9/11. Where were you?

When recalling national tragedies the question used to be, "Where were you when President Kennedy was shot?" More often than not the answer today is a youthful smirk followed by, "I was just a twinkle in my parent's eyes."

New generation. New scar. There has been some healing, but the scar from 9/11 is tender, easily inflamed and ugly. Wars have been declared. Countries have been invaded. Laws re-written. 9/11 casualties continue to swell. 1,900 American military dead. Countless Iraqis dead.

At what point can our government declare the War on Terrorism won? What are the chances we will ever be able to find and stop every single enemy before they attempt to harm us? How many little Iraqi boys are growing up hating America? How many Iraqi men grew up on a steady diet of U.S. hate following the first Gulf War?

That's one of the lessons learned from 9/11, isn't it? By saving Kuwait, we created an entirely new and unexpected enemy.

There is a difference between supporting the troops and supporting the cause. I haven't heard of any soldiers returning home only to be spit on by a fellow citizen. Lesson learned from Vietnam. I have profound respect and gratitude for those who sign up to protect, fight, and put themselves in harms way for this nation. I am also keenly aware those who are sent to fight our wars have no say in creating them.

Operation Iraqi Freedom doesn't seem to be freeing anyone. We may have successfully removed a cruel dictator from power, but we haven't done anything about the environment that created his power. We can't. Kurds. Sunnis. Muslims. What made anyone think that Americans had the power to heal ancient wounds that we can't possibly understand? Is a Civil War preferable to a vicious leader? Many civil wars conclude with the crowning of a vicious leader.

How are we ever going to get out of Iraq? When Iraqi forces can police themselves? Where have we heard THAT before? Answer for the twinkling eye crowd: Vietnam. Over the last two weeks, the hard lesson learned in this country was that we have a hard time policing ourselves. Another lesson taught by that bitch, Katrina, is that the United States is (or at least includes) the third world. Our country harbors those who are too poor and destitute to get out of harms way, and our government is either too inept or uncaring to do much for them.

But we care about those poor souls in Iraq. We do.

I remember where I was on 9/11. I can tell you what I had for breakfast. The street I was driving on when I heard the news on the radio. Where I stood in my kitchen for days, watching non stop news coverage. There will always be a part of me that remains in shock. Hi-jacking a plane, that, I knew was possible. Perhaps inevitable. Plowing planes into buildings? I still can't wrap my brain around the sadistic logic. Yet, the very best of American bravery and kindness was abundant on September 11th and the days and months that followed. We should be proud of the wounds we suffered and survived. We should allow them to heal. We could start by taking better care of our own citizens on a daily basis.

9/11 should leave a scar, not a chip, on America's shoulder.