Ten years ago, at 8:46am under an impossibly clear blue sky, American Airlines flight 11 under the control of committed assassins struck the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The world shuddered perceptively on its axis. The intent of men to whom the achievements of western civilization were an abomination were clarified 17 minutes later when United Airlines flight 175 similarly struck the south tower at 9:03am. The reign of terror from the air continued that morning with American Airlines flight 77 striking the Pentagon building in Washington DC at 9:37am, and was culminated by the downing of United Airlines Flight 93 by its own passengers at 10:03am to prevent the hijacked plane from completing its murderous intent of destroying the Capitol building in Washington.

     77 minutes of premeditated destruction and death affecting thousands of lives of which the lasting effects we are still living through today. To what end was the calamitous decision to throw the world into violent struggle made by Osama bin Laden and his ilk? A war against history. A war against individual will. A war against humanity. The deaths of 2996 individuals on that day, tragic accepting the 19 terrorists who willingly gave their lives to destroy others, know no compensation. The children who lost fathers, the husbands who lost wives, the colleagues who lost colleagues.   The sacrifices were for the fantasies of men who preferred a world where men could again be dominant kings, their women subjugated, science used to suppress freedom, and free thought and will to be eliminated.  This was the event that was to ignite the collapse of history’s forward drive of the past thousand years, and reduce humanity to the rule of the ignorant and the deluded.

     It was the fantasy of such men that led to such destruction on that morning. Pathetic fantasy.  Through ten years of war, death, economic strain, and challenge to principles of freedom promulgated by the events of that day, the residual image that captures the pathetic nature of such fantasy was the last view of bin Laden sitting in a filthy room in Pakistan, watching videos of himself, the last person left still  interested in his words and philosophies.  He was tried and convicted by Navy Seals for his crimes against humanity this summer, the sentence was executed, and we are all the better.

     9/11 taught us that the capacity of man for self hate runs deep within us, and is an enemy that needs to be exposed and rejected.  There can be no diversity of opinion when it comes to the worthiness of each individual life, the ability to achieve maximal potential, the respect for and defense of individual freedom.  The tyrants will always seek to crush the spirit of man and reinforce his self hate, to secure the tyrant’s fantasy of domination of free will.     We do well to use the anniversary of this tragic day in history as a reminder to forever be on the Ramparts against the tyrants never ending hatred of humanity’s positive thread.