Think about Peace on 9/11

by Joe Mikuliak

A permanent enemy saddles future generations with the problems of their ancestors. And historically, commemorating defeat creates permanent enemies used by politicians to inflame public feelings and fight political change.

Slobodan Milosevic galvanized a minority of Serbs to wage a devastating civil war by using memorials to an 800-year-old defeat by the Moslems. Now, the former Yugoslavian people are struggling to recover from their latest defeat.

Don't think that can't happen here. While I grew up, many Southern states officially commemorated their defeat in the U. S. Civil War; generations of black Americans were the tragic victims of this mind-set.

There is no World War II national holiday. Instead, our parents and grandparents made peace with enemies who started a war that killed 55 million people. And those countries became our allies.

The ability to bury the hatchet and make peace with former enemies is a gift to future generations. Let's not make 9/11 a national holiday remembered forever. Think about Peace on 9/11.