In The Wake Of Chaos

I found the following while digging around on my hard drive.  I believe that this was eventually published by the local paper; the Jackson Citizen Patriot.  The then editorial page editor, Ken Wyatt, was generous with his space whenever I had something to share with his readers.

This was written in the wake of 9/11/2001, when we had so many questions, and so few answers.  Little has changed.  So much has changed.

Once again, we find ourselves living in perilous times. Those few who were unaware now have no doubt that we are at war with religious zealots. These middle eastern terrorists have no love for the freedom that we enjoy and are jealous of the wealth that our freedom creates.

In these trying times we could use a few more Americans. Being an American means more than simply being born here. To be an American, one should possess and display a sense of character that is unique in the world. To be an American is to place one's self in service to his or her neighbors.

The gasoline producer, wholesaler or retailer who refrains from increasing prices the instant that conflict and uncertainty enter our land is an American. He or she recognizes that such actions only serve to cause others to panic at times when they should remain calm.

An American is one who does not run to the gas station, the grocers, or the bank at the first sign of trouble. Attempting to horde food and supplies is beneath the character of an American. An American looks for opportunities to share what they have with others. Based on recent donations in blood, money, food, and miscellaneous materials donated to the Red Cross, one can conclude that we live among a great many Americans.

An American would never seek to use hard times to exploit fellow Americans. Those that have been using the assault in New York as a means of obtaining social security numbers are definitely not acting like Americans. Nor are those that have falsely altered web pages and missing persons lists to indicate that dead people have been found alive.

Most importantly, an American realizes that this war has existed for 20 to 30 years. An American recognizes that ending this war satisfactorily will take many more years to come.

We will probably experience further attacks on innocent civilians here in the United States. We will probably witness some of our military men and women paying the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy. Our military, CIA, and state department will likely make mistakes. Innocent Arabs may be killed as we conduct our campaign to close down terrorist organizations and the nations that support them.

An American recognizes that hard problems require hard solutions. Solutions that will require time and patience. An American is ready to respond to others in need. An American is ready to ensure that our government learns from whatever mistakes that are made so that they are never repeated.

An American realizes that we cannot undo the past, but we can mold our future. Molding the future requires persistent effort and self sacrifice. An American is ready for that, too.

Before we are done, there will probably be some disagreement over the proper course of action. A few dissenting voices have already been heard. That is being an American as well. We hardly ever agree on anything 100%.

What we need now if for people to seek ways to serve those in need. We need people with patience and perseverance. We need people who are willing to work for years to shut down the terrorist network. What we need now is a great many Americans, just like you.