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911, Racing And Beyond
By-Don Hamm
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If you are reading this column it is safe to assume that you are a
devoted fan of NASCAR racing. That's a great thing for all of us
who appreciate the sport, enjoy the speed and admire the drivers.
As the weekend approaches we will see the Trucks and CUP cars back at
New Hampshire and thinking about that reminds me of the fact that two
years ago the race was postponed to the Thanksgiving weekend due to the
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
With that in mind, what is there beyond
racing?
Tomorrow is the second anniversary of that day, our second date which
will live in infamy. What can we do to honor the memory of those
who were senselessly and brutally killed on that beautiful fall day so
full of brilliant sunshine? As President Bush told us shortly
after that tragic day, "Go on with your lives and return to
normalcy." That was good advice as, I am sure, many of us had
thoughts of hunkering down in fear of the next attack. For many
in New York returning to normalcy wasn't possible with the devastation
of the Twin Towers and the surrounding area. For the rest of us a
return to normalcy came at different paces. But we are Americans
and we are a resilient people and nation. We are also a generous
and benevolent nation as the massive donations to the victims and
survivors of that tragic day proved.
The bravery and dedication to duty of the NYC policemen and firemen
can't be denied or ignored. While thousands of people were
rushing out of the WTC towers toward safety, those dedicated men and
women rushed into the burning and damaged buildings to help those they
could to escape. The majority of them died for their
efforts. Would it be that you or I could be so selfless? I
salute those brave souls and pray they are at peace and in the good
memory of God, family, friends and you. The problem, as I
see it, is we are making heroes out of our favorite drivers who are
amply compensated for the risk they take as opposed to the true heroes
who's pay is mere pennies on the dollar by comparison. When is
the last time you stood in a line to get an autograph from a fireman or
policeman? When is the last time you walked up to one of these
fine men or women and said, "Thank you for your service"? Could
it be that our priorities are severely out of whack?
I'm sure all of you remember where you were and what you were doing
when you first heard about this tragic event. I was just getting
ready to walk out the door with my finger on the button to shut off my
TV. I had CNN on and saw the first tower with a gaping hole and
smoke pouring out. I stood there, awestruck. What kind of a
pilot could be that far off course and that blind to crash into such a
huge building? After a few minutes I called my best friend to
tell him to turn on his TV. He had no more than gotten his TV set
on when we were both stunned to see the second plane deliberately crash
into the second tower. We both were silent for a minute or two
before we both acknowledged this was no accident but a terrorist
attack. The lingering question was who, what and why?
I was saddened today to learn that a federal judge gave the go ahead to
WTC victims families to sue United and American Airlines, Boeing and
the NY Ports Authority for the deaths of their loved ones. How on
earth were the airlines or Boeing supposed to foresee the use of
airliners as flying bombs? How on earth can the Ports Authority
be held liable for the actions of these mad men causing deaths on the
ground? We have become a litigious society with judges who lack
the common sense to come in out of the rain, let alone sit on a
judicial bench and perpetrate obscene rulings against our societal and
financial structure.
I am tired of these people's incessant whining. In less than a
year the Pentagon was restored to full function and there is no whining
that the deaths there make it a sacred ground or that they should sue
anyone for the actions of a demented bunch of terroristic mad
men. The men and women serving there realize that they have a job
to do and life goes on. It is so sad that the money grubbing
families of the WTC victims can't accept that stuff happens and the
airlines, Boeing and Ports Authority didn't plan to have their loved
ones die such horrific deaths.
As I write this there are reports on the TV about two suicide/homicide
bombings in Israel. One was perpetrated on some soldiers at a bus
stop by a female Palestinian. The other by an unidentified Pali
on a German night club. They showed pictures of the so called
Palestinians celebrating the brutal slaying in the streets of
Gaza. What is the purpose? Would you want savages such as
these as your neighbors? These sad excuses of humans place
killing the infidels above their own life. We and the Israelis
fight to preserve life and freedom. Neither we or the Israelis
seek to dominate but rather prefer to liberate and allow freedom to
reign.
There are many complaining that we are in a quagmire in Iraq.
