A SACRED TRUST

Freedom of religion is a hallmark of our democracy, always has been and, God willing always will be. Tolerance and respect for the beliefs, convictions and opinions of our fellow Americans, and the right to dialogue and express informed judgment about public policy issues promotes our democracy's vitality and longevity.
 
There is this to consider, however. Many Americans lost loved ones in New York City on September 11, 2001. Many Americans lost loved ones at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. As a direct result of those unprovoked attacks on American soil which killed thousands of ordinary citizens, first responders and military personnel, this nation was catapulted into WWII and the current maelstrom of unending war in Iraq and Afghanistan. FDR, a much loved (and despised) President, did the unthinkable following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; He ordered the internment of thousands of Japanese-Americans in concentration camps throughout the Western United States. These were American citizens who, in the minds of many Americans, posed an imminent threat to the West Coast of the United States because of their national origin. Decades later most reasonable Americans believe that that action was wrong, an unconstitutional violation of the rights of Japanese-Americans, and just plain un-American.
 
Fast forward to the current discussion all America is having about the proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New York City; Is this a repeat of the hysteria which gripped our nation following the attack on Pearl Harbor? Or is this something even more sinister and darker, a reflection of the true American psyche? I believe the families of all the victims of the 9/11 massacre are appropriately sensitive about keeping the Ground Zero site a sacred place to honor the memory of their loved ones. But there are others who, for their own political reasons, may be exploiting the animus of the current heated debate to further their personal agenda of dividing our nation, rather than uniting it. I speak specifically of the likes of Mr. Gingrich and the American right-wing fanatics who will use any and all means to exploit current social, political and economic tensions in our society to further their political aims.
 
Ground zero is sacred ground for all Americans, just like the USS Arizona monument is sacred ground for all Americans. How best to honor the memories of our fallen countryman is the question we should all address now....how best to unite our fractured country, heal the wounds of September 11th, and move forward in national unity, respect and pride. I believe this can best be done by stretching forth our hands to our neighbors in a search for the middle ground which empathizes with the relatives and friends who lost loved ones at the WTC while also understanding that the true strength of the United States has, and always will remain, our ability to build consensus and, in the long run, avoid extremes in the formulation of public policy. As Thomas Jefferson said: “…whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government, that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights.” Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Dr. Price, January 8, 1789
 
In the current debate there is no good and bad, nor right and wrong. There should, however, be more light and less heat. What is essential is that the American Community comes together as a People, for the People, and by the People to hallow Ground Zero so that those three thousand souls who lost their lives will not have died in vain. This goal cannot be achieved by mosques, new towers or other such physical memorials alone; it can and must also be achieved in the hearts and minds of every American who loves his country and who, therefore, resolves: “I vow to thee my country that I will forever hold sacred the memory of those Americans who perished on September 11, 2001 by renewing and reaffirming my deep conviction that I, as an individual American, am responsible for what I think, what I feel and how I act toward my fellow citizens. My Democracy is My Responsibility, and the future of America is in my hands. The quality of my thought and the devotion I give to my country and to its principles bear everlasting witness to my American birthright. I shall not violate that sacred trust. I shall bear the Torch of Freedom and illuminate the Path of Truth for future generations of Americans”

 
Art Apruzzese

San Luis Obispo, California
August 24, 2010