Part-time Columnist

Dallas Morning News column - September 11, 2004

What is the lasting impact that Sept. 11 has had on your daily life?What immediate impacts have faded?


Terrorism, a word associated with distant lands and cultures has become part of our vocabulary. There is an increasing awareness that fanaticism has no borders.

Terrorist bombings in Chechnya, Sri Lanka, India, Bali, Madrid, or Israel resonate with us now that our nation has gone through a devastating tragedy. Poverty and exploitation has made animals out of human beings and made a mockery of the religious values that bind all true believers. I read a bumper sticker recently which said "God is too big for any one religion." It strikes me that sentiment is lost on most religious leaders particularly the Moslem elite.

But notwithstanding the tragedy this nation has come together as seldom before. Patriotism is not a figure of speech but a fact of our daily lives as Americans. There is no better way to express our love and gratitude for what this country has given to us.

The sacrifice of the 3000 heroes made this nation a vast extended family and we will forever be indebted to those souls.

Mahesh Shetty

posted by Mahesh Shetty @ 10:33 PM