Defining moments

Yesterday marked the 12th anniversary of the attack on our nation by a group of cowards.  Everyone who is old enough to remember will always remember where they were when they heard and how we watched the terrible events unfold and the courage of those New Yorkers at the World Trade Center and those on Flight 93 who fought back.  We will never forget the attack on the Pentagon.  The thing is, that our enemies forgot to study the American character.  When you attack us, we gather together.  We help each other and become a stronger.  It does not shatter us, it focuses us. 

Every generation has this type of defining moment; the loss of our innocence.  For my generation, it was the assassination of JFK. I was five, but remember the event clearly.  For my parent, obviously, it was Pearl Harbor.  This is the defining moment of my daughter's generation.  How they chose to live decided it's meaning. This is a quote from a poem about JFK, but it resonates in all events that are filled with injustice.  Do we lie on the ground and huddle in a ball and not fight back?  Do we become paranoid and suspect everyone?  If we do, "they" win.  We must remember that there IS evil in the world, but there is a lot of good out there too.  We must not let it dictate our lives.