As the events of September 11, 2001, unfolded before us, my wife asked me “how did they get those people off the planes?” Why would she conclude that terrorists, flying those airplanes, would first remove the innocent passengers and flight crew before using those same airplanes as weapons to destroy buildings and kill thousands of people?
We learned quickly, during those same first 90 minutes that morning, that the passengers on United flight 93 banded together to retake control of their airplane from the terrorists on board. How had these total strangers concluded, so quickly, to make the bold, courageous decision to follow Todd Beamer’s lead when he heroically stated, “Let’s roll”?
The answer to both questions is that our worldview informs us how to interpret the actions of individuals and institutions. We struggle to imagine a world that behaves differently from our worldview.
In the case of my wife’s question, she could not imagine that people could be so callous, so evil, to carry out their destructive actions with such disregard for innocent life. Her worldview did not allow for that calculation.
In the case of the passengers on United flight 93, the evil men who planned and executed the terror attacks of that day could not imagine a relative handful of strangers would band together to thwart their plan.
Our worldview was challenged on September 11, 2001. We were forced to rethink what was imaginable.
Today, September 11, 2021, we find our worldview challenged again.
The actions of our federal government over the last 20 months are forcing us to rethink what was imaginable.
15 days to flatten the curve became countless lockdowns, regardless of the economic and emotional damage such actions would have. Mandates to wear masks and social distance, with no scientific data to warrant such actions. The promise of vaccines to be our ticket back to normalcy, only to be replaced with the inescapable conclusion that these vaccines don’t actually do what we were led to believe they would do. So, mask up, lock down some more. Get a booster shot, then another.
And finally, if you don’t voluntarily take the experimental vaccine, we, the federal government, are going to mandate that you do so.
The parallel to the challenge we faced in the fall of 2001 is eerily similar.
Those of us who believe in individual liberty can’t conceive of other Americans, especially those who are elected to serve us, blatantly infringing on our liberty. We don’t want to believe they are acting with evil intent.
And those who are elected, and their bureaucratic sycophants, can’t believe that so many Americans are resisting their recommendations and mandates.
We are participating in the conflict of worldviews in real time, right here in the United States.
The encouraging news is that just like those passengers on United 93, 20 years ago, many Americans are reaching the same conclusion as Todd Beamer did and taking action. We are resisting. We are pushing back, in the workplace, at the school board, and on our elected officials.
More of us are needed in this fight. The very existence of our nation as a free and prosperous people is at stake.
“Are you ready? Okay. Let’s roll.”
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