The Death of Osama Bin Laden, part 2

I don't know how many parts this thing is going to have. We will see how much steam I have left.

From September 11th, 2001 until now these things have happened to me personally (not in any kind of order):

1) Meet Mark, fall deeply in love and get married.
2) We moved to Richmond, VA to get away from the horrible DC housing prices.
3) We have two beautiful children for whom I am writing this for.
4) We start our own business in real estate.
5) The Real Estate market crashes.
6) Mark goes to work for Comcast.
7) We move three times.
8) My father retires.
9) My grandmother dies.
10) Mark's grandfather dies.
11) Our dog, Kaiser dies.
12) Best friend has baby.
13) My views on religion change drastically.

Here's what happens in the world:

The entire nation goes into mourning over 9/11. My emotions are mixed with anger. "How could they do this?" "What gives them the right?" "How DARE they?" This grief, this anger develops differently in different people. Some fly flags and volunteer to help. Others, well others let their anger develop into a kind of cancer of hate. They spread their hate to innocent Muslims living freely and legally in this country. Their hatred spreads to blindly hating all Muslims as a whole who's leader must be Osama Bin Laden. I mean, all Muslims must feel the same way that terrorists do, right? Why else would they be a different religion? Why else would they believe in what they do? They all must hate America. (serious sarcasm here, in case you're new to my sense of humor)

And the cancer spreads.

It spreads so fast and violently that we forget what this country stands for. What it was built upon. Well educated, civil people find themselves being washed away in the hatred. We start to assume that all people of Middle Eastern descent are Muslim. Sikhs are being stoned and property is being vandalized. No one bothers to research what they are hating. It prompts our favorite local Indian restaurant to print a hand out saying "Sikhs aren't Muslims. Here is what we believe in."  Most people don't bother to read the Qur'an (I have, some of it, and it's beautiful). They just assume that a few people stand for Muslims as a whole.

You see, my dear boys, someone did something so horrible to us that the fear just took over. Before 9/11 we were safe at home. We didn't live in places like Israel that have to deal with bombings and death. Terrorism was something we knew existed but it just didn't hit so close. When it did, the fear was palpable. You could taste it everywhere.

"Close the borders! Don't let anyone else in! America is for Americans!"

"If you don't like it, you can leave!"

So many forgot what free speech meant. So many things were done to ensure our safety all the while stealing our liberties. Liberty isn't safe or free. Determined bad guys will always succeed at killing someone and there is nothing anyone can do about it.  Absolutely nothing.

To be continued....