God bless the faces of those killed on 9/11/01, in those horrific attacks on America, and God bless the faces of the US military personnel who follow the flawed orders of the Bush administration in trying to settle the uncivil war in Iraq.

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As I am posting this, the house prepares to hear what General Petraeus has to say about Bush's Iraq "war". I can't watch or listen anymore. It appears that Republicans and Democrats alike will choose to be kinder and gentler to those testifying today.

The only problem is that "kinder and gentler" won't end the unnecessary death, bloodshed and destruction in Iraq. Nor will anything the Bush-Cheney administration has incorrectly embarked upon so far make the USA any safer from terrorist attack. And, of course, Bush-Cheney's horribly misguided actions will not bring to justice those who masterminded the 9/11/01 attacks -- fully -- and criminally -- six years later!

God bless the faces of those killed in those horrific attacks on America, and of the US military personnel who follow the flawed orders in trying to settle the uncivil war in Iraq.


(I wrote this. Awhile back I worked in World Trade Center Tower #2. My wife and I also used to work in other parts of lower Manhattan, commuting from Queens. At lunchtime we'd frequently visit the Century 21 department store and other businesses in the WTC concourse. In a strange juxtaposition, we could also see the Towers from the Jamaica Wildlife Preserve, which we used to love to visit in Queens.)

We will not forget the majesty of the World Trade Center reaching into the sky to daily host the tens of thousands of workers and visitors to the southern tip of New York City.

We will not forget the faces who still pop into our minds at any moment of the night or day, faces of those who we knew and worked with side by side, or even just passed on the street, but lost track of over the years, who MIGHT have been killed when the towers were destroyed.

We will not forget the unwitting victims on the planes who, by simply boarding their flights on the morning of 9/11, became part of horrible weapons of mass destruction.

We will not forget those heroes on Flight 93 who lost their lives to ensure that there would not be another weapon of mass destruction delivered to another target.

We will not forget the bravery of the heroes who attempted to bring shocked victims from the burning towers, and to help those horrified masses escaping from the aftermath.

We will not forget those heroes, some in the uniforms of the Bravest and Finest, and some in other uniforms and in street clothes, because they risked their lives, and in too many cases, paid the ultimate price.

We will not forget the faces of Rudolph Guiliani and George Pataki, who showed real, visible leadership, possibly at the risk of their own lives, on 9/11 and the days following.

We will not forget that one of our former employees escaped death, but had to see the woman running on the street next to her struck and killed by falling debris --- or that this woman in her 20s will be forever haunted by the horrific events of 9/11/01.

We will not forget the countless brave members of the United States armed forces who have lost lives and limbs in Afghanistan and Iraq and other distant lands to carry out an alleged "war against terrorism."

We will not forget the majesty of the World Trade Center reaching into the sky to daily host the tens of thousands of workers and visitors to the southern tip of New York City.

We will not forget the faces who still pop into our minds at any moment of the night or day, faces of those who we knew and worked with side by side, or even just passed on the street, but lost track of over the years, who MIGHT have been killed when the towers were destroyed.

We will not forget the face of Osama Bin Laden, who claimed to have masterminded and funded 9/11, and who still enjoys life, freedom and the adoration of his followers and sympathizers.

We will not forget the face of Saddam Hussein, who was a horrible violator of human rights, and who allegedly possessed large quantities of weapons of mass destruction and was resultingly removed from power by the United States, and who still enjoys life and the adoration of his followers and sympathizers.

We will not forget that our "intelligence community", made up of no less than the CIA, FBI and NSA, either from sheer ineptitude, or in their horribly misguided attempts to protect their respective "turf", failed to warn two presidents of the real terrorist threats.

We will not forget that our "intelligence community", specifically the CIA, allegedly provided the still-unproven information that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.

We will not forget that those same agencies failed, over and over, to do their jobs --- resulting in 9/11, the attack on the U.S.S. Cole, and countless other terrorist attacks on the United States and our allies.

We will not forget that our "intelligence community", made up of no less than the CIA, FBI and NSA, in the weeks of heightened alert following 9/11, let a 14 year old boy fly unchallenged into the airspace around our Florida command past for the Afghanistan initiative.

