Seven years ago today, Osama Bin Laden's evil followers attacked the U.S. They succeeded in destroying the twin towers of the World Trade Center and damaging the Pentagon. Thousands of Americans (and dozens of peope from other countries) died that day, including the passengers and crews of the four passenger jets that Al Qaeda hijacked and used as weapons. On one airliner (United 93), they failed – we believe because the passengers fought back, including Todd Beamer and his famous “Let's roll!”.“Never forget!” is the rallying cry on this day. But I fear too many Americans already have forgotten, in the sense that they no longer see the existential threat that Al Qaeda (and radical Islamic fundamentalism, more generally) present to this country. We have had seven years without another successfull attack on our homeland, and many Americans see this as evidence of Al Qaeda's weakness (or even non-existence!), as opposed to American strength. We now have many adult Americans who really don't even remember 9/11, as they were too young when it happened.
For me, these are all pieces of the only issue I am really worried about in the upcoming election. It boils down to this: when the next Al Qaeda attack comes (as I think is likely), would I rather have Obama or McCain as President? Or, for that matter, Biden or Palin? As best I can tell, the Democrats would instinctively react by withdrawing and retreating, by preemptive surrender, and they'd wrap those actions in flowery words of moral equivalence, America's sins, and multinational agreement. I cannot even imagine them reacting as I would want to: with an aggressive offense, stomping the perpetrators out of existence and making an example that would give the next jihadis some doubts about the wisdom of their actions. I cannot be sure that McCain (or Palin) would react that way, but it seems likely.
So McCain and Palin will get my vote. I will vote on this one issue alone; the rest are irrelevant by comparsion (to me).
Not that it actually matters how I vote here in California. We're a “winner takes all” state, and the Democratic lead is insurmountable (or so conventional wisdom says)...
McSame and Palin will not get my vote. There are larger issues that need to be addressed to save our country other than your, my, or our personal fear. I refuse to trade my Constitutional rights and freedoms for security. I will not be manipulated by fear. I refuse to let the Republican's fear tactics dictate my vote. I refuse to cower under the threat of Islamic terror or home-grown domestic terror. I refuse to give them that power over me. When you let a terrorist change even one of your normal daily activities you have handed them the power and results they are after. I refuse to do this. At the same time, I refuse to give up my Constitutional rights as an American citizen. I refuse to accept the fact that we must trade our freedoms for security. I am not afraid. I will take my chances thank you. And I will take them as they come, and deal with them the best that I can no matter what happens. I am flying today. I have a flight from San Diego to San Francisco and then on to Oregon. I fully anticipate, as I experienced last year on 9/11, that the airport traffic will be light as fearful Americans stay away from the airports in fear that something might happen. This is exactly the opposite of what "United We Stand" means. As Benjamin Franklin said; "Any peoples that would give up even one freedom in the name of security, deserve neither". I'm starting to think we are getting what we deserve. Vote a higher conscience, be strong, do not vote out of fear. I have had ENOUGH and I will not be voting for more and more of the same.
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