Below is the letter to the editor I sent twenty years ago. I lived in Denville NJ, worked for Morris County NJ. I could see the towers from “The Hill”, a cluster of county buildings. I could see the smoke for what seemed like forever from the hills in Denville.
I’m sad to say, it seems like we have forgotten. I’m sad to say our country does not share the patience of the terrorists. I’m sad to say today’s President has turned victory into defeat and handed an entire country and our military equipment to the terrorists.
May we find our response once again as we did after 9-11. And, may God continue to bless us all, especially these United States.
September 21, 2001
To the Editor:
One of the greatest lessons my parents taught me was that we can achieve anything if we want it badly enough and work to achieve it with relentless patience, fairness, truthfulness, diligence and determination.
It is clear now that these ice-hearted terrorists lived next door to us, sent their children to our schools, learned their trades in our schools, and profited from our financial institutions FOR YEARS. They were focused, patient, and determined. They planned this, and other, despicable acts over YEARS.
When their first attempt to down the towers didn’t work, they didn’t point fingers, wail, and place blame.
Over several more YEARS, they planned and hit other US targets: our Embassies and the USS Cole.
They steeled themselves to do better the next time, learning from their mistakes. They kept, and still keep, their eyes focused on their goal. To win this war, to maintain our freedom, we must be as steeled.
Our President has asked that we
be equally as focused, patient, and determined. We must resolve that we can spend five years, ten years, twenty or more planning and executing this war to rout terrorism from the globe.
We must remember that a ten-year battle to preserve a 225-year heritage of democracy and freedom is SO little to give, so little to sacrifice.
To those who have been stung by the sudden loss of their loved ones, I offer my sincerest condolences. To Mayor Guiliani and every American who has stepped forward to lead and to assist, thank you, for you have defined heroism in front of our eyes, untiringly, day after day.
Everything we stand for, everything we live for, is at stake. We must put COUNTRY first, as without that, the foundations of our families, our communities, our workplaces, and every other aspect of life as we know it will be destroyed.
We must stay the course for a long, long time.
God Bless America!
Carol A. Spencer
Former Mayor, Denville Township, NJ