OpEd by R.T. Fitch ~ Author/President of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
We Stand for Liberty, Truth, Freedom and Adherence to the Law
A Hawaiian Lei floating on the oil that still seeps from the Battleship Arizona
On this day, September 11th 2011, there will be flurry of articles, news stories, editorials and activities relating back to the cataclysmic events that occurred ten years ago, this day…as well there should be.
The pain, misery and suffering that the twisted human spirit waged against innocent fellow men, women and children does not heal or even blur with time, it only smolders in the background like the embers of the burning wreckage left behind on that dreadful day.
We see, hear, feel and taste the perversity of mankind on a daily basis through the news and events of our time but ten years ago the rank evil manifested itself in such a way that tens of thousands of lives were damaged and touched around the world, never again to be the same.
The lessons learned on that dark day of death are many.
For the past forty years I have been of the conviction that every living, breathing American should make it point to visit the Battleship Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, on Oahu, Hawaii. As a rebellious young man pressed into military service during Viet Nam I had no great love for the war making machine that appeared to be stealing my youth and sending my life down a path that I had neither planned on nor asked for. I was angry, frustrated and felt few if any ties to my brothers and sisters who wore the uniform of my country.
Then one day, in the early 70’s, as I stood on the deck of the Battleship Arizona’s memorial and realized that just a few meters beneath my feet were the entrapped remains of over 1,000 Navy sailors who’s lives had been brutally swept away with no regard or compassion, I woke up…and a painful awakening it was. I felt the loss, the torment, the pain and the suffering for those that were left behind and it was a profound and life changing experience for my selfish and self-centered ways. It was, also, a very patriotic eye-opener and helped to shape my views on political policy and the need to defend freedom and human rights where ever that may be.
Decades later, I took my wife Terry to this same site and her experience bore little difference from mine; we then and still are one in our beliefs to defend the truth and to protect the principles that endorse fairness, compassion and above all, freedom in this country and the world overall.
Several years later we found ourselves visiting another site where unspeakable tragedy had taken the lives of human beings yet this time they were not military in nature and the numbers of souls murdered were triple that of the loses at Pearl Harbor. We had traveled to New York City to pay our respects to those who had been killed during the murderous attack of 9/11. We went to Ground Zero.
I don’t know what drove us; not real sure why we traveled half way across the country to stand at the precipice of a massive ragged pit and stare into it’s emptiness, but we were there. We were in the middle of a city we really had no desire to visit yet felt compelled to go and pay our respects to the thousands of Americans who were simply going to work, that day, to support their families and in turn, never came home. Simply writing that sentence makes my stomach tighten and the hair on the back of my arms stand up. It all ended in a flash in New York, Washington D.C. and in Pennsylvania…thousands of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers and so many more were hideously murdered for a perverted religious/political cause that has only ended in the death and destruction of the perpetrators. All so useless, all so unnecessary.
Please, I implore you, allow this day to be a re awaking of your spirit so that you are empowered with the strength, awareness and intelligence to help in assuring that such a travesty is never again committed on the soil of this great land.
This Blog and the work of our volunteers at Wild Horse Freedom Federation is dedicated, solely, to the adherence to the law of the land and the abolishment of unnecessary suffering, cruelty and death at the hands of an out of control, politically motivated and inhumane government agency. Such a reference does not diminish the loss of human lives ten years ago but highlights how we, too, have a radical and out of control cult operating within our government that can easily be compared to terrorist regimes of times in our recent past and also, long ago.
The war against terror around the world rages on at the expense of young Americans lives, but the terror rained down upon non-human species is alive and well within the boundaries and upon the soil of the great United States. It breaks my heart into a million pieces.
May God have mercy on our souls.
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, The Force of the Horse, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Symbols, a battleship, two towers, a statue in NY harbor. What defines us? For me its our natural beauty, our mountains intact, our un cut forests, unpolluted rivers, and most of all our American Mustangs the living symbol of our FREEDOM.
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AMEN
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Truly.
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I was fortunate enough to visit the Arizona Memorial as an A1C in ’74…I will never forget the time. It is more than emotionally moving. It is a sacred place.
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I was stationed there, Denise, at Hickam AFB at that time….73-75
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Thank You RT , I am left Speechless…………..
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There are some remarkable quotes coming out of today’s memorial events.
John O’Neil was the cause behind an unbelievable story on PBS’ Frontline. He was a “voice in the wilderness”, “a clanging bell” about OBL……and was pushed out of the FBI and took the job of security chief for the World Trade Center. The second day on the job, he died in the collapse of the towers.
There are many important issues facing our Nation and our world. We here, care about MANY things.
