‘Deplorables’ were heroes after 9/11

What were your thoughts that morning, 15 years and five months ago, on Sept. 11, 2001 when you saw horrific scenes unfold on live TV of the second plane flying into the World Trace Center, flames, smoke, people jumping to death rather than incinerate, of terrified people fleeing or of heroes running into unimaginable danger and death?

That day, America stood as one people because of a terrorist attack on the Northeast. In the months that followed, brave men and women signed up to fight against those who stabbed at America. Most of them were what some of you now consider the “deplorables.” They put their lives on the line to rectify and avenge the atrocities committed by those who do not share a common value system.

In the months preceding the attacks, the administration of the new president had been the victim of partisan fighting after a contentious recount in Florida, keyboards were vandalized by outgoing White House staff and overall noncooperation by the opposition party in every aspect of transition.

The opportunists took advantage of confusion and turmoil in D.C.'s power structure, much like today's political bluster. Less than eight months after George W. Bush's inauguration, while reading to children at a local school, mass murder was committed and the skyline of New York was forever changed that awful morning. The Pentagon was hit and Flight 93 crashed into a field as U.S. citizens heroically fought against the attackers.

Is it going to take another 9/11 type of attack to wake the people up? I hope not.

But, if it does, the blood of innocent people will be on the hands of those who chose to hamstring the efforts of this administration at every turn. Are they going to count on the efforts of “deplorables” to make it right again?

This story was originally published February 17, 2017 at 3:09 PM with the headline "‘Deplorables’ were heroes after 9/11."