By Carley Wiggins

Saturday is the anniversary of a dark day in American history. September 11, 2001 started out a lot like any day for the time of year. I remember it was a mild day, fall had not yet come and we were in the last days of summer. The sun was out and it just looked like a picture perfect day. I got ready for work and arrived at the office about eight o’clock. At that time I still lived in Dillon, so I was only about four blocks from work. I started getting ready for the day as I had for the past thirty-four years. I don’t remember just what I had planned for that day; I don’t think it was anything unusual, just another day in the life of an office products salesman.
Most of the employees had arrived at work, everybody going about their duties; salesmen were getting ready to get on the road to visit their customers. The service techs were getting lined up to go out and repair machines. The clerks were waiting on some early customers. Some may have been loading trucks and some could have been putting up stock. As I said, it seemed just like another average day.
It was a little after nine o’clock and I don’t remember who brought the news, but all of a sudden, someone said a plane had flown into one of the world trade centers in New York City. My first thought was perhaps the plane had a problem and had crashed into the building. Larry Leonard was working with us at the time and he got the TV from the conference room and brought it up to the front. Of course, all the networks were showing what would become perhaps the worst disaster in the history of our nation. It took a little while to sort out just what was going on. As they replayed the sights of those planes flying into these buildings, it just didn’t seem that what the news was saying could be true.
There was a lot of people gathered around, and everybody talking at once, so I walked out the side door and went home. I turned on the TV and sat down and it still took a few minutes for me to realize that the United States of America was under attack on our own soil. I thought, NO! This can’t be happening, we are the most powerful nation on earth, and no one would dare attack this country.
We soon found out that there were four planes, two had hit the world trade buildings, one had hit the pentagon in Washington and one was brought down on a farm in Pennsylvania. These attacks would take over three thousand American Lives. It was just unbelievable that such a thing could happen here on our homeland. I don’t think anybody got much work done that day. As I watched the firefighters, medical personnel, and all the first responders trying to save as many lives as possible, I just wished there was something I could do. All I knew to do was pray and I did. When things began to be sorted out, it was discovered that these planes were manned by terrorist Muslims. They had been trained and taught if they gave their life for their religion, they would have a great reward in the life to come. Until this tragedy, I really didn’t know much about the Muslim religion. I am still not an expert, but due to study and the teachings of Dr. Richard Alderman,
I have found that the majority of Muslims believe that any religion who doesn’t believe as they do, that these people should die.
The Muslim belief has spread all over the world, it was mostly in the middle east, but now has spread to Europe, Asia, North America and South America. A lot of people would have us to believe that we should sit down with these Islamic nations and negotiate. Folks, these people don’t want to negotiate with us, they want us dead. A lot of people would have you to believe that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, but in my opinion there is no Allah, there is one true and living God, he is the God that true Christians worship and the only means by which men can be saved from their sins through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
This nation was founded on Christianity and has been the most blessed nation on earth, but I believe the United States has gone far away from the beliefs of our forefathers. Our president says this is not a Christian Nation anymore; it is a nation of many religions. Well, anyone who wants to can go to a Mosque and pray to Allah, but I will stay in a Bible believing church that teaches and preaches the living word of God. Some believe that the war on terror is over and we should bring all our troops home. That is exactly what the terrorist groups would have us do.
Some say that they would never try and attack us on our land again; it’s not a question if they will, but when? The next time it might be thirty thousand or three million lives that are lost. Country singer, Alan Jackson wrote a song sometime after 911 called “Where were you when the world stopped turning”. I don’t remember all the words, but in the song he asks what you did when we were attacked. “Did you go to church and hold some stranger by the hand”? “Did you hold your wife and kids and comfort them”? “Did you turn off that dirty old movie and turn on I love Lucy reruns? “ Did you dust off that Bible that you hadn’t read for a while”?
Do you remember September 11, 2001? People had a little different viewpoint then. It has only been nine years, but how quick we forget. People were in Church and praying for our Nation.
I am sure that on 9-11, some people will take a moment to remember the thousands who died on that day, but we need to say a prayer to God each day for our brave men and women who stand in harm’s way to keep this country free. Next time you see a veteran, tell them how much you appreciate them.
Thank you for reading my articles.
©Carley Wiggins