Well, you hit the World Trade Center, but you missed America. You
hit the Pentagon, but you missed America. You used helpless American bodies,
to take out other American bodies, but like a poor marksman, you STILL
missed America.
Why? Because of something you guys will never understand! America
isn't about a building or two, not about financial centers, not about
military centers. America isn't about a place, America isn't even about a
bunch of bodies. America is about an IDEA. An idea, that you can go
someplace where you can earn as much as you can figure out how to, live for
the most part like you envisioned living, and pursue Happiness.
(No guarantees that you'll reach it, but you can sure try!)
Go ahead and whine your terrorist whine, and chant your terrorist
litany: "If you cannot see my point, then feel my pain." This concept is
alien to Americans. We live in a country where we don't have to see your
point, but you're free to have one. We don't have to listen to your speech,
but you're free to say one. Don't know where you got the strange idea that
everyone has to agree with you. We don't agree with each other in this
country, almost as a matter of pride. We're a collection of guys that don't
agree, called States. We united our individual states to protect ourselves
from tyranny in the world. Another idea, we made up on the spot. You CAN
make it up as you go, when it's your country.
IF you're free enough.
Yeah, we're fat, sloppy, easy-going goofs most of the time. That's
an unfortunate image to project to the world, but it comes of feeling free
and easy about the world you live in. It's unfortunate too, because people
start to forget that when you attack Americans, they tend to fight like a
cornered badger. The first we knew of the War of 1812, was when England
burned Washington D.C. to the ground. Didn't turn out like England thought
it was going to, and it's not going to turn out like you think, either!
Sorry, but you're not the first bully on our shores, just the most recent.
No Marquis of Queensbury rules for Americans, either. We were the
FIRST and so far, only country in the world to use nuclear weapons in anger.
Horrific idea, nowadays? News for you, bucko, it was back then too, but we
used it anyway. Only had two of them in the whole world and we used 'em
both. Grandpa Jones worked on the Manhattan Project. Told me once, that
right up until they threw the switch, the physicists were still arguing over
whether the Uranium alone would fission, or whether it would start a
fissioning chain reaction that would eat everything. But they threw the
switch anyway, because we had a War to win. Does that tell you something
about American Resolve?
So who just declared War on us? It would be nice to point to some
real estate, like the good old days. Unfortunately, we're probably at war
with random camps, in far-flung places. Who think they're safe. Just like
the Barbary Pirates did, IIRC. Better start sleeping with one eye open.
There's a spirit that tends to take over people who come to this
country, looking for opportunity, looking for liberty, looking for freedom.
Even if they misuse it. The Marielistas that Castro emptied out of his
prisons, were overjoyed to find out how much freedom there was. First thing
they did when they hit our shores, was run out and buy guns. The ones that
didn't end up dead, ended up in prisons. It was a big PITA then (especially
in south Florida), but you're only the newest PITA, not the first.
You guys seem to be incapable of understanding that we don't live in
America, America lives in US! American Spirit is what it's called. And
killing a few thousand of us, or a few million of us, won't change it. Most
of the time, it's a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of Spirit. Until we're
crossed in a cowardly manner, then it becomes an entirely different kind of
Spirit.
Wait until you see what we do with that Spirit, this time.
Sleep tight, if you can. We're coming.
... ...Charles Brennan
Midi: America The Beautiful
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