9/11/2001 The Day Patriotism was Hijacked. D Randall Ashcraft

In memory of nearly 3000 of our fellow Americans who perished the morning of 9/11/01, all of my brothers and sisters-in-arms in the military, maimed for life or KIA, and innocent civilians who have lost their lives cruelly and unfairly since, and because of the deceptive events of that day.

Introduction

For thousands of years, people all over the world believed the myth of a flat earth. Even though they could clearly see the sun and moon were round, due to being told by those in authority, such as priests, scientists, sages, and politicians, they believed in a flat earth. They were not dumb, stupid, or ignorant… They simply accepted it as the truth and did not question it. Today, most people agree that the earth is indeed round. Not only have we seen images of the earth taken from outer space; we also realize no one has fallen off the edge of the earth as those in antiquity feared would happen if they ventured out too far on seagoing voyages. For that reason, it was a limiting and paralyzing myth that kept people in fear, afraid to venture out and explore new horizons and lands.

Dr. David Ray Griffin, a pioneer in the truth regarding 9/11, had this to say to a large crowd in Oakland, California, back in 2006: “Although I am a philosopher of religion and theologian, I have spent most of my time during the past three years on 9/11—studying it, writing about it, and speaking about it. In this lecture, I will try to make clear why I believe this issue worthy of so much time and energy. I will do this in terms of the distinction between myth and reality. I am here using the term ‘myth’ in two senses. In one sense, a ‘myth’ is an idea that, while widely believed, is false, failing to correspond with reality. In a deeper sense, which is employed by students of religion, a myth serves as an orienting and mobilizing story for a people, a story that reminds them who they are and why they do what they do. When a story is called as a myth in this sense—which we can call Myth with a capital M—the focus is not on the story’s relation to reality but on its function. This orienting and mobilizing function is possible, moreover, only because Myths with a capital M have religious overtones. Such a Myth is a Sacred Story. However, although to note that a story functions as a myth in the religious sense is not necessarily to deny its truth, a story cannot function as a Sacred Myth within a community or nation unless it is believed to be true. In most cases, moreover, the truth of the Myth is taken on faith. It is not a matter of debate. If some people have the bad taste to question the truth of the Sacred Story, the keepers of the faith do not enter debate with them. Rather, they ignore them or denounce them as blasphemers.”1

September 11, 2001 is arguably the most important day in modern history or, possibly, all of history. Our world changed that day, and not for the better. The events of that day were used as a pretext to the “war on terror,” and it has resulted in the deaths of thousands of soldiers, marines, airmen, sailors, and especially innocent civilians, where, in Iraq alone, nearly two million have perished. It has also led to the destruction of enormous numbers of homes, as well as the infrastructure of other countries. It has cost the United States as much as $5 trillion, according to a report in Times magazine in 2011.2 Obviously, this figure has risen substantially since then.

I am an Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran. I served in the US military for twenty-two years. I grew up in the south during the 1960s and 1970s, raised to be a patriot. I remember the Bi-Centennial Celebration of 1976 very well. Our country was two hundred years old, and all the parades, floats, and fireworks were quite a spectacle to see. Most people, including myself, felt a sense of pride and love for this country. Flags flew everywhere as well as bands playing patriotic songs and hymns. The Pittsburgh Steelers were the dominant football team. Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, and John Stallworth, along with their “steel curtain” defense, had some amazing wins and created some great memories. In baseball, winning the day were the Cincinnati Reds. Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, George Foster, and Tony Perez, among many other greats, made some great plays, and the energy was fantastic. It seemed I felt great, my family felt great, and my country felt great. I couldn’t imagine a better life or a better place to live than right here in the good old US of A. Officials at my elementary school made sure we recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag every day. The economy seemed to be percolating just fine, and the nation was prospering. The notion of any type of gun control back then was unheard of, at least as far as I knew. Saturday morning cartoons even got in on the act. Between the Bugs Bunny and Road Runner Show and Scooby-Doo were educational cartoons. One was about the preamble to the Constitution. The entire preamble was sung with a patriotic spirit accompanied by a cartoon depicting the stand our forefathers took against tyrannical King George III.3 “We the people…in order to form a more perfect union…establish justice, insure domestic tranquility…provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and now, secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity…do ordain and establish this Constitution…of the United States, of America!”

Patriotism is defined as “strong feelings of love, respect, and duty toward one’s country.” This is especially true here in the United States. Feelings of nationalistic sovereignty pervade our heartland. We tend to view our nation, history, and existence as what Dr. David Ray Griffin has defined as “exceptionalism.” These feelings run deeply within the hearts and minds of most Americans. “Exceptionalism” refers to the idea that our country and its inhabitants are the good guys in an otherwise despotic, dictatorial, and unfair world. Many of us have been taught from a young age that our country was born due to a few brave men who realized what tyranny was and decided to do something about it, rather than be its victim. We remember our founding fathers as men who possessed the courage to “take a stand” against despotism. We also see our country as a force for good in an otherwise evil and degenerate world.4

“Exceptionalism” encapsulates how most Americans feel about our country. If I had been born and raised in France, chances are, I would have a strong and nationalist sentiment for that country. The same with Russia or China, because the country we are

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9/11/2001 The Day Patriotism was Hijacked. D Randall Ashcraft

9/11/2001 The Day Patriotism was Hijacked

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