A Day of Remembrance Ten Years Later

Ten years ago while getting ready for work I turned on the television as I often do in order to check the local weather and traffic report just like most commuting suburbanites who have to travel some twenty plus mile or more to work and back, we had no idea that this terrorist attack would for ever change the lives of millions of Americans for ever.  

On that Fateful Day

Our local Los Angeles newscast was preempted by a live video feed from New York City and what first seemed to be just a containable fire coming from a floor in the World Trade Center soon became a story about a possible small Cessna airplane that flew off course into on of the Twin Towers in Manhattan.    

The Video Footage Changed the Story

Within minutes of the first live journalistic assumptions and questions, a video footage showing a large (high jacked ) passenger transcontinental air plane crashing into the north tower of the WTC,  the public later learned it was American Airline flight 11 caring 92 passengers of which there were no survivors.

While observing the live feed from New York a second plane crashed into the south tower once I witnessed this tragic event  before my very eyes, I knew right away, this was no accident, and my family and I were now witnessing in real time one of the most horrific and heroic moments in our nations ever changing history.  The second plane was United flight 175 caring 60 passengers as well as the hijackers. Two other flights were also hijacked on the same day  flight 77 which was en route for the Pentagon in Arlington Virginia ,  and flight 93 which was assumed to be en-route for the White House.    

Like many Americans I was worried that this was not the end of attacks. I was raised with a strong faith in God’s sovereign ability to watch over our nation, knowing we as Americans would have to rely on each other and Gods mercy to get us through this painful moment for years to come.


What Have We Learned ? 

As a result of what took place on September 11, 2001 multiple lives have been affected worldwide. Each year since we still mourn those whose lives that were taken on that fateful morning, and we honor the thousands of service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our nations freedom.

Today I am saddened and angry at the way some have used this terrible moment in our history to excuse their bigoted remarks, and physical and verbal attacks on innocent citizens and others who are seeking a peaceful solution to the bitter narrative of anger, racism, and revenge.

Recent news stories shed some light on how 9/11 has become a tool of manipulation to further the political, monitory, and racist agenda for those who continue to fan the flames of division in our nation and the world. We are still learning how to accept what happened it is a process but we must not turn on each other because that would play into the hands of those who committed this horrendous act.


How do we pay our Respect to Those who’s Lives Were Lost?


Some used this solemn day of remembrance to offer service to others donating their time and skills, such as helping in a shelter for the less fortunate, assisting in building homes, donating or serving food at a food bank, giving monetary assistance to a charity or church out reach program. Whatever we could do to offer some menial service to those in need, cannot in any way comparing to what our service men and women encounter each day on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.

This week rather than focusing on the negatives of those who have used 9/11 for their personal agenda, (which in most cases has some negative slant), I choose to offer a narrative of respect and honor to the lives of those lost and to my country as a whole.

Billy Graham in one of his last national appearances with a sitting president Reverend Graham stated " We come together today to reaffirm our conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic, religious or political back ground may be."



May God Bless the 9/11 Families, the men and women of the Armed Services and their families, and our President and Congress and finally May God Bless the United States of America.

K. Gerard Thomas

You Shall Know Them by Their Fruit

The name of Jesus and his teachings have been used and misused by some of the most evil and hate filled people in-order to spread fear and intimidation to those with whom his so called followers do not agree. This goes back to the days of the Inquisitions and Crusades, as well as using religion as divine justification to attack and conquer indigenous people through out the world .

Any real honest student of history will admit that religion has been used through out the centuries to justify a false doctrine of pain, hatred , malice, bitterness, un-forgiveness,and intolerance. Although from a generic stand point this is true of all religions from Hindu, Islam, Judaism, Christianity and a host of others the two largest faiths Christianity and Islam garner
the most attention positive and negative.

Unlike the middle ages today's civilized individuals and countries should offer a better understanding of those who are of a different faith , unfortunately in the United States there are some who don't practice the truth of their faith but choose to make up the rules as they go.

9/11 Gives The Excuse to Hate

Ever since our nation was attacked on 9/11 some in America feel they have a right to go after Muslims and have done so just because they are Muslims, some feel justified in causing pain to those who are simple innocent believers of Islam in-order to pay back those evil men who set up the hijacking of the planes that flew into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The latest attacks have been the angry protest regarding the building of an Islamic community center in New York two blocks from ground zero, protest against this building project have been shown around the world. The complaint by some is that it is a sign of insensitivity to build any thing Muslim near Ground Zero even though this center will honor other faiths much like the Pentagon which was also attacked yet it still has a Muslim prayer room inside .

The Islamic Community Center that is set to be built is the catalyst for the newer intolerant assaults on Muslims such as the cab driver who was stabbed by a passenger when he discovered (the driver) was a Muslim, and now Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Center Outreach Church in Gainesville Florida is threatening to host a Koran burning ceremony on the Anniversary of 9/11.

Despite calls from General David Petraeus , and other religious and political leaders including president Obama to halt this planned act of hate Reverend Terry Jones still plans to go ahead with the burning of the Koran even after he was warned of the possibly blow back to all the efforts our nation has accomplished in our work in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Muslim community through out the world. This act would put our soldiers and civilian citizens in greater harms way.

Bottom Line

This church is what some would call a fringe Christian Church who obviously do not read the Bible or studied the early church fathers , when you consider the idiocy that is running the conservative movement in America today in which the dumber the better, it is no surprise that this false representative of Christ has found his fifteen minutes of fame. If Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin are considered religious heroes of the faith, it is not hard for extreme radicals like Jones and possibly copy cats to rise up and cast a dark shadow over our nations efforts to win the hearts and minds of Muslims the world over this is a public relations night mare that has received very little attention from the Conservative Christian Community because they are bought and paid for by the Republicans and big business.

God Help Us!

K.Gerard Thomas

New York Daily News.com
pict provided by John Raoqux