Gotta love them schools..........NOT

So yesterday was an important day in American History, though you would never think that if you are a lefty.

It was so important, that my oldest boy, who is 8, and I sat down and watched the video that I posted yesterday on the memorial tribute. Before starting I explained to him that it was a tragic day and lots of people died. He asked, How many dad?. I said over 3000. He is 8, that is a number he can not comprehend.

So we watched the video with me stopping it in parts to explain to him what he was seeing.

Some examples...this is the the towers after they fell. This is a person who is covered in dust from the buildings, these are people who got out before the collapse. Etc.

I cried in parts as I explained to him just how pissed off Americans were that day.

And I tried my best, in his way, to get him to comprehend what he just saw.

All he could say was, Dad, that was a sad day.

Yes son, it was.

When he got home from school, I asked him if any mention was made in school of this day and its importance to Americans. He said noone talked about it. I asked my oldest daughter, who is 9, was anything said today in school about today and its importance to America.

Want to know the answer?

No....there was no mention made, no lessons ... No talking about it.

This really makes me mad. On 9/11/2001 terrorists brought their war to us...on our soil..the attacked the United States of America. Just like the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. But was anything said? No

And what kills me is a good percentage of those kids have relatives who are either serving in the Armed Forces or have served.

Its important that we never forget, but for all intents and purposes, the schools don't seem to understand that.

I am attending the next PTO meeting at the schools my kids attend. And my outrage at them not teaching our children what happened will be heard. If your kids attend school, make it a point to do the same.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET


UPDATE 3:55 PM

Just got of the phone with the elementary school principal who was responding personally to an email I sent.

She told me that the district doesnt want to "scare" kids that young, the reason...there are some kids parents who would rather forget it. She related to me and we had a conversation as to what she was doing that day and how she felt. She told me that she has a first grader that will never forget as well, but she would rather not deal with a school full of scared children.

Fair enough, some parents want to hide their heads in the sand...the principal sounded irritated when she talked about that, she said she wishes that every kid could understand and have it drilled into them every year, but she is held back by district policy.

The upshot? In the 4th and 5th grade they talk about it during social studies.

I guess there is hope yet

WE WILL NEVER FORGET

Today marks the anniversary of the attacks by cowards on the twin towers and the pentagon. We will not forget that over 3000 of our fellow citizens, regardless of their politics, died at the hands of the terrorists hell bent on the destruction of America.

They do not care about politics, nor do they care to make peace with us, they want nothing more than to see our destruction.



Today we remember the tragedy. Today we relive the pain. Today we are reminded why our soldiers are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. We took the fight to them so we don't have to fight them here.

---------------

It was 7 years ago, I was getting ready for work and had the TV on for noise as I got dressed. I heard a snippet, and it sent chills down my spine...the newscaster said that there has been a plane crash in New York, and reports were that it hit a building.

I turned around expecting to see a plane crash, and my heart sunk when I saw the smoke and realised, it was the World Trade Center.

I sat on my sofa and just watched.

My jaw open...my heart breaking...disbelief at what I was watching.

As I listened to the news they started talking about possibilities...was it a navigation error? Was it an accident? Was the equipment at a nearby airport malfunctioning. I thought of the movie Die Hard, was it a similar situation where someone has messed with the electronic equipment? Wierd thoughts.

Then abject horror as a I watched the 2nd plane fly into the South Tower.

I had to process that.

Did I really just see what I think I just saw?

The news caster droned on and I was screaming, look at the monitor you bitch!

Then the male came on, and said that a 2nd plane hit the towers.

At this point they rewound and it confirmed what I had just thought I saw.

Tears came fast and furious and I was desperate, I realised what happened, someone purposely rammed 2 planes into the towers. Who could do this? Why?

I was on my knees at this point. Praying to God that his will be done. Praying for the people who I knew would be trapped, hoping they got most of them out.

Phone rings...its my mom. "Dennis, are you watching this?" Her voice is shaking.

"yes Mom, I don't believe it but I see it"

Nothing more is said and somewhere at some time we hung up the phone.

It was time to go to work, I was already late. I get to the office, and the mood is somber, everyone is quiet and watching the tv in the break room. I take my place and we all just watch, not a word is spoken.

The day is a blur from that point on, I did my job, but it was mechanical. My passion wasn't there, it was gone.

_______________

Today as I sit and write this, everything is in full color.

I will not forget, the memory of those who died on 9/11/2001 lives on.

We will never forget