The turn of a century is a special event. The turn of a millennium uber special. The biggest worry many of us had at one minute past midnight 2000 was the Y2K bug-- A soda, it turns out, that had more hype than fizz.

Think about it. The cold war was over, the Gulf War was a cake walk, throughout the 90's all we had to worry about was the occasional pesky arab trying to blow up a building, an embassy or two, a ship, or military housing. We didn't even flinch, nationally, when we lost Somalia at the battle of Mogadishu-- anytime one combatant tucks tail and runs, trust me, that combatant has lost. What I've just described doesn't sound all that rosy, does it? And I haven't even touched on presidential misconducts, stained dresses, perjury, or impeachment-- They're irrelevant at the moment. The point is, we still all went into a new century, a new millennium with but one boogey man waiting. Y2K.

But we weren't just worrying about Y2k. There were election irregularities, an attempted coup by a disgruntled candidate and his party, and an outcome that left this nation wide open to an enemy we didn't even know we were at war with. But with the inauguration of George W. Bush, this nation seemed to set it all back on cruise control. Moving on. Same ole same old. The new president picked up where the old president left off, just another day in the life of America. Land of the free, home of the brave.

But what did those words really mean to the average American? I would venture to say little, or nothing more than the final lines of a rote ritual to open sporting events. Sure, we got all indignant when celebrity singers mocked the song and the game, and we were embarrassed when some couldn't seem to remember the words-- we had enough pride for that, but what did we really understand about the song, about the sentiment and idea it expresses? Not much.

When did it all change? When did we realize there was a force of hatred in the world that wanted us dead? I remember 9.11 well. I was driving to my 9am Intro to Psychology at the local Community C, switching channels on the radio. And instead of the usual inane morning banter/laughter there was a story about a plane striking one of the twin towers. No mention of 'terrorists', no mention of 'attack', just a 'Wow, a plane just struck one of the World Trade Center towers'... I changed stations to try to find some music. When I get to class the instructor is crying, apparently she has friends and family working in building... She is dismissing the class.

I was probably thinking something like, 'Boy, that was a waste of gas...' at about 2 bucks a gallon. And I worked at a TV Station! Twenty-five minutes later I'm back at the house watching a jumbo jet slam into the the second tower over and over and over and over and over and over. It's suddenly dawning on me that this is something more than an accident. One of the most distinct memories I have of that day is watching wall to wall coverage at the Station-- Getting paid to watch live coverage, since we sure weren't putting on any newscasts --and hearing a woman scream, "OH, MY F---ING G-D!" on national television. Another image that still sticks with me is the great dark cloud rolling down the street toward people both terrified and running for their lives.

More reports began coming in: The Pentagon; a lonely field in Pennsylvania-- wreckage and lives scattered like Letterman's giant bowl of chocolate pudding from the top of the building housing the historic Ed Sullivan Theatre. Gas prices began to go up. We weren't doing any shows so many of us at the Station took off to fill our tanks. While waiting to fill up, I watched the attendants raising the price.

For two days WTVY produced not a single show. For two days we logged in and sat rapt with a sense disbelief at the bank of monitors in the control room, each of us with a desperate, burning need to know Why? Who? How? And again, Why? Were we not the most blessed nation on the face of the earth? Were we not a Christian nation? Were we not favored of God? I thought so then. Looking back now on those questions I have to say, 'Yes, we were blessed... but certainly not anymore.'

Everyone wants to tout our unity as a nation on that day. In one respect, I'll grant each of you that this nation was indeed unified in its resolve to seek justice. But politically, partisanship only deepened. The divide became a canyon. Today it is all but an abyss.

We all joined in unity on that day to seek justice. But it wasn't enough to change any attitudes about the world we suddenly discovered ourselves in-- a world that was there all along, but we were frighteningly oblivious to it. What did we honestly know about Muslims? What do we honestly know today about Muslims? Or more specifically, Islam? Not enough then and still not enough today.

