May 2001, I was a 15 year old sophomore at Baltimore Jr. Academy preparing for the farewell ceremony that would take place in the coming days, W. Bush was serving his first term, the national unemployment rate was 4.3%, the national average for gas was $1.71 per gallon. Four short months, 10 days later the United States would never be the same. At 8:46 am a plane flew into the World Trade Center followed by a second plane at 9:02 am. On fire, for 102 minutes, before finally collapsing, 2819 people would be dead; and thats only the causalities in New York. 6 days later the NYSE would reopen and the Dow Jones industrial average would drop 684.81 points. And people ask, "why does this matter to me?"
26 days after being attacked the United States began bombing the mountains of Tora Bora in Afghanistan. 10 years later 1,485 US soldiers have been killed, and an unknown number of Afghanistan civilians. A monthly cost of $3.6 billion and people ask, "why does this matter to me?"
In October 2004, I had the unique honor and privilege to be assigned to the B battery of 3/6 Field Artillery Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division in United States Army. Upon my assignment I met people like SFC Burke, SGT Matthie, SPC Robinson, SPC Gilmore, SSG Trott, 1SG Hodo and a number of other veterans who had just returned from serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan. These heroes who sacrificed a year of their life on the front lines, willing to give their life for the freedom and protection of the same people who ask, "why does this matter to me?" The same people who stood in barbershops, hair salons, churches, praying that the person responsible be brought to justice are now acting like its not really that important!
Osama Bin Laden knew that if he attacked the World Trade Center (the symbol of US economics) it would have a ripple effect that would last longer than any single assassination attempt or random act of terror. Bin Laden is not only responsible for the attacks on 9/11, which i admit everyone probably can not directly relate to, but he is responsible for the increase of gas prices, decrease in education funding, the growing deficit in the US budget, and the reason you go through so much at the airport. So, am I happy the person who has been terrorizing my country for the last 2 decades is gone? HELL YEAH!
Think about it this way, if your child has been harassed (or terrorized) for 10 years in school and in the neighborhood, how would you and your child feel when that neighbor finally moves. I hope relieved!!!
