Aspiring Writers Magazine Autumn Edition
2006
September 11, 2006
I have lost a great deal this year and found it difficult to think
about 9/11/2001. I did not want to watch or listen to politicians
try to explain away the facts and why we are still in Afghanistan
and try to tie it to Iraq and beyond. I am very tired of the
rhetoric and am a bit disillusioned by it all.

Our young men and women are still dying in Afghanistan and
Iraq with no sign of let up, in fact things are getting much
worse. There was a suicide car bomb hit a training group today
that was outside the so called "Green Zone" of security. Two
soldiers were killed and many more were wounded.

Our brave men and women are fighting and dying for their
president and country. They do not ask why but I can and do.

I am well aware we should be in Afghanistan. They bombed us
first with our own aircraft and with our citizens on-board. These
citizens, including children, were mercilessly killed with no
thought of their families or lives. The suicide bombers had only
one thought in mind. Complete the mission and go straight to
heaven. I cannot agree with any religious sect which holds
onto the belief that killing in cold blood is just and will be
rewarded.

There has been no peace, it seems, for all the loved ones who
were left behind to grieve for the ones who lost their lives on
9/11/01. As it often happens, we think of things for a long time
before coming to a conclusion and have mulled over the same
questions for months and often years. When we find no
answers we try to bring these questions to the forefront and
find someone who can give us answers. As Mike Spann's father
is doing now.

Does anyone really have any answers?

If anyone does they are keeping them to themselves.

We are losing support from some of the European countries
who were there for us from the beginning. There are not
enough NATO forces in Afghanistan to fight off the
re-emergence of the Taliban and now they have groups of
Al-Queda to fight as well. Terrorism is spreading not diminishing
!

Innocent Iraqi citizens are dying every day and in larger
numbers. What have they done to deserve the lives they now
have? They live in terror every day with few of the basic
necessities of life a constant. Some are so traumatized they
cannot go outside, they cannot cope any longer.

We are making more enemies, not winning hearts and minds.
Pray for the innocents, pray for peace, pray for our military and
pray all of this will end soon.

Lavenia Ann Claman
Aspiring Writers
Copyright September 14 2006
All Rights Reserved