How could it be? 24 years since 9/11. The beginning of a tumultuous century. So many killed. Both Republicans and Democrats…Americans. I have dear friends who are Republicans. Violence is wrong. Murder is wrong. I am often mistaken and misinformed in my beliefs. We are all human. In World War II, we did not ask about the political persuasion of our soldiers who fought and died for us. The valiant women who filled our factories and kept our country together cared less about their status as conservative or liberal. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, soldiers of all political and religious persuasions died, and many lay under the Pacific Ocean entombed.

Unity made our nation great. Division is tearing it apart. Congress sang God Bless America on the steps of the Capitol the evening of 9/11, 24 years ago. Queen Elizabeth requested that the Band of the Coldstream Guards play the Star Spangled Banner outside Buckingham Palace on September 13, 2001. The United States was grieving, and the United Kingdom grieved with us.

We have raised political rhetoric to an art form. We seek the best zinger. We seek the soundbite. We covet the influence that words have over the human spirit. Many things are better left unsaid. It has been said that sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me. How untrue… many have died for their words…

The children cry out. I had no political affiliation. I had no opinion regarding liberal or conservative. I loved my friends; we played together and drank cold milk on break, and rode the merry-go-round together. In Sunday School, we sang Jesus Loves All The Little Children…aren’t we all God’s children?