents lost their children, families became smaller, lovers lost their partners and friends lost friends.  New York City lost some of its finest first responders.  The New York Fire Department was decimated while they, along with officers of the New York Police Department and the Port Authority, rose as heroes to perform their duty, losing their lives trying to save the lives of others.  They did not ask to be heroes.  They performed their duty.  Ordinary citizens aboard a plane bound for San Francisco, who did not ask to be heroes, rose in defiance giving their lives to save many others.

As nation we have experienced devastating loss before, but this was no natural disaster.  This was a purposeful attack upon us by those who opposed our values, culture and freedom.  Our response was swift and certain.  Is this something we can just decide to “let it go”?  I suppose if you don’t care about those who experienced devastating and personal loss, you can do that.  I suppose if you are not concerned about our future and the freedoms that we have, then you can do that.  I suppose if you are not amazed at the stories of heroism on that day on board a plane in Pennsylvania, in the Towers or at the Pentagon, you can do that.  I cannot do so.

We remember because we value relationships and empathize with those who experience loss.  We remember because we know the preciousness of the freedoms we enjoy.  Despite our divisions over politics and divisive issues, at the end of the day, we are all Americans.  When we are attacked, we can and do come together.  We remember because in the face of absolute evil, we saw people rising up to express as Abraham Lincoln said, “the better angels of our nature.”  We remember the loss.  We remember the fear.  We remember the courage.  We need to remember these things.  As is oft said, he who ignores the lessons of history is doomed to repeat them.  However, our memory should not merely be prompted out of fear.  We must remember the stories of courage.  We must honor their memory and preserve their stories to inspire future generations who did not experience this event which has so shaped us.

The words of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg still echo truth of the importance of our memories of tragedy and courage:

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

This is why we remember and why we must never forget.

 

Because Hillary wanted me to know ….

Hillary is concerned.  She’s concerned enough to email me to make sure I understand about her emails.  She realizes she should have 2 email addresses, but never suggests that one of them should have been a state.gov address.  Hmmmmm …… Here’s the email:

Friend — 

I wanted you to hear this directly from me:

Yes, I should have used two email addresses, one for personal matters and one for my work at the State Department. Not doing so was a mistake. I’m sorry about it, and I take full responsibility.

It’s important for you to know a few key facts. My use of a personal email account was aboveboard and allowed under the State Department’s rules. Everyone I communicated with in government was aware of it. And nothing I ever sent or received was marked classified at the time. 

As this process proceeds, I want to be as transparent as possible. That’s why I’ve provided all of my work emails to the government to be released to the public, and why I’ll be testifying in public in front of the Benghazi Committee later next month.

I know this is a complex story. I could have — and should have — done a better job answering questions earlier. I’m grateful for your support, and I’m not taking anything for granted.

I understand that you may have more questions, and I am going to work to keep answering them. If you want to read more, including my emails themselves, please go here:

https://www.hillaryclinton.com/emails/

Thank you,

Hillary

Reflections on Day 2 of Defending the Dream Summit

Three Republican contenders addressed the gathering on Day 2 – Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Rick Perry.  Ted Cruz was clearly the crowd favorite.  His arrival drew a large and loud crowd to shake hands and take “selfies.”  However, all three candidates received warm welcomes.  Of interesting note, a number of attendees who left early waiting until after Marco Rubio spoke.

Ted Cruz had no new revelations, but certainly knew how to charm the crowd and speak forcefully.  He came out in shirtsleeves looking as if he had just come in from the Iowa State Fair, relaxed and approachable.  His best line was “The New York Times says ‘Cruz can’t win because Washington elites hate him.’ I thought that was the point of the campaign.”  He repeated his determination to repeal Obamacare, stand for fiscal restraint and to defund Planned Parenthood – all which were well received.

Marco Rubio also engaged the audience.  He focused on the nation’s economic ills and that their cause lied in the nation’s inability to be competitive globally because of our tax and regulatory structure.  He also addressed the need for changes in college education to make it more affordable, more available and more responsive to economic need.  He related his own $100,000 student loan debt and graduates aren’t getting jobs that allows them to pay off the enormous debt.  He reached out to Republicans who have been angered by the lack of results from victories in Congressional elections – a clear outreach to those drawn to Donald Trump.  He said,”Change has not happened. You are right to be frustrated and even angry, but our anger does not define us.” He further added that we are “one election away” from lasting change.  He also recounted his family’s immigrant story that became his story.  He concluded with a powerful, “It’s not just my story. It’s your story. It’s our story.”

While many have speculated that Rick Perry’s campaign was out of steam, he showed no sign of that.  His speech was powerful and confident.  While most of the candidates were very restrained in talking about the other Republican candidates, Perry – without mentioning names – took obvious swipes at Scott Walker and John Kasich.  He criticized Walker’s  changing positions on guest worker status and Kasich’s Medicaid expansion.  He had a notable quip on the expansion,  “The goal should not be to add a million more to its rolls, but to make coverage more affordable.”   He decried the intrusions of Washington on state and local governments by stating, “The Constitution is my owner’s manual and it still has a 10th Amendment” and “It’s time for the federal government to get out of the healthcare and education business and do its job-defend our borders.”  Both lines drew thunderous applause.  While the crowd response was not as enthusiastic as Cruz, from the Twitter response to Perry’s speech, you would have thought his support was overwhelming.

