This morning, eleven years ago, I sat in class when another teacher came into the room and without saying a word turned on the tv. It took me a few moments to even understand what the image of the burning picture meant. Then the second plane hit. As far as we were aware, we were under attack.

The nation came together in a way that only happens in times of great stress. The ugly side also crept through. We were justified in removing the Taliban from Afghanistan. We were not justified in persecuting our Arabian, Muslim, or “towel head” brothers and sisters. I will never forget the pain of that morning but I will never forget the pain inflicted by an illegal war in Iraq or the continuing racism that plagues our society.

Today is a day to remember, honor those who have died in the service to our country, and work towards the United States we know we can be.

My father, who turned 86 this year, spoke with me shortly after the September 11, 2001 tragedy, saying that he held his breath for a couple of days. The spirit of togetherness and humanity emanating from New York City gave him hope. In the city where he and his parents lived, where he worked and earned his Masters and PhD and where his family continues to live and work, compassion had blossomed.

This was a wake up call, he said and he hoped that the nation would use it to see what our country has become; an empire that has dominated the world with military force since World War II. A target for retaliation. A bully disguised as a cop. A fattened pig ripe for slaughter.

My father was disappointed when after the stillness of a few days, we all heard the unmistakable rattling of blood-thirsty sabers. Eighteen months later, with astounding disregard for the United Nations, George W. Bush launched a revengeful rampage resulting in the deaths of more than 100,000 civilians.

Do I morn the slain innocents who suffered a horrible death on September 11, 2001? Yes, I do. And I also morn the death of American innocence, compassion, and common sense which occurred soon after that fatal date.

The magnitude of destruction at incredible cost to American citizens has, in my opinion, placed this country firmly in the same camp as Hitler’s Third Reich. One day I’m afraid, readers of American history will look back on these years and ask themselves, how could the citizens have allowed their country to turn into a police state and a global killing machine?

“she had changed her mind about the war in Iraq. She said, “It’s no longer worthwhile” as if talking about hanging her laundry >snip< she had exposed >snip< the violence of the American mind: We can kill at whim. We can waltz into other countries with our guns loaded when we feel like it. >snip< war can be as easy a choice as which flavor ice cream you prefer. This week I feel like fighting, maybe next week I won’t. >snip< It is vile to promote the war, vote for it, support it with your flags and stickers, and then, because the violence continues, >snip< or that it might be ruining the economy, >snip< decide it is not “worthwhile”.

The devastation of Katrina pales beside the horror American armed forces are creating in Iraq. To date, there are 1,896 dead American soldiers, a minimum of 30,000 dead Iraqi soldiers, and reported civilian deaths of at least 24,000 at an estimated cost of over $193 billion US dollars.