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Searching for
Humanity in an Inhumane World
9/17/01
Blaine Parks
We were moored in Annapolis, Maryland on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
That date will forever be remembered as the day terrorism unleashed
its venom on the United States. There
have been earlier examples, and I fear there will be future examples, but
the attacks on the New York City’s Twin Towers and the Pentagon will
vividly define a new page in our history.
It seems that everyone has weighed in with his or her opinions on
how the United States should respond militarily, politically, and
economically. I have no doubt
that our nation will strike with all the appropriate power within their
control. However, it is the
outpouring of humanity in an almost inhumane situation that buoys my hopes
for the future.
Like most Americans, I experienced a variety of emotions as Tuesday’s
events began to unfold. What
started as shock and dismay quickly gave way to an uncontrollable anger
before settling into a sympathetic compassion for those lost in the
attacks and the heroic individuals attempting to aid the victims.
Unlike most Americans, we were spared from watching the attack on
television over and over again. Our
television on the boat had been rendered inoperable just the day before
when ‘Charbonneau’ was struck by lightening. I, for one, was thankful for that small miracle.
Instead, Janet and I were glued to the radio listening to the
day’s unending commentary. We
felt like the generation of Americans who must have been glued to their
own radios during the attack on Pearl Harbor. I can tell you that the lack of pictures did nothing to
lessen the emotional experience.
It became very obvious that things in our country were about to change.
Almost immediately, boats anchored in the waters surrounding the
Naval Academy in Annapolis were told to move in the interest of security.
Boats whose owners were ashore came back to find their boats had
been moved for them by the local harbormaster and Marine Patrol.
Baltimore instituted a security zone around their World Trade
Center that included restricting all boat traffic within the Inner Harbor.
The most telling site was when we left Annapolis for Rock Hall.
There was a Naval Warship anchored just before the William P. Lane
Bridge, which connects Annapolis and Maryland’s eastern shore.
Everywhere you looked there were visible examples of new national
security measures.
What echoes in my memory of the hours and days following the attack were
the reports of Americans who came out of the woodwork to lend a hand
wherever needed. I don’t
think anyone would dispute that New York’s firemen and emergency
responders made the ultimate sacrifice with their efforts, many of them
giving their lives in the line of duty.
They were followed by construction workers, police officers,
medical professionals, and charitable citizens who came out in large
numbers to assist with rescue efforts.
All of America seemed to mobilize in some way.
Many raced to give blood, send money and clothes, or help organize
local victim assistance funds. Many
of the humanitarian traits I thought had been lost in our fast food,
rat-race society suddenly came through with trailblazing clarity.
I have no idea what the future holds as our nation’s leaders contemplate
a response to terrorism. On
one hand, I’m extremely angry and wish for a vengeful, violent
retribution against those responsible for Tuesday’s attacks. On the other hand, I know that violence usually begets more
violence and many of America’s youth will ultimately give their life
defending our freedoms.
I don’t have the answers. What
I do have is a new respect for the human qualities that make America a
remarkable place to live. We
still have our homeless populations, high crime, political inefficiencies,
and ethnicity prejudices. However,
Americans have shown that we also have an elastic fiber of resolve that
binds us together in times of crisis.
I hade lost hope in those qualities.
It was one of the reasons I longed to go cruising.
I was attracted to the boating community because they continued to
show that sense of community and charity as they faced the uncertainty of
the earth’s oceans and Mother Nature.
If you long to go cruising in search of those human qualities I sought in
the boating community, it looks like you don’t have to escape in a boat
to find them. America still
has heroes that don’t wear sports uniforms or make billion-dollar
movies. Ordinary people are
stepping up every day to do extraordinary things.
I know I’ve found a few new role models in this unbelievable
tragedy. Perhaps there’s
hope for us yet.
I think our good friends aboard ‘Satori’ said it best in a recent
email to us. They said, “Remember
that we love and miss you all. Try to find someone to hug today.
They probably need it as much as you do.”
That sounds like good advice to me.
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