Today is the 11^th anniversary of the attack by Muslim radicals on New York and Washington DC .. an attack that was cheered by Muslims around the world.  Now I’m not one for endless grandiose remembrance ceremonies commemorating events like this … remembering is fine, but the focus always needs to be on the future.  This, though, is different.  Different for two reasons:  One – there are strong pressures on Americans to forget who did this two us; and, Two – the people who did it are still pledging to kill as many more Americans as they can, and actually doing so when they get a chance.

This PC treatment of Islamic violence is completely asinine.

Seventy-one years after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, we are still calling it the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  Eleven years after the Islamic attack on America, September 11^th should still be labeled as the Islamic attack on America, though it is not.  Throughout the day today, you will see countless news stories highlighting many different sides and stories surrounding this day.  How many of those reports will use the words “Islamic” or “Muslim”?  I’ll bet you’ll have a tough time finding them.  I know I couldn’t find it in our Atlanta Journal-Constitution this morning, nor in my hometown Naples Daily News.  OK, I was reading online editions … so the print editions may actually mention the politically unmentionable.  Our fear of identifying the attackers on this day is a disservice to all those who lost their lives.

When to let up?  When all of the facets of the religion of Islam step forward to strongly condemn Islamic extremism and the Muslim penchant for killing people who don’t worship as they do.  Sorry – but I have a hard time mustering up any real respect for a religion that will condone stoning a woman to death because she was raped, or forbidding women from getting an education. 

No --- I don’t want to dwell on Islam today, nor do I want to ignore the religion that brought us this devastation.  Today we rightfully honor, with devotion and respect, the memories of those who lost their lives in this attack.  I’m especially struck by the courage shown by the small group of ordinary Americans on Flight 93.  May God bless them all.

For those of you who are interested, here’s what my program notes looked like on September 11^th, 2001.  

I can remember that morning clearly.  We were just going into the newsbreak for the 9:00 newscast when Belinda ran into my studio and pointed to the TV monitor.  “Look,” she said, “A small plane flew into a building in New York!”  It took only a second.. “That wasn’t an accident.  That was a terrorist attack.  We’re under attack.”  With that I spent my time alternating between our newsroom and my office watching the events unfold.  A day I will never forget .. nor will I forget the people who did this to us.  Hopefully you won’t either.