Fiorna Forcefully Calls Out Hillary for “Lies” and Trump for “Acting like a Politician”

Carly Fiorna sat down with NBC’s Chuck Todd and discussed Hillary Clinton.  While expressing admiration for Clinton, she criticized Clinton “lies” on Benghazi, emails and the server.  When Chuck Todd challenged her and asked how she knew she was lying, without batting an eye, Fiorna replied, “Oh for Heaven’s sake” and proceeded to explain what we now know about the Benghazi chronology.

Todd also asked her about the controversy surrounding the 14th Amendment and Donald Trump.  Her reply was just as sharp.  “He may not be a politician, but he sure is acting like a politician.”  She referred to the 14th Amendment issue as a “bright, shiny object” to distract from the real issues – securing the borders and reforming immigration.

Fiorna on NBC’s Meet the Press

Webb Doesn’t Want to Appear Left Out, Met with Biden Too

The swirl of speculation that Vice-President Joe Biden will enter the race for President continues.  Jim Webb, though ignored in the polls as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President, wanted to make sure everyone knew that Joe met privately with him too.

Webb Also Privately Met Biden

Not that Democrats Are Worried …. But …. Biden Meets with Warren Privately

This was not a scheduled meeting. Sounds like someone is running.

CNN reports Biden Meets with Warren privately

The Final Lie Exposed: Clinton Emails Were Classified on Day 1

Reuters has now revealed that “dozens” – at least 30 according to the Hill – of Hillary Clinton’s emails going back to 2009 were marked “classified” from the beginning.  Hillary Clinton is running out of lies and excuses. At a minimum, she violated established federal policies for records handling and management.  At worst, she has committed felonies and should face indictment.

Her first claim: there was no classified information, which we know is false. Her second claim: there was no information which was classified at the time, which was also shown to be false.  Her third claim: there was no information which was “marked” classified.  No we know all are false.  It’s time for Hillary to own up to the truth and time for Democrats to stop making excuses.  She violated the law.  She did so for the the specific purpose of has sought to suppress public records.She endangered national security.    How many lives were placed in jeopardy by her criminal actions?  Was the location of Ambassador Stevens divulged through her actions?  If so, she is directly responsible for his death, and the deaths of the other 3 Americans in Benghazi.

It’s time for Hillary Clinton to be honest and take responsibility for her actions – if she seeks to lead.  If she just wants to avoid criminal prosecution, she should be quiet and lawyer up.  Oh wait, she’s doing that.

Are we a society of laws in which all play by the same rules?  Hillary has long made claims to be for fairness and for “income equality.”  What about equality before the law?  Are the rules different for the “political class”?

http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/clintonhillary_062015getty.jpg?itok=ZIhM1k9o

http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/clintonhillary_062015getty.jpg?itok=ZIhM1k9o

 

Reflections on Day 1 of the Defending the American Dream Summit

There were some great moments yesterday.  Perhaps the most impactful and impassioned speech came not in a main session, but in a break out event which included Sonnie Johnson from Breitbart.com in her response to the “Black Lives Matter” movement.  Sonnie’s response was that “Black Life Matters.”   She described how the movement has only valued lives when they have been ended or abused at the hands of whites. However, no value is placed on Black lives living in economic disparity. No value is placed on lives in crime ridden neighborhoods and the victims of drive-by shootings and other acts of violence at the hands of other blacks.  She began to cry for those she has known and lost in her community.  It was powerful and moving.

Two Republican contenders addressed the main session yesterday – Jeb Bush and Bobby Jindal.  I thought Jeb Bush gave perhaps one of the best speeches I’ve heard him give.  No mention of Donald Trump or the other contenders.  He made a plea for smaller government and – popular with the crowd – term limits for members of Congress.

Bob Jindal did quite well – far better than what I have observed in previous speeches and his debate performance.  I was impressed that he ignored the podium and directly spoke to the crowd with no notes.  He gave the most memorable line of the day – “Our next President will sit across the table from Putin or an Ayatollah. He better not need a teleprompter.”  Following his speech, he engaged the audience, shaking hands and did not immediately leave.

Federal Judge Tells State Dept. Hillary Violated Federal Records Policy

 

Judge Sullivan lectured government attorneys at a hearing yesterday on the lawsuit regarding the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for Hillary Clinton’s emails while she served as Secretary of State. “We wouldn’t be here today if this employee had followed government policy,” said U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan.  The Justice Department sought to avoid the request with the claim that Hillary’s personal emails were not subject to FOIA.  The judge rejected the argument because of the unusual circumstances arising from a violation of government policy.

The judge also chided government attorneys for their unresponsiveness in not knowing what information, including the server and the thumb drives, over which the FBI actually had control.

It’s time to end the charade of the vast right wing conspiracy.  At a minimum, Hillary violated Federal Government policy for records management in her obvious attempt to skirt public records laws and Freedom of Information Act requests.   http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/judge-says-hillary-clintons-private-emails-violated-policy-121568.html?hp=t2_r

Andre Carson (D-IN7) Ranked 4th Least Effective Congressmen

 

Congratulations Indiana 7th District. Our Congressman, Andre Carson was number 4 on the list of least effective Congressmen by InsideGov.com. In 7 years, he has sponsored 50 bills – none of which have gotten out of committee, much less passed. Glad to see you’re taking care of us here at home Congressman Carson. http://members-of-congress.insidegov.com/stories/5278/least-effective-members-congress?utm_medium=cm&utm_source=outbrain&utm_campaign=ao.cm.ob.dt.5278&utm_term=dt#32-Rep-Andre-Carson