Seven years ago I woke up on a couch. I said goodbye to a friend as she went to her second day of work. I decided to turn on the TV and the morning show was interrupted by Diane Sawyer. Apparently, a small plane had hit one of the towers. A tiny, little, itty-bitty plane.

I saw a blip in the background shot before the news reporters did. Why is that jet in the city? MOTHER FUCKING BOOM.
Bastards.
I looked out the window and saw a column of smoke coming from Arlington. You know, where the Pentagon is.
I heard rumors of bombs going off in the State Dept. I had visions of chemical weapons being released. I saw police on top of the Supreme Court, on guard.
We all remember something.
But do we remember the right things? Are you a truther? Were you more upset that these attacks would make Bush more popular? Did you think that America's chickens had come home to roost? Was this the world finally fighting back against America's representation as the hegemony of capitalist exploitation?
Wrong.
You must remember this: Islamic terrorists intent on creating a new Islamic Caliphate attacked us. Our existence as the preeminent country in the world was an insult to Allah, one that must be punished because only his kingdom should be supreme. That, to our enemies, death was as much of a goal of their actions as any motivation you or I would have. These people trained in plain sight for months as a politically correct FBI refused to appear prejudicial by investigating Muslims for potential terrorist activities. That the Clinton Justice Dept. had put up a legal wall that separated military-style intelligence from police-style field work. Remember too that one flight fought back when they learned that death was their captors' motivation, when they learned that there was nothing the government could do, and when they realized that there was nothing to bargain for. They fought back. Don't forget that we can always fight back, that killing terrorists doesn't make more terrorists, it makes us appear stronger. People are less likely to attack a strong, confident enemy. Finally, realize that there are Madrassas in America funded by Saudis that preach Islamic radicalism to their kids. The enemy is still there.