Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
“Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?”
The lyrics of that song are about the terrorist attacks in the USA on Sept. 11, 2001. Alan Jackson wrote and sang the ballad noting, "I didn't want to write a patriotic song. And I didn't want it to be vengeful, either. But I didn't want to forget about how I felt and how I knew other people felt that day ..."
I remember it vividly, finally after watching the horror of two towers falling in New York City on television, I had to go outside and see if the sky was still there. There were no jet streams in the clear blue firmament over Indiana. But our hearts were heavy as destruction had come to the Big Apple, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.
Two thousand nine hundred seventy-seven people were killed that day but scores were injured and have died since from the effects of the heinous attack by radical Islamic fundamentalists. I remember how we were unified on Sept. 12, flying Old Glory, new patriotic songs popping up and people flooding churches to pray and appeal to God. It lasted for a short time but now 25 years later, we are a divided nation.
Seven thousand seventy-three Americans have died in the War on Terrorism since that time with 53,560 wounded and military personnel bringing home the effects of PTSD. As you are reading this, Americans are in harm's way fighting those who cry, “Death to America!” It is estimated that 70 million Americans were born after 9-11.
In Joel 1, the children of Israel were reminded of a great attack of locusts and were told, “Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children and their children to the next generation.”
Those of us who were living that day the “world stopped turning” need to tell them what happened and how we felt. We are grateful for our law, fire, emergency and military personnel who help to secure our liberties and pray for those who mourn because of that day. Steve Maraboli has said, “Sept. 11 … I will never forget feeling scared and vulnerable … I will never forget feeling the deep sad loss of so many lives … I will never forget the smell of the smoke that reached across the water and delivered a deep feeling of doom into my gut … I will never forget feeling the boosted sense of unity and pride … I will never forget seeing the courageous actions of so many men and women … I will never forget seeing people of all backgrounds working together in community … I will never forget seeing what hate can destroy … I will never forget seeing what love can heal …”
Ken Locke is the retired corps administrator of The Salvation Army in Warsaw and director of the Greater Warsaw Ministerial Association. Have ideas for this column? Go to www.gwma.info.