What is our exit strategy they wail? The President told us up
front that we were in a different war that would have unknown
consequences for us and a definite outcome for the terrorists. He
plainly stated that the enemy was multi national with no geographic
boundaries. He also stated that we would stay until the job was
done but not one day longer. As Richard Petty would say, "Here's
the deal." We are in Iraq to restore a nation and fight the
terrorist there instead of here. It is far better that our well
trained and equipped troops capture or kill these fanatics in Iraq rather than
having them over here to be fought by policemen, firemen, EMT's and
doctors. The loss of one American serviceman is sad and tragic
but the simple truth is, more die on the streets, on a daily basis, in
Los Angeles, DC, NYC, Miami, Philadelphia, etc. than die in combat in
Iraq. Let there be no doubt, we are winning. That's why we
are seeing the desperate attacks on our fine young defenders of freedom
who, will in the end, prevail.
I've seen a few sensationalized reports on TV about a few disgruntled
soldiers and some stateside spouses. First and foremost, they all
are volunteers. Reservists and Guardsmen who signed up for the
extra pay and benefits have no complaint when called to active duty in
order to fulfill their primary obligation of service. To
those who are now complaining I say, "Get a grip." You signed a
contract and have no gripe in fulfilling it. Life's a
bitch. Get over it.
Here's the real deal. The attack on the WTC, in particular,
wasn't just an attack on America. It was an attack on the
freedoms you and I take for granted. Those who attack us think we
are degenerate infidels. Sadly, the current pop culture seems to
fulfill the degenerate accusation. The simple fact is, the people
who died in the Twin Towers weren't all Americans. There were
many nationalities involved from Japan, Israel, Indonesia, Britain,
Australia, Taiwan, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, etc..
These people believed in free enterprise, capitalism, free trade and,
most importantly, freedom. In fact, the attack was against the
freedom loving world by the
militant, seventh century fanatics. They must be stopped or we
will all be living in safe rooms with sealed windows, bottled water and
MRE's.
So let's all do as the President recommends and go about our normal
lives with an awareness that there are some among us who wish us
harm. Enjoy the race weekend and root for your favorite
driver(s). At the same time, may you take time to reflect on the
freedoms you enjoy and the ability to attend or watch a race.
Honor those who place their lives on the line in order to keep us free
and tell Jeff Gordon that young men are dying in order that he can
enjoy his yacht, motor home, private plane and blonde
stripper. When I see Jeff and Kurt and Harvick at the recruiting
station then I might consider them true heroes. Until they put
their life on the line for their country, they are simply men who make
a ton of money for a taking a reasoned risk as race car drivers.
Admire their skill and daring do but don't forget who the true heroes
are.
While I support the President in his war on terror, I abhor his stance
on illegal immigration, a Palestinian homeland and the prohibition of
profiling of potential terrorists. If I were to fly to New
Hampshire to attend the race I would be resentful of having to remove
my shoes and be subjected to invasive searches while a raghead
goes through airport security with nary a glance. Searching
white haired grannies of Nordic decent and babies diapers won't prevent
the next hijacking or terrorist attack. Fourteen of the nineteen
terrorist who flew the planes into buildings containing many innocents
came
from Saudi Arabia, not Minnesota or Birmingham. Our borders are
porous and virtually open to any wishing us harm. Profile those
likely to wish us harm and leave granny and little Amy alone.
I am an avid news watcher. I watch the reports on CNN, Fox News,
MSNBC, etc.. I am a vocarious reader of all the print media
available on the internet. It saddens me how ill infored the
media is and how unfactual their reporting is. Time after time
I've heard it reported that President Bush declared that the mission
was accomplished in Iraq as he spoke from the USS Abraham
Lincoln. They referred to the banner displayed behind him stating
"Mission Accomplished". The news misinformants claimed that
banner was put there to emphasise his position. What the ill
informed media failed to realize is that that banner had nothing to do
with the President's position. The banner was the Lincoln's
statement that they had accomplished the mission for which they were
sent. Their performance was an awesome accomplishment regarding
the fact that they performed over 1,400 sorties without the loss of one
aircraft or flight deck crew member. The whole thing goes back to
WWII submarines returning from patrol with a broom attached to their
mast indicating a clean sweep for their patrol. It didn't mean
the war was over but simply the fact that their mission had been
accomplished until their next assignment.
As always, this is one man's opinion. You have the right to
disagree but not to be disagreeable. May you all enjoy safety and
security in your homes and places of employment. Please be
attentive to the protection of those little ones who so depend upon
you. Obviously, I haven't forgotten 911 and it's attendant
consequences. I hope you also remember and give due honor to
those who have fallen at the hands of the demented ones. God Bless.
Don@insidethepitbox.com
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