Our nation is at war:Vigilance, determination must now rule

WE ARE A NATION at war this day after the most terrible morning in American history. The horrific, despicable series of coordinated attacks on our country yesterday makes Pearl Harbor pale by comparison. Our hearts and prayers go out to those individuals and families most directly affected by yesterday’s events. They number, tragically, in the thousands and, as too often seems the case with great national tragedy, there are New Hampshire connections.

If you can give blood in the days ahead, please do so. A word, too, about the dedicated, courageous fire and police personnel who risked and gave their lives in New York City yesterday: They showed the best of America at the worst of times. Their counterparts in New Hampshire, who are prepared to go to their aid this week, are likewise in our thoughts and prayers.

Americans must also now steel ourselves for grim days and difficult tasks ahead. These attacks were designed for maximum terror. They must not be allowed to succeed.

We must do several things. We must support our President and Congress in taking the strongest possible measures against those responsible for what President Bush rightly called these cowardly attacks. We must also do whatever it takes to fill gaping holes in our intelligence apparatus and capabilities. We may need to play rough, even dirty, in order to survive.

All of which will require sacrifice and determination. We need to beef up security, and not complain about it. We truly need to defend our borders and not worry about offending foreigners. We need to untie the hands of our intelligence and counter-intelligence forces.

Remember a few months back when the Red Chinese rammed one of our intelligence-gathering airplanes and forced it to crash-land? Our response was to apologize for the loss of the Red Chinese pilot who was to blame. We had nothing to apologize for then and we have nothing to apologize for now, except for our lack of vigilance and willingness to do the hard things.

This is, truly, war. But it is a very different kind of war than America has experienced. It is the kind that the Israelis are living, and dying with, every day. We, as they, must become ever vigilant, both as a nation and as individuals. That includes right here in New Hampshire, despite the baffling statement by Gov. Shaheen yesterday that New Hampshire is not threatened and people here should go about their business as usual.

There is no longer any “as usual.” The terrible morning of Sept. 11, 2001, has changed all that forever.

"We may need to play rough, even dirty, in order to survive."

1 posted on 09/12/2001 2:04:27 AM PDT by 2Trievers

This almost makes the Japanese attack on the military targets of Pearl Harbor look honorable--almost, but not quite.

2 posted on 09/12/2001 2:09:07 AM PDT by twntaipan

Both incidents will have the effect, I hope, of waking people up to the reality that we have enemies. We dropped our guard once before and suffered Pearl Harbor. Now we have to work together as a nation and realize that we have to beef up our defenses and pull together.

And in beefing them up, how many freedoms will we lose?

4 posted on 09/12/2001 6:37:31 AM PDT by 2Trievers

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