It's Patriots' Day

It does not seem possible that it has been seven years, almost to the hour, since Islamofascists attacked us on September 11, 2001. How to commemorate such a day? By flying our flag and praying for our country and its leaders.

I give thanks for those leaders who have kept us safe for seven long years.

President Bush has been reviled. We all understand how unpopular he is. History, however, will record that he did the most important thing any president can do: he kept us safe. It will be years before we know the details of the attacks that were averted. That's a good thing, because we could have not gone about our lives otherwise.

I give thanks for Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and those others who understand, on issues like FISA, that foreign terrorists have no right to privacy to use our phone system to plot to kill us. And who understand that the best way to honor the sacrifice of our troops is to let them win the war. As a result of the surge, we are close to finishing the war -- yet another reason for gratitude. I give thanks for our troops and ask for comfort for those families who have lost loved ones, and for those soldiers who have returned injured.

I give thanks for McConnell, Sen. Joe Lieberman and those leaders who understand that there is a difference between right and wrong; they recognize that Islamofascists want to kill us and destroy our country. We cannot combat evil without first acknowledging its existence. It would be easy to succumb to moral relativism posing as tolerance, a path that McConnell and Lieberman have steadfastly resisted. Their courage, no doubt, is informed by faith. So, I give thanks for leaders who in the best tradition of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln pray for our country.

Finally, I give thanks for the lives of those who perished on September 11. Especially Barbara. Rest in peace.