Editorial - September 2003

Two years later

Published September 10, 2003

On this second anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorists’ attack on the World Trade Center the recollection is still powerful. Who can ever forget such scenes — jetliners crashing into the twin towers and the heroic rescue efforts of the New York Fire Department. The death and destruction that followed has already become a chapter in history. Years from now,  the question will come up at dinner tables and at friendly gatherings. Where were you when terrorists crashed into the twin towers and the Pentagon? What were you doing?

The extent of our hurt and anger over the death of some 3,000 people is still hard to fathom, and some of it is unprintable in a family newspaper. But in the past two years we have mellowed some.

On the first anniversary, a year ago, we saw an incredible outpouring of patriotic fervor, even here in Lincolnton where veterans and plain citizens gathered at the courtsquare and other locations to express their devotion to their country.

It’s a little more subdued today. We had a patriotic observances at the fire department and at some local churches. The remembrance and the ceremonies went non-stop over the TV news programs all over the nation, though not with the intensity of the first anniversary.

Today, we live the consequences of those acts of terror. The U.S. has waged a powerful, expensive war on terror that has resulted in the loss of hundreds of more American lives, first in Afghanistan and now in Iraq. Here in Lincoln we have carried stories of young soldiers returning from the war and provided accounts of their perilous missions. Many businesses still have yellow ribbons hanging, as troop deployments continue and more young men get assignments to these troubled areas.

But as questions have been raised about how the war on terror is being waged, about its costs in human lives, and the financial costs that pulls billions away from important programs.

 To say, as many did on Sept. 11, 1999, “we will never be the same” is an understatement. Air travel has become a different experience. Visas for foreign visitors are much more difficult to obtain. Our relationship with other nations has drastically changed. Fortunately, there have been no more terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, but that doesn’t remove our fear that another Sept. 11 may be approaching.

We have learned a lot about the fanatical forces responsible for Sept. 11 and have taken major steps to prevent a recurrence. To some, measures such as the USA Patriot Act go too far. But we can be positive two years later about a few developments: our government acted quickly with force to confront the enemy; we have enacted measures that will make it difficult for terrorists to accomplish what they did in 1999; we are honoring those who died with appropriate memorials.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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