11 Years Later

The Aeschylus quote that I love so much is the only thing that comes to mind when I try to think about the events of September 11, 2001.

“And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.”

The question is, what wisdom have come to us through this tragedy?

“As a country, I think we’ve become more focused on what is important and on the challenges we face. Focused on our national identity. And focused on the world beyond our borders — after years of looking ever-inward, Americans are once again looking outward, in a way I haven’t seen since the height of the Cold War. While no one would ever say that September 11 was in any way a good thing, these developments may ultimately prove to be healthy for a democratic nation such as ours, one that wields such great influence and power on the world stage but one that is, as we have learned in such a hard way, still vulnerable to those who hate us.”  -Dan Rather

“Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew. “  -George Bush