9/11 Plus 6 Years - What Have We Learned?

Exactly six years ago right at this moment, the United States of America was under attack from Islamic terrorists. It was the worst day in this generation's lifetime, and quite possibly in the history of this great country.

Anniversaries are always good times to look back as well as to take inventory. Where are we today? Where will we be tomorrow? As always, there are different perspectives. I'd like to start off with one published by the Miami Herald editorial board.

The Herald's conclusion: we're no safer than 6 years ago. On top of that, the real damage caused by 9/11 wasn't to the 3,000 people who perished that day, nor is it the worthy but painful war that we must wage against the Islamofascists. No. It is the supposed lack of freedom we must endure in this country post 9-11.

That's right.

Six years ago today, the United States was attacked in a cowardly and terrifying fashion by terrorists who hate America and everything it stands for. The 19 hijackers did a lot of damage, killing at least 2,974 innocent people and causing enormous destruction in lower Manhattan and at the Pentagon. Looking back from the vantage point of 2007, it may well be that the most lasting damage has been to the U.S. Constitution and the freedoms that it is intended to guarantee.

A variety of laws relating to civil liberties have been distorted, overlooked, restricted or simply denied, all in the name of improving our security. But are we really safer when the government is free to declare that some individuals -- American citizens -- can be denied the fundamental right of habeas corpus just because they are deemed ''enemy combatants''? Should we sleep better knowing that the government can eavesdrop on phone calls or cyberspace messages without judicial approval, i.e., just because it wants to?

Exploiting fears

Are we better off now that the government has decided that spy satellites whose use was once limited to the overseas monitoring of terrorists can now be used to monitor domestic activities of interest to law enforcement and intelligence agencies? Could any of this have been accomplished without stoking the fears created by 9/11?

Those fears were fully understandable. Surprise attacks have a way of arousing our deepest anxieties. But unlike the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor in 1941, which forged a sense of common purpose and national resolve, 9/11 became the catalyst for stoking partisan divisions that persist to this day because of the government's uneven response.

Herald editors, you can take it to the bank that I sleep good at night thinking that we are keeping a close eye and ear on suspected terrorist activity in our country. The government has a primary responsibility to keep all of us safe, and if that means "eavesdropping" and aiming satellites on a select few individuals, then so be it.

Apparently, I'm not alone in thinking that I'm safer now than 6 years ago. According to a purely unscientific online poll conducted by WIOD radio here in Miami, two-thirds of people feel safer now than 6 years ago. So much for the Herald slam dunk conclusion that we're no safer today.

I don't know about you, but where's the outrage at the fact that terrorists holed up in Guantanamo get three meals a day, free healthcare (paid for by Americans) and prayer services? Exactly.

The Herald concludes with the following:

The threats are real, but the greatest damage comes from our own fears. Six years later, it may be time to recognize that the best way to beat al Qaeda is to reject those fears and stay true to our values, our freedoms and our Constitution.

Talk about wishy-washy.

I checked the Sun-Sentinel's editorial, and here's their conclusion:

The country mustn't let disagreements and division over the war in Iraq distract us from the Sept. 11 enemy. In fact, just last week, Osama bin Laden called on the United States to virtually surrender, and to convert to Islam.

No, thanks. We'll stick with the Bill of Rights, which guarantees everyone's freedom to worship as they choose. That provision in the U.S. Constitution, plus others guaranteeing freedom of speech, press and property rights, are the hallmark principles that made America a beacon and model for the rest of the world.

That, and much sacrifice in the past 231 years.

So, take part in the ceremonies commemorating 9-11 in your hometowns, today if you can. It's important to remember you live in a world that often demands the sacrifice of innocents and soldiers alike.

By taking a moment of remembrance, you accept your duty to share the burden of sacrifice, and lend urgency to the ongoing mission at hand.

Better. At least a recognition of the importance of the battle we're facing and what it takes to succeed.

Best of all, however, were the comments by Frank Gaffney, President of the Center for Security Policy (and surely a Republican hack), in an interview this morning on WIOD. Listen to it here.

It's well worth your 5 minutes.