Quite frankly, all of the political overtones that have managed to bleed their way into this day are making me physically ill. I need to turn off my Facebook and blog reader to avoid the “If we’d only done this,” and “…if Bush had (or hadn’t) done that..” postings. It’s petty, simplistic, and cynical rhetoric coming from people who wouldn’t have a clue what to do if such an event had happened on their watch - and I’m not just talking watching over a country. I am talking about a home, a family, a friend, a co-worker, whomever. Most would panic, buckle, and flee.

Not to defend a single action of our collective leadership: the President, Congress, and the media. Many of them are simply indefensible, and in retrospect, grossly uninformed. But when this day becomes a “blame day” rather than a day of remembrance I am forced to take a really deep breath. I calmly recall one of the most powerful sentiments I witnessed after the attacks - The Parisian newspaper Le Monde - hardly ever pro-anything related to this country or its policies (no matter who’s in charge) - with one simple headline I’ll remember forever:

“Nous sommes tous Americains.” We are all Americans.

You can read the original article published in Le Monde on September 12, 2001, here. It’s a more interesting read today than it was 7 years ago. It many ways, the editorial was spot on. In others, it could not have predicted how things would change in the world.

That said, if we learned nothing else from that day, can’t we at least agree, for a moment, we all looked at each other as one nation? No matter who our leader was, or who our leader will be, can’t we today find a way, today, to make the exact same statement? And mean it? If we can’t, than 20 people who are gone and who’s problems are long behind them…simply won.