"We have some planes. Just stay quiet and you'll be okay."

Prompt: Hijack!

I often wonder….. what if we had the choice on September eleventh two thousand and one….what if we had the choice of our loved ones dying that day or living? What would we have done…? Obviously, we didn’t have an option that day.

While researching our nations’ policies, I came across conflicting statements: (1) Our official U.S. policy states that we are to make no concessions to and strike no deals with terrorists and bring terrorists to justice for their crimes. (2) U.S government will not pay ransom, release prisoners, change its policies, or agree to other acts that might encourage additional terrorism. (3) At the same time, the U.S will use every appropriate resource to gain the safe return of American citizens who are held hostage by terrorists. Then it States: U.S has established counter-terrorism assistance programs to resolve terrorist incidents in a manner that will deny the perpetrators benefiting from their actions.

So, what would our country do? If there ever came a day it was up to me to prevent a plane with innocent people from being destroyed or allowing terrorists to walk free…..there would be no other alternative than to sadly decline the offer. Why save a few hundred to put billions of Americans in danger? And, can you really “negotiate” with terrorists? It’s very sad to think more blood would have to be shed by the hands of terrorists. But at the same time, to give them what they want, they would only learn their tactics to be successful for future catastrophes.

It’s very different to be on the plane rather than somewhere safely on the ground making such a decision; however, a very different perspective came into play when those aboard Flight 93 came to a decision to do something. What that something is, we do not know. They however, did not think in fear. They knew what had happened to the World Trade Center and Pentagon. They were either going to die and do nothing; or die trying to do something.

There comes a time when we have to draw a line between Liberal actions based on personal beliefs and those of conservatives supporting political policies.