Not a Sweet 16

Not a Sweet 16

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

September 8, 2017

Sixteen years later and the world as we know it still reeks of terror - and in most cases it is calamitously and pandemically worse as airplanes murderously flown into buildings by Muslim extremists are passe, while the employment of women, children, blades, and automobiles as deadly weapons have become the new normal.

On the eve of yet another September 11 our increasingly fractious civilization is on the precipice of imploding due to a lack of unity against a common enemy, rampant political correctness, and a lack of a sense and knowledge of history.

As we become further distanced from the realities of September 11, 2001, it becomes easier to shrug our shoulders at the war in front of us, and more ambivalent toward the reality that a greater number of people are denying. First and foremost, never forget the dastardly deeds perpetrated not just against the United States, but against humanity as a whole. Never forget that the perpetrators are continuing their mission to bring down the United States, Israel, Western Civilization, and perhaps annihilate all of G-d’s humanity in a suicidal attempt to reach their so-called 72 virgins.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” - George Santayana (1863-1952)

A brief timeline of the harrowing events of September 11, 2001:

Between 7:59 AM and 8:42 AM four flights take off from Boston’s Logan, Washington’s Dulles, and Newark airports, each headed for Los Angeles except the Newark flight, headed to San Francisco.

8:46 AM: American Airlines flight #11 is flown into #1 World Trade Center - the North Tower - by five Muslim extremist hijackers murdering the 11 crew, 76 passengers and hundreds inside the tower instantly.

8:50 AM: President George W. Bush is alerted to what was initially presumed to be a horrible accident while visiting a Sarasota, FL elementary school.

8:55 AM: South Tower declared secure.

8:59 AM: Towers ordered evacuated.

9:03 AM: United Airlines flight #175 is flown into #2 World Trade Center - the South Tower - by five Muslim extremist hijackers murdering the nine crew, 51 passengers, and hundreds inside the tower instantly.

9:05 AM: President George W. Bush is alerted to what is now believed to be terrorist attacks. “Terrorism against our nation will not stand,” said Bush.

9:37 AM: American Airlines flight #77 is flown into the Pentagon in Arlington, VA by five Muslim extremist hijackers murdering the six crew, 53 passengers, as well as 125 military and civilian personnel on the ground.

9:59 AM: The South Tower collapses in 10 seconds after burning 56 minutes. More than 800 civilians and first responders are murdered.

10:03 AM: United Airlines flight #93 crashes into a field in Shanksville, PA when passengers and crew storm the cockpit. There are no survivors of the seven crew and 33 passengers due to the murderous plot by the four Muslim extremist hijackers. Flight #93 was 20 minutes from Washington, DC where the White House and/or the Capitol Building were the presumed targets.

10:15 AM: The damaged section of the Pentagon E-Ring collapses.

10:28 AM: The North Tower collapses after burning 102 minutes. More than 1,600 civilians and first responders are murdered.

5:20 PM: World Trade Center #7 collapses. The 47 story building had already been evacuated and no fatalities are reported.

8:30 PM: President George W. Bush addresses the nation.

While this is not an indictment of the entirety of Islam, a faith claiming to be the religion of peace, roughly 10 percent of its believers are considered radicalized and or extremist. And when dealing with over a billion people, 10 percent is 100 million people willing to murder and/or die for their zealous cause, thus making it the religion of pieces.

The ever growing litany of terror attacks across the globe since September 11, 2001 have been overwhelmingly committed by Muslim extremists in places like England, Spain, France, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, and of course the United States with both homegrown and imported terrorists. Whether the perpetrators identify as al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Muslim Brotherhood, or the Taliban, just to name a few - they all have certain indelible truths in common - their adherence to Muslim extremism, desire to eliminate Israel, the United States, Western Civilization as a whole and anyone they deem an infidel.

The enemy is also the Islamic Republic of Iran - a nation that cannot be trusted to keep a lid on its nuclear designs, yet Barack Obama abandoned reality in surrendering $150 billion to a maniacal despot hellbent on the destruction of both the United States and Israel. The enemy is also Syria. The enemy is also Russia, sadly vindicating former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Russia is as much an Iranian proxy as China is to North Korea, the other two parts of the current Axis of Evil. North Korea, with its own nuclear designs, threats, and testing is also run by a fat, little, maniacal despot.

The enemy is not President Donald Trump - he is the legally elected leader of the United States, and for those who have animus toward him, there will be another election in 2020. He is not a dictator, he is not trying to kill anyone, regardless of what wingnut members of Congress Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) claim in their hysterical attempts to overthrow this administration.

The enemy is not global warming, despite what mega-hypocrite Al Gore says. If people are being slaughtered by terrorists, they will be dead forever. Global warming, if real, which is debatable, could be combatted with the cooperation of the world’s biggest polluter - China.

The enemy is not the white, male Christian, despite what is being inculcated on high school and college campuses. Through indoctrination, the overwhelming majority of teachers, instructors, and professors as early as elementary school through the highest levels of university life offer a pervasive opinion that a reason for anyone’s failings is due to white privilege, sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and any other -ism and phobia foolishly ignored by this white male. Anti-semitism on campus continues to rise as the BDS movement is considered an acceptable form of bigotry.

The enemy is not Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East and consistent reliable ally to the United States. Muslims and Arabs live more freely in Israel than they do in majority Muslim and Arab countries. Israel offers equal rights to women, the likes of which are not seen in Muslim majority countries where they are virtual prisoners, while Israel has even elected a female Prime Minister, Golda Meir, of Blessed memory. Gays in Israel have more freedom than in Muslim majority countries where many have been beheaded or simply pitched off the roofs of buildings like garbage to their deaths.

The enemy is not Wall Street or wealth. There is no sin in accumulating wealth honestly. Wealthy people hire other people. Wealthy people endow universities, hospitals, and create charitable organizations - all of which benefit many in need.

On this September 11, and every day, we the free people of the world must remain forever vigilant; know who our allies are, and know who our enemies are (not going to quote The Godfather). We must also maintain our faith, as I offer a selection from Jewish liturgy.

“Save us because of Your mercy. Shield us from enemies and pestilence, from starvation, sword, and sorrow. Remove the evil forces that surround us, shelter us in the shadow of Your wings. You O G-d, guard us and deliver us. You are a gracious and merciful King. Guard our coming and our going, grant us life and peace, now and always.”

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN He grew up in northern New Jersey in the shadow of the Twin Towers. On September 11, 2001, he was writing for a newspaper in northern Virginia, 10 minutes from the Pentagon.