A little over a year ago, I started a Substack publication to build a small community of like-minded Christian believers in the hopes that we could "spur one another on to love and good deeds" as the Bible instructs us to do. The point is to take on issues that are in the public eye and attempt to view them through the lens of Scripture.
Last week, I sent out a video commentary to our group that addressed the 9/11 attacks with this underlying question: did the terrorists "succeed"? The question itself is loaded, so I wanted to define the terms a little bit. It's clear that they wanted to kill Americans, and they did. Osama bin Laden's own testimony reveals they had hoped to collapse the floors of the Twin Towers at and above the impact zone. They succeeded in doing that and, with the weight of those floors thundering down on weakened beams and columns, much worse. They sought to inflict panic, fear, and sorrow on the part of Americans by bringing war to our shores. There's little doubt they did.
But beyond those obvious points, was there a greater objective that failed? Was there a desire on the part of al-Qaeda's masterminds that met a more resilient America? I'm tempted to believe there was. I'm tempted to share the sentiments expressed by President George W. Bush the night of September 11, 2001 when he said from the Oval Office,
Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.
That's true, right? One of our subscribers had a slightly different take that made me stop and think. Here's what she wrote:
I'm in the "Yes, they accomplished a lot" camp. Look at how willingly we surrendered our freedoms after 9/11. I actually had online conversations with fellow conservatives who said to me, when I advised caution when it came to allowing the government to pass the Patriot Act or any other legislation under the auspice of keeping us safe, "I wouldn't think twice about giving up my freedoms if it means that when I get on a plane, at least I'll know I'm going to land at my destination without getting blown up!"
Personally, I'm in the "give me liberty or give me death" camp, and it used to be a MUCH bigger camp, pre-9/11. That is what they achieved. The terrorists changed our national mindset from one of freedom despite personal risk, to one of safety at all cost. And I don't see any hint that we'll be turning back any time soon, unfortunately. That was their victory.
I don't know if that was their specific goal. Frankly, I think simply bringing down buildings and terrifying the populace was the goal - just pretty much letting the world know that even though they were small, they could deal a blow to the giants. I'm not really sure they had any long-term plans. But changing the hearts and minds of the population of a nation built on the novel notion of individual freedom to an open willingness to sacrifice freedom for safety? That, as they say, was "a big get." I'm just saying they may well have overshot the runway with that one because it has to be bigger than whatever their actual goals were.
Iron sharpens iron, and this was an eye-opening analysis for me. The truth is I think I could have been one of those conservatives she was talking to, inclined to look at my young children and say, "Absolutely, subject every person to a strip search in the airport, just as long as my kids don't have to endure the terror that those poor people did that day." Now, 22 years later, while thankful that no other large scale terror attack has occurred within our borders, I'm more than a little skeptical that the immense sacrifice of personal liberties and government overreach has been the reason there hasn't been.
In another part of his moving Oval Office address that night, President Bush assured Americans,
America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.
I think I still agree that the terrorists didn't darken that light with their assault on innocent people. But I'm not so sure we haven't done it ourselves.
