What a great day for New York! The Yankees have won the World Series for the first time since 2000, and The USS New York is now docked at Pier 88 awaiting her commissioning on Saturday.
The ship's bow is forged from the steel that was pulled from the wreckage of the World Trade Center, signifying the determination of the American people to rally from the greatest tragedy in our history. To further illustrate the ship's connection to the American spirit, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, appearing on Fox News This Morning, reminded viewers that it was built in his home state with 1200 workers staying behind after the area was evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Katrina. When the hurricane hit the shipyard in August 2005, the workers kept building, so the ship would be ready for this day. None of our enemies should doubt the fact that in spite of our problems, Americans will still shine in the face of adversity.
Saturday's formal commissioning of The USS New York will honor the memory of those who died on Sept. 11, and it will provide a tribute to those who survived the attacks. One of the most touching moments of the past few days occured when the ship's pilot brought it into harbor in remembrance of his brother who lost his life when the twin towers came down. The words of the ship's motto: "Strength forged through sacrifice. Never forget," further embody the spirit of the American soldier, firefighter, police officer, worker and family who lost so much that day, but remain steadfast in their hope for a brighter American future.
How sad that on this day of celebration and remembrance, President Obama continues to delay his decision about sending more troops into Afghanistan. How sad that as we celebrate our strength,he's sending the message to the world that America is indecisive, and defeatist. How sad that our Commander in Chief has so little respect for the country he serves and the military he leads. Our troops deserve better. The American people deserve more.
Hopefully today will be a wake up call for the president. Maybe, as he makes the inevitable congratulatory call to the Yankees for their World Series win, he'll make a supportive statement by sending in the troops that his military leaders have requested. Thousands of men and women stand ready to defend this country to the death, and it's just wrong that they are being left in limbo. This decision has been delayed long enough. This decision needs to be made NOW.
It's only appropriate that as New York and the rest of the country honor the American Spirit that is being displayed on the decks of The USS New York, the president should move forward to do the same. Those who came before him on the day the Trade Center was hit, didn't have the luxury to consider how their decisions would affect their political future. They had to react. They had to make split second decisions that would affect the safety and lives of every person in this country. They had to sacrifice. They had to show leadership.
Perhaps the president should look to those people as he continues to fumble around, and perhaps then he will realize that leadership means making the hard decisions even if some disagree. One can only hope that when and if he finally see the light, the president will also remember that it's America and not the rest of the world that he works for, and we expect him to do the right thing by moving forward.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment