Sixty years ago today, my country suffered a devastating sneak attack by foreign powers bent on subjugating the peoples of the Pacific. Out of that single event arose a powerful spirit and a silent determination that carried my grandparent's generation to victory.
Eighty-seven days ago, this nation suffered another sneak attack. Again by foreign powers bent on forcing their way of life on others. In contrast to the events six decades past, the tragedy of this September does not carry with it a clear enemy. Our present enemy has no nation nor empire, no navy to sink, no islands to take, no trenches to cross. Our present enemy can hide among us, seeking to hurt us where we live, where we work, where we sleep.
We must not forget the lessons of the past. We must not lose our focus. We must remember our fear; its taste and smell, the burning in the pits of our stomachs and its tightening grip on our throats. But we MUST NOT BE AFRAID.
|