9/11: Americans United For Justice

A simple truism is violence begets violence. Healing does not begin until we resolve differences. Our citizens are a people of principles and consciences. The outpouring of support for the families who lost loved ones was as consistent after 9/11 as it was after the Tsunami and Katrina. It is a source of American pride. We are quicker to respond compassionately and expect our government to reflect this psyche.

The amoral Bush Administration lost a lifetime opportunity to unify Americans as FDR and JFK had before him. Instead, Bush acted in a disgraceful manner that will go down in history as a false and politically motivated decision to attack Iraq and mire our country in the Middle East. He was enabled by a Congress that failed to exercise the courage of their convictions.

This act saps precious resources away from pursuing real terrorists, homeland security and pressing domestic issues like health and education. He failed to capture and kill those who perpetrated the attack. Bush used partisan politics of fear instead of strength and hope. He, and those complicit by agreement or absence of resolve, abused divisive issues of immigration, flag burning, choice, stem cell research, human rights, rights to privacy, taxes and special interests to divert attention away from war profiteering and the exploitation of our middle class and working families.

Rampant profiteering was manifest by energy companies, defense and construction contractors in no bid contracts that flagrantly benefited political contributors at the expense of our tax dollars. The burden of future interest payments will be on our children's children to pay down the $9 trillion deficit.

These failures overshadow the absence of government compassion towards the physical and mental suffering related to 9/11 by over 40,000 first responders and every day Americans who became heroes by selflessly helping outside of Pittsburgh, in Washington at The Pentagon and at the World Trade Center in NYC. They overshadow how our families are less safe since 9/11 because politics and bureaucracy decided where our tax dollars would be spent and on what.

These failures overshadow the abuses and lost lives of Katrina due, in part, to minimal National Guard unavailability. They overshadow the thousands of lost and damaged lives of loved ones because corporate greed and political favors dominated instead of direction, strength and compassion. They overshadow how this administration made religion judgmental and divisive instead of nurturing and inclusive.

We're not supposed to be perfect or invincible, but we are supposed to hold ourselves to a high standard - a country and a people guided by our laws and by what is right. This was once a source of admiration around the world. We are a people of consciences and principles. We expect nothing less from our elected officials. Our healing and reunification begins when together we act and vote. Those who sacrificed prior, since and following 9/11 deserve nothing less.