He also tried to remind us that the nation would have to be patient. It would take time to deal with terrorism and we would have to be ready to accept “some delays and inconveniences” necessarily in the name of “homeland security.” The president knows Americans and he was therefore almost apologetic about infringing on our time.

I heard this: ”Excuse me, my fellow Americans, but some damn maniacs have just killed 6000 innocent people and I need some of your time to help prevent this from ever happening again. OK?” To soften the blow, his speech actually states, ”Americans are asking, “What is expected of us?” I ask you to live your lives and hug your children.” President Bush got it half right. Take time to hug your children.

The first part was wrong and the terrorists are banking on us “living our lives.” The pressure to resume “some normalcy” is exactly what Osama bin Laden and his serpentine ilk think will save them and give them future success. Americans value time more than anything else. We have had three or more generations to hone the use of American time and have set up a list of priorities that the terrorists believe will remain unchanged. We are expected to be too busy to accept delays at airports, too impatient to develop a program of anti-terrorism that may take decades to provide results. The terrorist group al-Qaida has proof that we value time more than justice or security. If such were not the case, the first bombing of the WTC, the murders at the US embassies or the assault on the USS Cole would have called the nation to action. The government and the airlines would have long ago had the nation’s support for the “inconveniences” of better security. My guess is that before this column comes to you, our impatience will have demanded an air strike carrying as much justice, uncertainty and fire power that our best military guess will dictate. I want bloody justice to be sure for the perpetrators or our country is doomed to future attacks. But first we need to change our priorities about the use of time. In American life, we see the current priorities causing all kinds of havoc. We don’t have time to hug our kids and the family falls apart. We don’t have time to exercise or see the physician for preventive care and we die of obesity, cancer and heart disease. We don’t have time to worship and we become godless. We don’t have time for homeland security and 6000 people are dead because of terrorism. We don’t need more reasons to change. The time has come.

It is my hope that the demonic bombings of 8:45 am September 11, 2001 changed America forever and for the better. At that moment Americans freely gave up what the terrorist thought we could not – time. If we continue to do so in all aspects of our lives, we will have the justice we need and deserve and continue to be the great American nation. Only time will tell. God bless America.