Today is the anniversary of the attack on the world trade center in New York City by Saudi Arabian fanatics. The one book these fanatics believed in is the Koran which says that it is forbidden to commit the act of suicide. Here in the west we have a way of government and life that is tolerant of others opinions, faith, beliefs, and freedom. Our freedom is at stake right now. On 911 in the year 2001 I had just come home from a night fighting a house fire. I opened a cold morning beer after my shift and turned on the television. There was the image of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center. My telephone immediately rang. It was a relative. My first words to her were, "a lot of firefighters are going to die today." I knew what was going on. The brothers couldn't allow a building full of people to die without risking their life and limb to try and save others. People who they had nothing in common or who were total stangers had men coming into the choking smoke and flame filled towers to save them. The odds were against them and there were numerous floors entirely engulfed in a conflagration like few people have ever seen or imagined. Most people cannot imagine what it's like to see flames that are higher than the Banzai Pipeline rolling through a large building. In this situtaion things get crazy and deadly fast. The New York Firefighters knew this as they climbed countless stairs, ever going upwards and into the greatest danger beyond our comprehension and hoping beyond all hope to make a difference and save lives. I believe that a person who dies trying to save another persons life is on a higher plane of consciousness and decision making than the peson who is a suicide bomber who takes his life and the lives of others. All the holy books of mankind do not condone suicide.
My biggest mistake as a firefighter was to listen to my union and the last, idiot Buffalo Mayor and stop from going down to the clean up effort at Ground Zero. Yet I did go down to New York shortly after and attend in Saint Patricks cathedral services for three missing New York City Firefighters whose bodies had not been recovered yet. That moment was the top career moment for myself as a Buffalo firefighter. At the service I heard a New York Firefighter who had earlier been arrested at ground zero for refusing to leave the recovery effort. The fact of the matter is that New York City Mayor Giuliani had on that day ordered an end to body recovery because the gold bullion from the Bank of Nova Scotia had been finally found and removed from the wreckage. That firefighter who I was listening to had earlier that day got in a punch up at ground zero with the NYPD when he stood his ground against the wrongful and selfish orders of an opportunist politician. It was because of fellows like this brave man, who stood their ground which made the later body recovery effort continue and resume. I cannot forget the words of this heroic New York Firefighter, "we will not stop until all our brothers have been recovered."
We as citizens of the U.S.A. and Canada have values and principles that are similar to those of the New York City Firefighters of 911 who risked it all to save other lives. These values are not those of people who abandon the old and frail and the poor when a Class Four Hurricane is bearing down on the City of New Orleans. Our beliefs are based on a system of government that preserves enlightenment and tolerates others. This is a place where science and religion can co-exist without harming or killimg others because they are different. Our strength is not in being all the same but in being a conglomeration of all races, religions, and peoples. A single stick can be easily broken. Many sticks bundled together are unbreakable.
Intelligent periods of belief and attitudes of respecting others have happened in the past and will happen in the future. Yet there can be no cow towing to people imposing their belief systems on others based on the threat of death. It's because of people refusing to back down from the Osama fanatics of the world that we have a free society in North America. It's not utopian free but it's a place where one is allowed to question authority and have dissenting opinions and view points. There have been moments of extreme goodness in this world that have been parreled by periods of utter madness and mindless selfishness and ignornace. One such place in time was in Andalucia, Spain. In old Islamic Grenada there was a time of enlightenment. In the 1400's in the city of Grenada Moslems, Hebrews, and Christians translated ancient and Arab scientific discoveries from the east and brought them to Europe. This was an oasis in tolerance and intelligence that led to the period of the renaissance. Today in the U.S.A. and Canada we have the same opportunity to continue the advancement of humanity and be God like to all people by living by the values we have been taught which comes down through centuries of learning and turmoil. We can be smarter and tolerant and take the best of each culture and allow others to have their freedom like we have ours.
A surfer can either give a new surfer the stink eye and run over them or be brave and honorable and be tolerant and giving to help pass on the better traditions that are shown by acts of kindness and bravery and aloha spirit. A surfer can be like Doctor Paskowitz and take surfboards to the border of Israel and Palestine and give Palestinian surfers a way to surf. This was done in the name of peace. This is no difference in these things than what motivated those firefighters on 911. Their path is not the same path as those who dictate intolerance and hatred of other races, religions, and cultures. Suspicion and paranoia and territorialism is deceptive and ignorant. This is not my experience as a Great Lakes surfer. It was just yesterday that I enjoyed sharing a day of waves in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada with new and old surfers from all over this planet and there was grace and a smartness that rivals any one of the greatest cultures that have ever been produced on this planet. That's the way it should be. Unselfishness and freedom is precious and brave and worth protecting.
Right now there are men and women from Canada and the U.S.A. in harms way in foreign lands who are putting their lives at risk daily. They are no different from the men who died and were injured on 911. There have been many men and women in the U.S. and Canadian military and in civilian life who have died in this war against oppression and intolerance since 11 September 2001. There are others who are missing limbs and have come back home injured in ways that are visible externally and many others with injuries that are not so apparent but just as harmful to their health and happiness. They too have not returned whole and in the same good health that they had when they left. Sometimes the worst injuries are the ones that are not visible. We shall not forget any one of them. We shall fight for them like they were down on ground zero.
It is the purpose of this post to honor the heroic men and women in the U.S. and Canada on this 911 day for their duty in standing up for the values that we cherish and often take for granted. Freedom is not free. Freedom is being tolerant and sharing with the people of this planet. God bless those who have fallen on 911 and since that time. God bless those in uniform at sea, along the coast lines, and in foreign lands. God bless those in hospitals and those who are picking themselves back up inch by inch and day by day. God bless Great Lakes surfers who have served or are actively serving. We will never forget any of you or your sacrifices.
Again the proudest moment that I have ever had as a firefighter was standing at attention for a long and unknown period on Fifth Avenue for three New York Firefighters who had not yet been recoved from the ruins of the WTC. The proudest moments I have had as a Great Lakes surfer occured in those times when I'm sharing waves with big hearted surfers. These are surfers who give and give and give some more and smile and smile and smile some more and that's what they pass on without hesitation. It's a way of life for some. We give our thanks now to the bravest of the brave. Our prayers for all of you. Any veteran of 911 or these wars or their family is welcome anytime to the beaches that we surf at. Come surf with us anytime that there are waves. We will lend you a surfboard or teach you to ride. I have one eye and can surf. So if you are missing any part of the body we can get you into the waves. The only part of our body that we aren't missing is our heart. Welcome. Always welcome.
In your honor:
