“We here highly resolve that the dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom…”
Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address
Those of us who went to sleep on Monday night, September 10, worrying about the stagnant stock market, the baseball playoffs or our receding hairlines, had developed a completely different perspective on life by noon on Tuesday. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon served as a horrifying wake-up call to the nation, and we will never be the same again. As we try to come to grips with the enormity of this tragedy and what it will mean for our future, there are many lessons to be learned. Perhaps the most valuable will be a reassessment of our national and personal priorities.
Consider the priorities of those who phoned their families or sent e-mails when they realized their lives were in danger. Their last moments were filled with thoughts of their loved ones. As a nation, we did not grieve for the tremendous property damage or complain about the cost of halting a great percentage of our economy for several days. It was the toll in human lives that was the most shocking, and it was the grief and suffering of their survivors that was truly heart-wrenching. Phone lines across the country were jammed with calls as people tried to contact friends and relatives who might have been in danger, and as others called just to take comfort from a friendly voice. Many parents, even those thousands of miles away from the incidents, collected their children from school so they could be together as families. Let us learn from this the importance of family and friendship – once things have returned to normal, or what will pass for normal in a changed world, let us not return to taking these precious relationships for granted.
Just weeks ago, few people bothered to fly the American flag at their homes, even on national holidays. Now flags are everywhere, on homes, businesses and lapels, and the demand is so great that suppliers can’t keep up. What has changed? We have always lived in the greatest nation on earth, the home of democracy and the leader of the free world. Why weren’t these flags flying before? Where were the patriots before September 11? Let us learn from this to appreciate the wonderful country in which we live, and to honor it by flying the flag, singing our national anthem and starting business meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance. Let us take an active part in politics instead of leaving it to the next fellow, and let us remember that our future depends on the integrity of our elected leaders.
Those who just a short time ago were too sophisticated and “cool” to go to church are now flocking to their houses of worship to ask for aid and comfort from the God they so recently neglected. As the old phrase goes, “There are no atheists in foxholes.” Where are all the people now who were complaining about the separation of church and state and who forced this country to stop prayer in schools and to remove the Ten Commandments from public buildings? I didn’t hear them objecting to prayers in Congress on those dark September days or to President Bush speaking at the National Cathedral in a service honoring the victims. Rather suddenly, the phrase “God Bless America” stopped being politically incorrect. Let us remember that we fragile human beings are dependent on God at all times, not just during a crisis. Let us seize the moment and return this country to its first love, God.
Respect for the military has been out of fashion among the beautiful people for many years. It’s high time for that to change as well, as we realize that these individuals are laying down their lives for us every day, and many more service people are likely to be sacrificed in upcoming military actions against the terrorists and their supporters. This is nothing new – members of our armed forces have been putting themselves in harm’s way for years to protect our country, but without the recognition they deserve. Let us resolve to show our respect for the military and to give them the money and tools they need to do their job.
Above all, let us remember that this nation, despite attempts to divide it by class, politics or race, is one nation under God, indivisible. We are not Irish-Americans, African-Americans, or any other kind of hyphenated Americans. We are all in this together as a country. Let us, as business leaders, as family members, as citizens, take these lessons to heart. Let us be the leaders in a new movement to bring back family values and patriotism. Let us, again, establish God into our daily lives, as a country united. With these renewed commitments, we can build on the ashes of this tragedy and make this United States of America a better place for all of us, especially for our children.
God Bless America.