This week we mark the somber anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on our nation.

Eight years ago men, carrying no regard for human life in their hearts, turned their twisted hatred into the most devastating day America has ever known. Their actions led to the deaths of more than 3,000 Americans and forever changed the lives of countless families, friends and colleagues. From that day to this, America’s leadership has shifted policy and thinking on dealing with the threat of radical Islam and its impact on foreign relations. But while the thinking may change with the passage of time, the threat does not.

The lessons of September 11 should never be far from our thoughts as we consider policy in a dangerous world. While we wish it were not so, there are those who still carry the same hatred that led men to turn airplanes into missiles with the goal of destroying as many lives as possible. They did not see Democrats or Republicans, red states or blue states, black or white Americans. They only saw Americans who cherish their freedom and wish to live in a world built on peace. Terrorists view these values as a threat strong enough to commit inhuman acts to defeat them.

As we see in Afghanistan and in the tribal regions of Pakistan, Al Qaeda and their sponsor/hosts, the Taliban, remain committed to the destruction of people and nations who do not share their radical view of religion and desire to spread their message of hate around the world. The recent spike in violence in Afghanistan and the urban areas of Iraq is clear proof that faltering commitment and lacking attention can have disastrous results. It is encouraging that President Obama now seems prepared to turn away from the shrill cries of his party’s fringe left and listen to the military experts who are advocating a stronger United States presence to help the Afghan government combat the resurgent Taliban.

Over the long term, the administration’s priorities seem to signal a return to the passivity of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton’s refusal to address growing threats. The president proposes to slash defense spending to dangerous levels. His budget calls for the elimination of sixteen Ground Based Interceptor sites, weakening our missile defense capabilities as rouge nations work to obtain the means to deliver weapons directly to our soil. President Obama’s reckless race to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility without a clear plan or a full accounting of the consequences shows a stronger commitment to politics than sound policy.

With the fading memory of September 11 and the successful efforts of the last few years to prevent further attacks on the United States, it is understandably easy to grow complacent and believe the danger has passed. From their first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 until 2001, terrorists focused their efforts on overseas targets. They waited patiently and planned their next opportunity to strike directly at America. Without a full commitment to defense to deter them, they will seize upon the next opportunity. We cannot allow ourselves to become complacent again. We face a determined and resourceful enemy and owe it to the people of this nation to do everything in our power to keep them safe.

During this week, as we pause to remember the lives lost and the bright futures cut short, let us also recommit ourselves to doing everything that can be done to ensure the safety of all Americans and our allies in the community of freedom loving nations. Those we lost should be honored by our memories and tears. But also they should also be remembered by a restoration of our resolve to say “never again.”

Robin Smith
Hixson
Third District Congressional candidate