Dear Rabid Nationalists
Dear Rabid Nationalists Masquerading as Patriotic Americans,
Yes, today is September 11th. It is, in fact, the seven-year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It's a day, like any other, when we Americans should be grateful for our freedoms and aware that our freedoms were - and continue to be - bought with the bravery, blood, sweat and tears of men and women who value those freedoms above all else.
Today is NOT Bash All Muslims Day. Today is NOT Kill the Towelheads Day. Today is NOT Agree With the Government or Get The Hell Out of America Day. Today is NOT Exercising Your Right to Free Speech is Unamerican Day.
Today would be a good day to remember the people who died seven years ago because of the attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Today would be a good day to remember the people who have died since then, fighting wars around the world in an attempt to secure freedom for those who don't yet have it, and maintain freedom for those lucky ones who do. Today would be a good day to take an extra moment of your time and call your best friend, your parents, your kids, and tell them that you love them. Today would be a good day to visit the elderly couple across the street and spend some time making their day a bit brighter. Today would be a good day to take your kids to the park instead of doing that extra load of laundry. Today would be a good day to thank a veteran, or any member of the military.
Today, like any other day, would be a good day to do something to make the world a better place, instead of blindly striking out in hatred, anger or ignorance. Today, like any other day, would be a good day to stop blaming all Muslims, all Iraqis, all Afghanis, all people of middle-eastern descent, all liberals, all non-Christians, all the people who don't agree with you one-hundred percent.
Today would be a good day to stop thinking that the 3000 people who died seven years ago in D.C. and NYC were somehow more important, more deserving of life than the people dying in far greater numbers, around the world, every day. Today would be a good day to stop thinking that Americans are somehow better or more deserving of freedom than anyone else.
Today would be a good day to stop being a Nationalist and start being a Patriot.
Today would be a good day to remember that the freedom we enjoy is bought every day, not just on special anniversaries of certain events.
Today, like every day, would be a very good day to be thankful for what we have and remember that it comes with a price, that it's not guaranteed.
Hug your family. Call your loved ones. Do something special for a veteran. Respect the flag, respect this country, respect each other. But don't just do it today. Remember what happened on Septeber 11, 2001, but not just today. Be thankful for what you have, but not just today. Try to make the world a better place, work towards a peaceful future, tell your loved ones that you love them. But not just today.