4 years

It was 4 years ago today that the world of all Americans was flipped on its head. My time stamp for this post represents 4 years from the moment I found out about the attacks on 9/11. A lot has happened in 4 years, a lot that we may not have believed possible on day 4 years ago. We went into Afghanistan with a relatively small force and, along with allies in the Northern Alliance, removed the Taliban from power. We have removed terror sympathizer and terrorizer of the entire Middle East, Saddam Hussein, from power. We have removed troops from Saudi Arabia. We have seen small ground swells of Democratization across the globe. We've watched our former nemesis Libya decide that its lot is not best cast with that of terrorists. But we still are no where near completed with the job.

On December 7, 1945, the nation was able to look back with relief on a job well done. In four years the United States, with the help of our allies, had completed a rollback of the war machines of Germany, Japan, and Italy. The task in World War II was monumental, but in many ways, it was straight forward. The War on Terror is a complex war that is difficult for people to understand, with enemies that do not fight under a unified flag and common uniforms. It is war that is going to take a long time to win, a war that we still need to realize that we cannot afford to lose. Most Americans take for granted that the United States will always exist, but they shouldn't. We are still a young experiment in terms of global history. We've done an excellent job of turning back centralized threats to our existance over the years, but we've never faced a decentralized, difficult to grasp threat from within and without like Islamic terror. And make no mistake about; Islamic terrorists do not seek our understanding, respect, and kindness-that's just their propaganda. They seek our destruction and their conquest over our government, our land, and our freedoms. We've not yet stopped them.

Today, hug your loved ones, and be thankful you still have them. Reflect on the day. Look at the pictures from four years ago. Remember.