Full disclosure: I do not have absolute faith in the judgment and wisdom of the American people. We’re all human, and we can all be misled. When leaders don’t level with citizens, we can’t expect them to make good judgments. But I do have absolute faith in the heart of the American people. The greatest resource in this
country is the grit, the resolve, the courage, the basic decency, and the stubborn pride of its citizens. I know thousands of ordinary Americans, faced with burdens that would break many of us, who get up every single day and put one foot in front of the other and make it work. Most do it without demanding special favors or pity, even while the more fortunate among us stand willing to help ease those burdens. I’m convinced of the generosity, determination, and capabilities of our fellow Americans. I’ve seen it over and over, but it came home to me dramatically in the hours after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
One of the benefits of reading books is that, when there is an historical event, there are ways in which what is being said in the book can be verified. At least when that event creates such an impact on all of our lives! Thus it was with interest that as I read, I discovered that Joe Biden was "involved" on that day! At that time, he was a well-known Senator who got things done... So I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was Joe Biden who had first addressed the public after the attack...
The planes hit while I was on the train from Wilmington to Washington, and when I came out of Union Station that morning, I could see a haze of smoke rising from the Pentagon across the Potomac. It was a morning of surreal stillness. There was almost no breeze. It was so quiet, I could hear myself breathe as I walked toward the Capitol dome. I was struck by the warm glow of sun on my face and the sharpness of the cobalt blue sky, which was strangely unmarred by air traffic. But beneath the calm there was a gathering feeling of panic on the ground in Washington. The Capitol building had already been evacuated. Senators, House members, and their staffs were milling around the park between the Capitol and Union Station. Some were talking on cell phones. Some were already arguing about the need for funding Reagan’s Star Wars missile defense system. The Capitol police refused to let anybody back into the building, but they were offering briefings for a select group of elected officials at a command post on the top floor of a four-story building behind the Senate offices. Most members were camping out on the floor below. So I was shuttling back and forth between floors, trying to persuade anyone who would listen that we should get back in session and show the American people we were taking care of business. Nobody would budge; leaders in both parties were being told they should be prepared to leave town. Congressman Bob Brady, who had also been pushing our colleagues to get back in session, finally gave up in disgust. He thought he might be able to do some good back in his home district in Philadelphia, and he offered to drop me in Wilmington on the way. On the way out, Brady and I could sense the panic rising as we walked through scores of reporters outside the building; they were understandably anxious to get some word of what was happening.
“Senator Biden,” a reporter from ABC said to me, “senators I’ve spoken to and members of Congress as well have said we are now at war. Senator Shelby, who is the ranking member on the intelligence committee, has said we are now essentially at war. We have to be on a war footing. And Senator Chuck Hagel says we have to start securing our borders, locking down our airports, revisiting the way we protect our public institutions. What about that?”
“I hope that’s not true,” I told her and her listening audience. I would say it another way. I would say we’ve come face-to-face with a reality. A reality we knew existed and we knew was possible. A reality that has happened to varying degrees in other countries. But if in fact, in order to respond to that reality, we have to alter our civil liberties, change the way we function, then we have truly lost the war…. The way to conduct the war is to demonstrate that your civil liberties, your civil rights, your ability to be free and walk and move around in fact are not fundamentally altered…. There are a lot of things we can do though to diminish significantly the possibility of this happening again without changing our character as a nation…. This nation is too big, too strong, too united, too much a power in terms of our cohesion and our values to let this break us apart. And it won’t happen. It won’t happen.
Many had already left, including the vice-president. President Bush was being flown from safe place to safe place and would not speak to the country until that evening.
The Twin Towers had collapsed by the time we got on the road toward Wilmington, and the death estimates in New York were five, six, seven thousand—maybe more. But when I got home and put on the television, I saw that the American heart was still beating strong. Doctors and nurses were standing by at hospitals in New York City, ready to treat the wounded. Snaking through the streets and up the avenues were long lines of New Yorkers waiting to give their blood, even though word was being passed that no more blood was needed. I could see it in their faces: They were hungry to do something, anything. Nobody was talking about war footings or payback. They just wanted to do their part. That was the day that reminded me that even in a moment of almost total silence from their leaders in Washington, Americans would rise to the occasion. Watching those people on the blood lines, I was convinced the country would get up off the mat, face the new challenge head-on, and emerge stronger for having done it. To me this is the first principle of life, the foundational principle, and a lesson you can’t learn at the feet of any wise man: Get up! The art of living is simply getting up after you’ve been knocked down...