We will not forget that our servicemen and women were deployed into Iraq despite overwhelming world opinion that we should wait until the world community was ready to take appropriate measures against Saddam Hussein and his administration.

We will not forget that the same CIA has still not provided the source of that "WMD" information, yet our servicemen and women are still losing life and limb in the resultant war -- more now dead than the innocents who were killed in the horrific events of 9/11/01..

We will not forget that our "intelligence community", made up of no less than the CIA, FBI and NSA, has not been touched when the highly touted "Homeland Security" department was set up.

We will not forget that Mr. George Bush, Sr. once headed the untouched CIA.
We will not forget that the administration of Mr. George W. Bush, and Congress, are allowing unprecedented mounting debt as we pursue the "war", and oil, in Iraq.

We will not forget that Haliburton and other companies with ties to top Mr. George W. Bush administration officials, through unannounced and unbid contracts, are profiting from the "war" in Iraq, even as our servicemen and women continue to lose lives and limbs --- long after the war was declared over by Mr. Bush.

We will not forget THAT photo-op, as Iraq plunges further into civil war.

We will not forget that Medicare has been placed in the hands of the same companies who already deny care to seniors and the disabled, while allowing payment for prescriptions in the USA costing twice to ten times the prices for the same drugs available across the border in Canada -- more companies with ties to top Bush administration officials.

We will not forget the faces of countless federal elected and appointed officials -- starting with Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney -- who cowered in Washington, or anywhere other than New York City, on 9/11 and the DAYS following.

We will not forget THAT example of blatant cowardice and failed leadership.

We will not forget the faces of countless numbers of our servicepeople, and those of our allies, who have lost lives or limbs in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of the world using faulty intelligence or protecting American corporate interests.

We will not forget the majesty of the World Trade Center reaching into the sky to daily host the tens of thousands of workers and visitors to the southern tip of New York City.

We will not forget the faces who still pop into our minds at any moment of the night or day, faces of those who we knew and worked with side by side, or even just passed on the street, but lost track of over the years, who MIGHT have been killed when the towers were destroyed.

We will not forget the majesty of the World Trade Center towers as they died before our eyes --- bursting into flames as the planes struck and then, inexorably, collapsing, killing thousands of helpless people.

We will not forget, because we are haunted by the faces.

We will not forget, because we are haunted by the faces.

We will not forget, because we cannot and we will not -- ever.

We will not forget, because Mr. George W. Bush and his administration have done NOTHING to bring to justice those who masterminded the horrific attacks -- and it is 5 years later.

We will not forget, because there are elections coming this year, and in years to come, and we are voters with a responsibility: to remember.

(Originally written on the 52nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which we will also not forget. Updated as we approach the fifth anniversary of 9/11/01.)

God bless all of our missing and wounded faces.

http://bushwhackinginamerica.blogspot.com/

Authors Website: http://bushwhackinginamerica.blogspot.com/

Authors Bio:
"To inform the public of the facts, that they may responsibly use them to make things better."

For over three decades, I have held responsible positions in business, government and the non-profit sector. I believe that the public has a right to know the facts, and a responsibility to use them to make things better. Ultimately, the truth will set us free.

In addition, I have been a sports fan for over five decades, starting back when we could have heroes!

There is no force as formidable as a person who will invest whatever time they have to effect change.

9/11/01 was a defining moment in American and world history, and it crystallized my focus as an American. The complete lack of appropriate Bush-Cheney administration response has proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that their agenda has nothing to do with America and Americans.

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
~Teddy Roosevelt

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
~Sinclair Lewis

"Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, any more than going to a garage makes you a mechanic."
~JoJo

"If you didn't vote, and you didn't get everyone you know to vote on 11/7/06, then you weren't paying attention, or you don't care.

If you didn't vote, and you didn't get everyone you know to vote on 11/7/06, then you are part of the problem, not the solution --- and that is irresponsible and un-American."
~John Picciano

My Care2 Address: http://my.care2.com/jfpicciano

My blog: http://bushwhackinginamerica.blogspot.com/

"If not us, who?
If not now, when?"
~Unknown