Keeping America Strong

by YankeeJim | September 9, 2010 at 03:03 am

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As we approach Saturday, September 11, 2010, Americans may be exhausted from fighting wars, and struggling in an uncertain economy. Our mood is stiff and filled with passion as we know the sacrifice the nation has made in warfighters lost and the high cost of wars with little to show for it.

Refocusing on America and renewing American business and industry is a refreshing alternative to political quagmire. I am advocating a shift in priorities that reaches to the private sector for leadership to complement political leadership in collaboration for renewal.

In the mean time, Americans make it clear that they want their laws enforced. They want their social needs and quality of life upheld. They want their nation protected beginning at the borders.

Political leadership in all parties will do well to revisit the Constitution and to promote adherence to protecting minority rights and the Bill of Rights.

There is no place for bigotry and racial hatred in America. Diversity of people and thought is our greatest asset.

“Political controversy over Islam surrounds 9/11 anniversary

By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen

Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, September 9, 2010; 12:02 AM

For almost a decade, the annual commemoration of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has been seen as a day of national unity and sober remembrance. This year, contentious issues of religious freedom and national identity threaten to color the ninth anniversary of those tragic events.

Controversies over calls to burn the Koran and an ongoing debate over a proposed mosque and Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero in New York are drawing particular attention as the anniversary nears, sparking questions about how 9/11 became so politicized.

The reality is that, with rare exceptions, the meaning of those attacks has rarely been free of political overtones or debate. Common ground in the months after the attacks quickly gave way to partisan division over combating terrorism. What may be different this year is that earlier debates about who was "strong" in the fight against terrorism and who was not have been supplanted by questions about Islam and religious freedom.

Terry Jones, the pastor of a small church in Florida, wants to build a bonfire out of copies of the Koran on Saturday. That has brought condemnation across the spectrum. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, has warned that images of Islam's holy book in flames could endanger the lives of U.S. forces. Both the White House and conservatives such as former Alaska governor Sarah Palin have criticized Jones's plan.”