Today, the new Freedom Tower being built at Ground Zero in New York City surpassed the Empire State Building as the tallest building in the Big Apple. For a generation of people, September 11, 2001 will be the equivalent of the JFK assassination. Everyone will always remember where they were and what they were doing.
America was in a mourning period after 9/11. We mourned those that were lost, and we mourned for what seemed like the loss of our identity as Americans. America is not supposed to get a butt-whoopin' like that. We dish them out if need be. We don't get smacked upside the head, we do the smackin'. We felt bloodied and beaten up. We all watched as President George W. Bush climbed onto that pile of rubble with the firefighters who had been there around the clock, removing pile after pile of debris, and recovering the bodies of their fallen comrades. Someone put a bullhorn in his hand, and without a teleprompter, addressed the crowd. "I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!" At that moment we realized we were down, but we were not out. Because we are Americans.
So we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, buried our dead, and set about cleaning up that big hole in the ground. We went about choosing what to build there very carefully. After all, it is sacred ground, the final resting place for so many of our loved ones. Whatever we put there had to be spectacular.
It took us a long time, some say too long. We drew up plans, argued, voted, scrapped those plans, drew up some more plans, and argued some more. Finally, we agreed on the Freedom Tower. When it is finished, some time next year, it will be 1,776 feet, 104 stories tall. The tallest building in the United States. It's height, a reminder of the founding, not only of a place, but an idea. The idea of a free and independent people.
Those of us with an attitude problem, kind of like to think of that new tower as a giant 1-finger salute to those who believed on that day that they had gotten the better of us. But as the Freedom Tower rises higher and higher into the New York City skyline, we know now that America never went away. We just regrouped and came back better than before. It is what we do.
Because we are Americans.
From The Campaign Trail...
Martin Baker, Republican Candidate for Missouri's First Congressional District, will speak at the TEA Party Express Rally on Wednesday, May 2, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at the Victory Field House in Fenton
932 A Meramec Station Rd.
Come join us as we get fired up for this year's election!
And...
Come meet Martin and the rest of Team Baker as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Valley of Flowers in Florissant at the Knights of Columbus Park
50 Rue St. Francois in Florissant Lots of fun to be had for the whole family!
Hope to see everyone at these upcoming events!!
So we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, buried our dead, and set about cleaning up that big hole in the ground. We went about choosing what to build there very carefully. After all, it is sacred ground, the final resting place for so many of our loved ones. Whatever we put there had to be spectacular.
It took us a long time, some say too long. We drew up plans, argued, voted, scrapped those plans, drew up some more plans, and argued some more. Finally, we agreed on the Freedom Tower. When it is finished, some time next year, it will be 1,776 feet, 104 stories tall. The tallest building in the United States. It's height, a reminder of the founding, not only of a place, but an idea. The idea of a free and independent people.
Those of us with an attitude problem, kind of like to think of that new tower as a giant 1-finger salute to those who believed on that day that they had gotten the better of us. But as the Freedom Tower rises higher and higher into the New York City skyline, we know now that America never went away. We just regrouped and came back better than before. It is what we do.
Because we are Americans.
From The Campaign Trail...
Martin Baker, Republican Candidate for Missouri's First Congressional District, will speak at the TEA Party Express Rally on Wednesday, May 2, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at the Victory Field House in Fenton
932 A Meramec Station Rd.
Come join us as we get fired up for this year's election!
And...
Come meet Martin and the rest of Team Baker as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Valley of Flowers in Florissant at the Knights of Columbus Park
50 Rue St. Francois in Florissant Lots of fun to be had for the whole family!
Hope to see everyone at these upcoming events!!
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