Last year I wrote "9/11 now is more of a distraction refocusing people on terrorism and prejudice in lieu of discussing and resolving the actual issues of our time." You might recall the mosque issue in New York City was the big thing in the news at the time.

What happened on 9/11/2001 was bad. Lots of people died. It is sad, but innocent people are murdered all the time, and we are all going to die, whether timely or untimely. We really need to accept that. For those who lost someone, my sympathies to you. As for the rest of us…

What makes this incident sadder is all that has followed: Two wars. (One for false reasons.) Loss of freedoms & rights. Economic decline. Lack of leadership. A national sense of anxiety and fear. Perpetuity of prejudice and hatred. Compromising of our ethics. Bickering to the point where we still have not "rebuilt" literally or figuratively after 10 years. That sense of unity we felt on that day is long gone.

The 1990s were a golden age. The cold war had ended. The wall had fallen. The Internet was blossoming, and the sky was the limit for me, my family and friends, and the country. Fear wasn't instilled in every news broadcast and the minds of everyday citizens. That is gone now. 9/11 didn't kill it but the days and years afterward did.

I look back at the past decade and I see some unnecessarily hard times for myself and for others around the country. I see humanity reverting backwards in many ways. I see people clinging to God to save them and take away their responsibility for their own actions. I see problems that could be easily fixed and difficult problems we should be focusing on, yet not even the easy ones are being resolved.

I see a lot of children leading the way too. No, I am not referring to the young born during the past 10 years, but our political and business leaders. I see even harder times ahead because selfishness and greed are the driving forces of the day. The blue sky is invisible compared to the dollar. Sharing and compromise, words I was taught when I was very young, are now dirty words. I hope I am wrong, but my hope is but a whisper on the wind.

So take a moment. Breathe. Remember ALL that we have truly lost since 9/11. And brace yourselves. It is going to be a bumpy ride from here on out.

"Lily is dancing on the table.
We've all been pushed too far.
I guess on days like this you know who your friends are.
Just another dead fag to you, that's all.
Just another light missing on a long taxi ride, taxi ride."