On 9/11/01 terrorists attacked the United States. Four commerical US planes were hi-jacked. Two of the hi-jacked planes struck the World Trade Center's twin towers. Another plane struck the Pentagon and the other crashed in Western Pennsylvania. Joey was among many of the unsung heroes who were called to duty. Joey and 300 of his fellow firefighters are among the several thousand people who lost their lives to this God awful tragedy. We have been wounded and our hearts are hurting but we are "One Nation Under God" and we will recover. So on October 15, 2001 we honored Joey in the best way possible and we take comfort in knowing that he will always be a part of the lives he touched.
Our faith and hope in this great country is stronger now than ever...let Freedom ring!
As the unthinkable horror, makes us shed a tear,
you entered the building, in your rescue gear.
As we sat in panic, praying for no more
you were climbing stairs, floor by floor.
We sat confused, awed, and in strife
you were looking, hoping, and praying for life.
As the building came down, we feared you would too.
But God gave you wings, and instead you flew.
(author unknown)
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 helpless American bodies, but like a poor marksman, you STILL missed America. Why? Because of something you guys will never understand. American 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 a you can figure 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 can not 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 get the strange idea that everyone has to agree with you. There's a spirit that tends to take over people who come to this country, looking for opportunity, looking for liberty, looking for freedon, even if they misuse it. You guys seem to be incapable of understanding that we don't live in America, America lives in US!!!! It's called the American Spirit. 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.
(author unknown)
