by Michael Douglas Carlin
911 means "emergency" in America. Whenever we have an emergency, we dial 911. On the other end of the telephone is a voice that reassures us and gets us the help that we need. The 911 operator never questions our race, political affiliation or religion. He or she utilizes every resource at his or her disposal to mitigate the emergency.
The anniversary of 9/11 is upon us. Putting aside our differences for one day would bring honor to all of those who gave their lives for America that day and those that gave their lives in Iraq or Afghanistan. Celebrating the lives of our citizens who respond to the call of duty is simply the right thing to do. Let us all wave the Stars and Stripes as we declare to the world that each and every one of us is an American, that we love our country, and that we are proud of the legacy built by the sacrifices of all those who shed their blood so that we might sleep peacefully under the blanket of freedom.
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911 means "emergency" in America. Whenever we have an emergency, we dial 911. On the other end of the telephone is a voice that reassures us and gets us the help that we need. The 911 operator never questions our race, political affiliation or religion. He or she utilizes every resource at his or her disposal to mitigate the emergency.
On September 11th, 2001, the telephones were ringing off the hook with needs that stretched resources to their limits. All of the responders attempted to meet the enormous burden placed upon them with all of their heart and soul. The tragedy that was 9/11 cost America some of our best citizens. The tragedy stopped all Americans that day in our tracks. We all remember the images we saw.
We all remember the first responders who ran into burning buildings to rescue people they didn't know, and we witnessed the countless lives that these men and women saved that day. Many of those first responders made the ultimate sacrifice. Many responders heard the call and donned the uniforms that protect and serve in America's armed forces. What began that day caused many families to lose their loved ones to tragedy.
Immediately in the aftermath, Americans were not divided by race, political party, gender, sexual preference or religion. We became the most unified people on the planet. We waved our flags and proudly declared to the rest of the world that we are Americans. In Los Angeles, we have the most diverse population that has ever existed in the history of the earth, and we are all united as one people—as citizens of Los Angeles or Angelinos, as Californians, as Americans.
For a brief time, our Pledge of Allegiance rang true with the words "One Nation, under God, indivisible." Eleven years later, our American population has never been more divided–more polarized. It is time that, when our ancestry or heritage is questioned, we answer: "I am an American." It is time that we stopped identifying ourselves by political parties and start answering when our political party is questioned: "I am an American." Instead of wearing our religion on our sleeve, we should wear our patriotism.
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