As we look toward another anniversary of 9-11 coming next month, so many different thoughts bombarded me:
- The realization that it was Senator Biden, not then republican President Bush who spoke to the nation. Surely there was some way for Bush to get a message out sooner?
- The confirmation of my opinion of Joe Biden, who, instead of moving quickly from danger, took the time to address the nation--He cares so much about Americans!
- The comparison of the 9-11 terrorist attack to the 1-6 insurrection attack on our Capitol by domestic terrorists.
- The recognition that not only did the president not address the nation immediately, but we have learned that he not only initiated it, but wanted to actually go there and participate (lead) his followers in overthrowing the election!
- The knowledge that, during the 2016 election, Joe Biden did not immediately move to run for president. However, as he watched what was happening--how hate was being incited, along with fear and so much lying that people didn't know who or what to believe.
- It must have been a difficult decision for Biden to consider running again. His long career had been full of many accomplishments and he would be seen as possibly too old to run for the presidency. Yet, with Covid and Trump's failure to even begin to plan for dissemination, and, at the same time, giving so many mixed signals about just how bad it was--in fact, admitting to a writer that he just didn't want to tell the people the truth, Joe Biden decided to step in and do what needed to be done.
- And, even with so many different issues occurring after the devastation and death of Covid, he was not only able to get the distribution process started quickly, but also had a total plan of action of what needed to be done in every area.
Using pictures of when he was distraught over something, and claiming it reflects he is not able to handle the job is especially cruel, given just how much knowledge and experience he has provided and shared to get all of the things accomplished that were never achieved before.
Yet, even having to deal with Trump's continued control of republicans is unbelievable and surely could not have been predicted... I say, put the blame where it belongs. With the republican party that continues to use lies, tricks, and false conspiracy theories to try to continue the fear of losing our democracy... our freedoms... It will not happen!
Major issues have arisen because of Trump and his "loaded" Supreme Court. Women and men all over the world are questioning America going backward, taking away what was made into law! And threatening even more...
The republicans again refuse to deal with the use of military weapons for the murder of children, and adults...claiming it is not a problem...yet we have seen an increase of violence, many times from those who participated in the insurrection...to go against even the FBI and their actions... This has GOT to Stop...
And, by the way, one final opinion. I have NO desire to see the affidavit that brought about the FBI's need to restore records taken by Trump... We need to ensure that there is nothing to prevent him from being found guilty of espionage and more... Wait...the law may be slow...but more and more guilty designations are being made for Trump and his cult followers.
In the meantime, be careful of those running for congress... Even Mitch McConnell has hinted at the quality of republican candidates... One we know was part of the insurrection is now running for governor in my state! We've never heard of him before... Then Dr. Oz was brought in as a "ringer" to try to garner Trump follower support...and everybody knows he doesn't live in PA! Be careful and do your research. Right now, people are working from a plan of action that includes lies, fear, and removal of rights for many of us...Do remember that the republican party has changed! It is no longer party to party...it is Trump's cult against the Democratic party...and they used guns to garner fear! Stop the Madness!
These final thoughts are, of course, my personal opinions, of course... But I have made sure I keep up to date on what is happening... That's all I ask of you. Do your own research and discover the reality... Check out for instance the democratic nominee running against DeSantis... He WAS a republican and when he saw what had happened to the party, he first became an independent, and then a democrat, probably for the same reason I did, so that we could vote in the primaries... He is a former republican party governor...and easily won... Personally, I think that should tell republicans something about who is controlling the party now...
And a final thought...Joe Biden was called, later, by President Bush, to thank him for speaking on behalf of the government... noting that it was exactly what needed to be said... Doesn't it make you wonder why neither the vice-president or president could manage to speak to Americans on 9-11 until it was already over... ?
God Bless
Gabbie
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