This nation, for the better part of twenty years and been instituting a culture of political correctness that ultimately has hurt our ability to clearly see and define our enemy. Islam is a religion of peace, despite all evidence to the contrary. But it hurts us a nation to speak ill, publically, of so great and enduring a faith as Islam. Their holy book speaks of peace, and goodwill toward men.

No. Sorry. Theo Van Gogh is murdered because he chooses to speak out against the oppressive society that IS Islam in relation to women and their treatment under Shar'ia Law. A spurious report of Qur'ans being flushed down toilets send thousands of muslims into the streets in protests where dozens die, while terrorists, hiding out in the Church of the Nativity and surrounded by Israeli forces, use bibles as toilet paper. Cartoons depicting Muhammed in a less than flattering, though historically accurate light, riot and demand the heads of the cartoonists. 'Disaffected' Muslim youths take to the streets in Paris and surrounding areas to burn cars and commit murder. Abu Musab al Zarqawi saws off the head of one Nicholas Berg, on camera, in the name of Allah the Merciful... The Compassionate... Pope Benedict XVI quotes a 600-plus-years-dead Byzantine emperor, and Muslims demand the Pope's head, Even claiming the green flag of Muhammad will soon be raised over the Vatican.

This is a religion that still calls the West 'Crusaders'... They are still living in the 11th century! Yesterday, Indonesia executed 3 Christians simply to appease Muslims who have seen some of their own numbers executed for charges of terrorism. 2 Iranian girls have been convicted of Crimes of Chastity and are scheduled for execution by public stoning. Last year Muslims in indonesia cut off the heads of Christian school girls.

But we can't screen airline passengers using a racial/ethnic profile. After all, Islam is a religion of peace. They have repeatedly made claims that the world, including America, will be conquered by Islam. Yet Islam is a religion of peace. No one wants to offend Muslims for fear of violent retribution, even though Islam is a religion of peace. Islam wants to wipe Israel off the map while ironically denying the Holocaust ever took place... The same religion of Peace that is feverishly attempting to acquire nuclear weapons.

And where is America in all this? Fighting over how we will try terrorists for their crimes. Extending to terrorists rights they do not deserve under the language of the Geneva Convention. Extending to terrorists the rights of a U.S. Citizen-- rights they certainly don't deserve. Bickering amongst ourselves over WMD's, Quagmires, Valerie Plame, Halliburton, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, Karl Rove, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Teddy "Let's go for a drive" Kennedy, John McCain, Dan Rather, Howard Fineman, Michael Isikoff, The Daily Kos, Huffington Post, the New York Times, Katrina, "Bush hates black people," Memogate, FEMA, Franken, Limbaugh, Abramoff...........

Where is America in all this? Not paying attention.

The more I read the news each day, the more I want to find some place to hide and wait out the inevitable. The more I read and see and hear the more I begin to understand Luke 21:25-26... "Men's hearts failing them for fear..." Yes, a big part of me want to hide, but I can't give in to that...

A Muslim of some authority has warned muslims in Washington and New York to leave. The hand of retribution soon to fall upon the Great Satan cannot be held back because fellow Muslims may perish as well. Where is America in all this? Not paying attention.

America is poised to build a 700 mile fence along a 2,000 mile border... Where is America in all this? Not paying attention.

Maumoud Ahmadinejad, standing before the General Assembly, prays to Allah for the soon return of the prophesied Mahdi... to applause. Where is America in all this? Not paying attention.

Hugo Chavez stands in that very spot and declares the air still reeks of Sulphur where the leader of the FREE world stood not a day earlier. And where is America in all this?

Not paying attention.

How about it, Land of the Free? How about it, Home of the Brave? Do you not think it's time to take your eyes off the ballgame, the television, the countless other daily distractions and finally take note of what's being said in the world? Of what's happening around the world?

What will it take to make you pay attention? A radioactive hole 100 blocks in diameter where Manhattan once stood? Where the White House once stood? Who will keep the ballgames going? Who will keep Grey's Anatomy airing? Who will watch the kids so you can go out for cocktails and dancing?

It's time to stop gazing in the bathroom mirror and take note of what's happening in the front yard.