Resolve of Americans stays strong

Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 19, 2006

Five years ago tomorrow, our world got smaller and America&8217;s longstanding bubble of comfort burst.

In a horrifying display of hatred, terrorists turned commonplace items &8212; commercial aircraft &8212; into weapons of mass destruction.

Within one of the most confusing, frightening days of our lives, the American way of life was turned upside down, at least temporarily.

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The War on Terror had begun.

By mid-afternoon on Sept. 11, 2001, we were losing the war even though we didn&8217;t really know to whom.

Strategically, the Sept. 11 attacks on America were of minimal importance. Many historic battles are far more deadly.

Although the attacks killed nearly 3,000 innocent victims, from a practical standpoint, the attacks were largely for show.

The World Trade Center, for example, was more a target for its high profile than its strategic importance.

Al-Qaida wanted a spectacular show and that&8217;s what they got when three of the four hijacked jets plowed into their targets.

Interestingly, the fourth jet never reached its target. Once the passengers caught wind of what the fate of the other airliners, they took matters into their own hands.

Their flight crashed into a Pennsylvania field. American determinism foiled the terrorists&8217; intentions.

The true fight began at that moment, when a few strangers suddenly facing evil united together and said, &8220;No, we&8217;re not going to let them win.&8221;

And we never will, not in one year, five years or 500 years. America will hold its resolve and do what it takes to never let &8220;them&8221; win again.