Lasting Impact

I know there is a lasting impact from 9/11 on the collective psyche of the United States. I can't describe it, but there is no doubt our view of life changed as the Pentagon burned and the Twin Towers collapsed before our eyes. As a frequent traveler to New York, I think of 9/11 on every visit.

I think most in our country have tired of 9/11 and don't really want to talk about it, or think about it. With all of our economic woes, it's a wonder we don't talk about it every day. The near collapse of our financial system last year demonstrated how fragile our "good life" is. I know greed, mortgage shell games, and spending beyond our means are the stated reasons for the recession, but our collective debt includes $864 billion for 2 wars with no end in sight. Homeland Security, an agency that didn't exist before 9/11, has an annual budget of $55 billion alone with roughly $8 billion allocated to the TSA. The Twin Towers are still falling.

I'll never forget the victims of 9/11 and yet I grow weary of the wars. Hawkish at first, today the voice of Pope John Paul II rings in my head saying, "Violence begets violence. War must always be considered a defeat of reason and humanity. May men soon make a spiritual and cultural leap forward to outlaw war! Yes, never again war!"

Pray for the dead. Pray for healing. Pray for peace.

Photo taken from the deck of the Staten Island Ferry in 1990.

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