Tomorrow will mark six years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  It is difficult to believe that it has been that long.  I remember the first report I heard stated that a small twin engine plane had run into the World Trade Center.  I was a few minutes away from my office and the reports on NPR were still very sketchy.  When I got to my office, the first thing I did was look on my computer and see what the news was at that time.  By then, it was apparent that it was no small plane.  Several coworkers were watching television in one of the conference rooms and I went in to join them.  The rest of the morning was spent watching, in total awe of the horrific event.  It seemed to only get worse by the minute.

    Since I was listening to the news on the way to work, I heard the very first reports of the incident.  However, a coworker told me today that they didn’t have any idea what was happening when they turned on their television at home that morning.  They saw that a plane had hit the building and at that time it still wasn’t known if it were a terrorist attack or not.  Then they sat and watched as the second plane hit the other tower.  At that time he began to think that something had happened to the navigation signals being used by aircraft, perhaps a satellite had gone haywire.  He told me, “I thought, ‘Oh my God!  They think they’re coming in for a landing or something.  How many more are going to hit the building?’”

    That scenario had never crossed my mind.  And while it only takes a couple of seconds to come up with at least a dozen reasons that it wouldn’t happen, it’s still more plausible that all the conspiracy theories that have been floating around since that day.  I wonder how anyone could possibly think that our government was responsible or that all the Jews that worked in the World Trade Center stayed home that day.  And these rumors continue even after the terrorist leaders reveled in the brilliance of their plan.

    So now, six years later, bin Laden has offered to stop the attacks of insurgents if the US would “convert to Islam”.  Perhaps we should tell him that we’ll leave the Middle East if they’ll convert to Christianity.  Both are ludicrous.  Acceptance of any religion based on the fear of the consequences of non-acceptance is terrorism.

    9/11/2001 will be in our minds for the rest of our lives.  Like December 7^th, 1941 in our parents’ lives, it will be a symbol of the hatred, fear, and myopic view of a misguided group of people.