September 11th - Worse Than This

The present always seems to look bad, since people have short memories. Mounting unemployment, a rancorous health care debate...if you looked at the grim attitudes around America, you'd probably think these are the biggest challenges we've ever faced.

Eight years ago, things were worse. Eight years ago, people openly wondered if we'd see another World War, or if terrorists would attack with nuclear weapons. Eight years ago, people hung on every news report to find out the extent of the destruction - and whether any of their loved ones were among the fallen.

All the stuff on the news cycle just seems trivial by comparison. How can anyone care about Jon and Kate or Michael Jackson when a life-and-death struggle with radical Islam is still being waged? In a ravine in Kunar, on a dusty dirt road in Basra, the mission remains. Keep the roads open, keep the people working, keep the elections running. Because eight years ago, things were worse.