Thomas Paine said, “These are the times that try men’s souls,” and the parade of souls that marched down the aisle for communion or a blessing at the noon Mass on Sept. 11 testified to a defiance of the fear and evil that attacked our freedom and way of life Tuesday.
Four hijacked airplanes changed the course of a single day and the direction of a nation forever.
If indeed the different ideas, peoples, creeds and walks of life here at Saint Louis University and those present at that Mass are a microcosm of what is happening in the United States, then no weapon created by man will ever prevail against us.
God did not will this to happen, we are not being punished, nor is the world coming to an end. This was an act of extreme cowardice and evil, not by forces beyond our control, but by thinking men of free will. In these days of mediocrity, few things are clear. Right and wrong are blurred by political rhetoric and lack of responsibility.
We as a people look back on the past that our grandparents knew, when things like Nazism, World War II, extreme nationalism and the Great Depression brought people together to fight evil and suffering. In a twisted turn of irony, from the ashes and rubble of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon rises a chance for redemption and a clear sense of purpose. We know that we must do something to stop terrorism and are united in finding and punishing those who performed this unspeakable act.
Stories are already being told of heroism, charity and hope. Americans and freedom-lovers all over the world are rolling up their sleeves to give blood, donate time and money and search for answers. There is no way to justify the loss of life and absolute insanity of Tuesday, but for as many fingers we are pointing at our foes we need to also look at ourselves.
America is often perceived as a brash nation, concerned only with its own agenda. We need to ask long, hard questions about how we treat the rest of the world and realize that we are not as invincible as we think. Have we done anything to alienate or compromise ourselves with countries whose policy runs counter to our own? Do we need to accept more responsibility as the self-proclaimed policemen of the world?
This is not a time for passing personal agendas, using this as a case for a national missile defense or resolving personal vendettas. All these things would not have prevented or even predicted what happened to the Pentagon and to the World Trade Center, both within our own borders and close to home.
Justice shall be exacted upon the perpetrators of Tuesday’s attack, but that is not the only action that will help heal America’s wounds, much as the execution of a murderer does not bring lasting peace to the victim’s family. At home, fundamental ways on how we treat our neighbors and extend our kindness does not have to be limited to moments of national emergency, nor does vigilance against terror, hatred and evil need to be limited to bombing threats. The actions we are executing right now and the unity the country has gained because of this must be maintained with programs and actions that foster citizenship and community.
We have been baptized by fire into a world that many people in Europe and the Middle East contend with daily. Hatred, fear and a lack of understanding have created a violent world we have tried to avoid. But now that violence is within our borders.
Those borders are broken now, but freedom is intact. The mere fact that I am able to voice my opinion is a gift we have all been granted-tribute to what our forefathers created in blood, one nation under God. An oft-quoted Psalm comes to mind as the realities of Tuesday come into focus, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.” America will survive, freedom will prevail, and the souls of those lost will never be forgotten.
May they rest in peace, and may God have mercy on their souls and on our souls for what we must do next.
Kevin Sobczyk is a senior studying communication.
