Have you Forgotten by: Darryl Worley

I hear people saying we don't need this war. I say there's some things worth fighting for. What about our freedom and this piece of ground? We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down. They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in. Before you start preaching. Let me ask you this my friend
CHORUS 1Have you forgotten how it felt that day To see your homeland under fire And her people blown away?Have you forgotten when those towers fell?We had neighbors still inside Going through a living hell And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout Bin Laden Have you forgotten?
They took all the footage off my T.V.Said it's too disturbing for you and me It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say If it was up to me I'd show it every day Some say this country's just out looking for a fight After 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right
CHORUS 1Have you forgotten how it felt that day To see your homeland under fire And her people blown away?Have you forgotten when those towers fell?We had neighbors still inside Going through a living hell And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout Bin Laden Have you forgotten?
I've been there with the soldiers Who've gone away to war And you can bet they remember Just what they're fighting for
CHORUS 2Have you forgotten all the people killed?Some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?All the loved ones that we lost And those left to carry on Don't you tell me not to worry about Bin Laden Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?Have you forgotten?

It was my senior year. We had just left Seminary. I was in the car with Ryan Amy, Manda, and Jonathan Luke. The song we were listening to was abruptly interrupted. A plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Being the naive kid I was, I laughed this off and said it was probably some dumb drunk guy in a crop plane. Lights should have gone off there, a crop plane in downtown Manhattan!!! I remember being rebuked by Jonathan, he was really involved with politics and stuff like that. I was just a silly girl, with thoughts of my happily after future that was quickly approaching. I walked into Pottery AP (yes it was a hard senior year) and the news was on. I disregarded this and went to get set up on the pottery wheel. As I walked back to my desk to put my books down the second plane hit. Everything seemed to stop. We all forgot about the projects due, no one worked on the wheel. We all just sat there with our jaws dropped in disbelief. The end of class bell rang, no one moved. Our teacher then got our attention and we went to our next class. So I walked next door to Painting with Mr. Allen. As we walked into the class room he told each of us there would be no work today to sit in our seats and try and let what happened sink in. As we continued to watch the news, and I forget in what order they happened, the Pentagon was hit, the towers fell and another plane went down in a field in PA. The principal came over the loud speaker and informed us that President Bush would soon be landing at Barksdale Air Force Base and to expect a loud thunderous sound(the school was across the river from the base). There was the thought of panic, what if they hit the base? Should we cancel school? there were a bunch of blank stares. School was not canceled and for the rest of the day I felt horrible not only for those families that had been affected but for what I had said to Jonathan. That night when the news came on nothing else seemed to matter. One vivid image I have is that night my dad showed us a video someone had made and posted online(this was before youtube) The video consisted of images from the day in NYC. There is one part of it I will never forget. The sound for the video was Only Time by Enya. It was a picture of a guy jumping out of the WTC building. This was something I had only heard of from history books about the day the Stock Markets fell and the Great Depression Started. I had an image of what that must of been like but to see it rather that hear about it was one of the greatest eye openers I've had. No longer did I have the thoughts of a perfect life. It would still be years before I would experience what it was like to have my own paycheck and not have the Bank of Dad, or any of the struggles that come from moving away from home for the first time. I think America also realized in a sense that 'Dad' wouldn't be there to protect us always. The weeks that followed were some of the greatest and worst. America united as one and threw our differences out the window. We stood United. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing an American Flag waving in the wind. I grew up in a patriotic house. We flew the flag on Holidays participated in parades, and there was just a basic understanding of respect and proudness that came with the Red, White, and Blue. Along with the surge of patriotism came new American pride songs. One of my favorites is Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue by Toby Keith. I think this song really captures the American spirit after the attacks. Another song that I really like is Proud to be an American, I will spare you the video of that one and just quote my favorite line :

I’m proud to be an American,

where at least I know I’m free.

And I wont forget the men who died,

who gave that right to me.

I know I've stated this before I think on another American holiday, but I think its something we should remember always. At our basic knowledge we know we have Freedoms. It should be as simple a knowledge of what the colors of the flag are. We have the right to go about our daily adventures because our fellow Americans chose to sign up and go fight to protect us. Be thankful to those that give you the FREEDOM to talk about America and her policies, and her government in any manner that you like.