My public apology to the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan

On the morning of 9/11, I was sound asleep.

My younger sister had suffered a stroke some weeks before and was going to be released from the rehabilitation center that morning; her daughter was spending the night with us so we could go together to pick her up and drive to her place in Mendocino County, California.

The phone ringing woke me up but no one else in the apartment. My son who lives in Indiana was on the line talking with urgency. “Mom, turn on the TV…we are being attacked!” I thought he was playing another trick like he usually would do. Under my sleepiness I heard him saying it again and I remember telling him that if I turned on the TV and woke anyone up they would be pissed. I went ahead and turned it on and immediately saw the picture of the Twin Towers with the smoke but in my head I needed somehow, more information. I began scrolling through the channels and every station showed the same picture and I knew then, he was telling the truth. We hung up and my boyfriend was already up by then and I went in to wake my niece. She got up, looked at the TV screen and just went back to bed. A few hours later we were at the Rehabilitation Center getting my sister released and she knew what happened. It was rather surreal.

I don’t ever remember feeling angry at what had happened that day or anytime after; just sad for those who died, mainly the rescuers and the one search dog who was placed in his cage in the bottom of one of the Towers. I don’t remember a lot of people around me being angry, either. I don’t think it had to do with our location…clear across on the other side of the country. I think I thought it was something that just happened when it did. Crying was the emotion that poured out of me more often than not.

Never did I feel any hatred toward the people who were supposed to be responsible for this tragedy. TV showed a group of Canadians talking in a forum and several stated that it was what America deserved for always being the aggressive bully in the world and how could Americans be upset over a small number of people dying when our country had killed so many more in wars over the years and never seemed to feel bad for them.

Since that day, my country and the entire world has changed so much, and not for the better. I want to give my public apology to the Afghan and Iraqi peoples for the horrible mess their countries are in because of the man sitting in the White House...George W. Bush.

I apologize for this President being an alcoholic, moronic, dangerous bully!

I apologize for the idiotic, fundamentalist religious freaks, among others, who supported the invasion and now, the occupation of Iraq. (This has not been a war for sometime but an occupation and let’s get that straight right now!)

I apologize for the hundreds of thousands of murders of innocent Iraqi people who never were involved in 9/11.

I apologize for my country wanting to invade other Middle Eastern countries and take control of the world in their frenzied, warped idea of domination.

I apologize for so many other things that can only hopefully be fixed when Americans decided to use their voting power in November. I only hope a huge amount of people will go vote so the Republicans can not steal the elections for a third time.