Category: No Hate No Violence

Thank You For Then And Thank You For Now

Today marks the 17th year for remembrance of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.  Four planes were hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorist killing all of the passengers onboard and thousands on the ground.  It was a moment in history that we never imagined would ever happen since the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II.  It is a moment in time we will never forget.

From that horrific day emerged a country united in patriotism.  All of the first responders who so valiantly worked to save as many lives as possible were immortalized as heroes to everyone.  We idolized them.  They were our heroes.

I hope that today, as we currently live in a country where our politicians and media strive to divide us, that we remember September 11, 2001.  How we united as a country. How we refused to be a victim.  How we honored our first responders. How we became stronger as a nation.

It frightens me to think of how much our country’s mentality has changed to such extreme intolerance of others.  Especially the use of social media and intolerance of the media to promote violence against the police and to encourage victimology.  We have extremists promoting a socialist government.  What happened to our pride and our unity as a nation?  America the great? America the land of the free?  No one in this country is a victim unless they choose to be.

But there is still so much greatness happening in our country.  Many are standing up and questioning all of the rhetoric that has been thrown at us.  I have a tremendous amount of respect for the #Walkaway Campaign for promoting individual thinking and refusing victimology.  It is such a powerful message.  It reminds me very much of how we felt 17 years ago today.  Empowered and determined.

We want to recognize and say thank you once again to all of the brave men and women who have survived to tell their story and to all of those who gave their lives to save others then and now. You will forever be honored and respected.  And never forgotten.

Let’s Preserve Our History With Transparency

Let’s put up large well-lit plaques instead of tearing down our monuments.

I know there are monuments that some people would love to tear down because they represent a dark part of America’s past. I understand why some of these monuments might offend certain people, and I am sensitive to their pain. However, to tear down these monuments would amount to an erasure of the history that they represent. To remove them disrespects the work of the artist and the historical significance of the pieces as they are.

One of the arguments for the removal of Confederate monuments is that they exist in public spaces without context.

They could be seen as a glorification of ideals that our country no longer represents instead of an example of how far we have come. So, instead of tearing them down, why don’t we provide that context? The cities and states that are home to these monuments should choose to maintain the monuments but put up a plaque that explains who the person was and what they did. In the case of Confederate generals, the plaque would explain the person’s involvement in the Civil War and that the war was fought for the preservation of slavery. The explanation should condemn the enslavement of black Americans, but let’s not forget that these pieces of art have become fixtures in communities and, beyond that, are the work of talented artists who spent time, sweat, and tears on them.

There will be people who are offended by this suggestion.

I recognize that. Those whose ancestors were enslaved and are reminded of that horrific history and pain by these monuments should be the ones in charge of the committees that would oversee what should be written on the plaques. Let those on the side of history that has been silenced for much of the existence of our country tell that story as they want it to be understood. Whether it be a few sentences or several paragraphs, providing context would allow for the preservation of the historical art while condemning racism and slavery.

Don’t we want the United States to be a country of redemption? Forgiveness?

If we don’t acknowledge the grim parts of our history, we may be doomed to repeat them. Adding a large well-lit sign explaining the historical context of these monuments would elevate them from a monument to a lesson. It could explain the wrongs of the person and how much our country has grown. If we intend to move forward and build a stronger, more united country free from the tensions of the past, we need to embrace our history and our monuments for the growth that they now represent.

Scroll to top

Pin It on Pinterest