September 11 -- Then and Now

September 11 in Afghanistan then:

 Common Americans doing uncommonly brave and noble things.

 Army reservists from the American Midwest patrolled a provincial town and also taught local farmers how to build solar power and irrigate their fields.

 American workers helped Afghan war widows set up small businesses in their homes, making clothing and jewelry to sell abroad, set up schools for young Afghans – who became the first members of their families to know how to read

September 11 in Afghanistan now:

 We still have no shortage of common Americans doing uncommonly brave and noble things.

 Brave soldiers and marines --  human shields while thousands of our citizens were evacuated.

 American pilots who sat on the Kabul runway for hours, in 100-degree heat

 Retired forces rescued former colleages and American citizens out of Afghanistan with no help from the US government

 Although we were united after September 11th, today we seem hopelessly divided.  Our president is busy blaming everyone but himself for what is so obviously a political, military, and humanitarian fiasco.

 Yet we can replace our officials come the next election, and I suspect the American people are in the mood for a major, historic change come 2022 and 2024.