Our equines, domestic and wild are one of our most desperate causes.
The advocates ARE the “clanging bell” to cause for our gracious land and it’s bounty and uncorrupted beauty.
Our wild equines ARE the voice OF the wilderness that we all are watching slip away through our fingers and before our very eyes.
The victims, heros of 9/11, WWll and other outrageous events became so in the effort to stop self-righteous, self-will run riot against humanity, peace and morality. We can do no less than to commit to the cause of decency, love, peace and freedom, wherever the battle leads us.
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God Bless you R.T. I too am a wife of a combat veteran, the pain and joy is still there, the nightmares to. But I hope for more peace and love in this world. (your facebook friend)
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“The war against terror around the world rages on at the expense of young Americans lives, but the terror rained down upon non-human species is alive and well within the boundaries and upon the soil of the great United States. It breaks my heart into a million pieces.”
And mine and all those I work with, RT.
May all those converging on the Barren Valley roundup site in Oregon express sincere respect for any who attend and one another. mar
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RT I just don’t understand that kind of hatred. Maybe this country isn’t perfect and maybe we have our faults–but that kind of senseless murder? I just don’t get it.
Watching the videos of the towers collapsing horrifies me. I watch with my hand over my mouth in absolute numb shock that this happened. There are no words that could even begin to describe the anguish inside of me.
I’m glad the military got Bin Laden. I want to know why we all can’t live in peace? Sure people have different beliefs–so what? If it takes a community to raise a child–that same community needs to be united for all. In the end are we really all that different? We all want to be needed loved and appreciated. We all need food and clothing and shelter from the elements. We want good things for our kids or whatever your family situation is. No matter your belief-if there is or isn’t a God–do you do you do to others like you want them to treat you?
It’s a sad day. I would have thought we’d all have learned from the mastermind of death–Hitler– the first time. Maybe we will this time. I can only hope.
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One reason we are so angry at the destruction of the American Mustang as a National Icon is because we know, deep down, that we are better than this. Our country is better, our government is better. The heroes on 9/11 were ordinary people who rose up in a crisis. We love the US enough to want it to show the world it’s best, and get mad when it chooses to show the worst.
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thank you for the beautiful words. september 11th, is mama’s birthday. a green eyed irish american beauty, vivian ‘delores’predmore.
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The worldwide reflection on the events of 10 years ago, the media partaking and reporting the memories over and over, the painful weight in our hearts reminding us that America is a fragile not untouchable place – they all show that human minds can very well focus on tragedies, when they affect mostly the humans involved. 9-11 affected us all, and keeps our attention to the reality that we are all vulnerable and then some.
Yet, it is a sad realization to know that silent wars from within the country directed against our heritage and America’s very icon of freedom, the mustangs and burros who have built this nation, occurs – carried out in covert operations, yes indeed which reminded me of a secretive terrorist camp when I saw how it went down, in Montana two years ago. The authoritative to the outside, yet highly corruptive outfit on the inside, BLM, who must be dissolved at any means. Americans must take a stand and remember, this is still a democracy, and we must have an uprising against this evil, hidden agenda of a leadership who betrays and lies to the core. Never forget, why we all are here: We owe gratitude and respect to our mustangs and burros, without whom this country would not be where it is today. Fight corruption, educate your next door neighbor and inspire them to speak up, stand up and be mad at the present direction this administration and its croonies are taking. Never stop to speak, and hope, as those two things are the driving force that they cannot take away. Remember your passion and your respect for those victimized by greed and egotistic corruption, as it is every American’s duty to defend freedom – and ours we have because of the great foundation, for which the mustangs have plaid a crucial part.
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I was born in New York. My heart is Still there!
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Thank you R.T. for the Memorials-I too have stood on the Memorial in Pearl Harbor several times while I lived on Oahau. An older French gentleman in a black beret is forever etched in my memory, weeping as he stood there.It is at once both a ghostly and Holy place.Myself and many friends prayed for the thousands of souls to make their way to Heaven as I watched in shock as the Towers exploded and collapsed.The ash-a cremation -kept coming to my mind-the Heroes who rushed in, and many perished doing so. The dogs and their handlers -searching(have friends with such dogs.)Our country had been spared this til then-others had not been so fortunate-the evil had finally paid a call to us.We can be a great, loving, heroic,giving country-when we are finally called to action. Sometimes we are a lumbering,slumbering giant,slow to act.I pray that too many do not slumber too long-Our Mustangs and all Equines at risk need our help-Yesterday.Many are not aare-many do not want to know. They are our only hope of great numbers if we can call them to action to help save our beloved soulmates-the horses.Thank you for all you do. Sonora
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Ten years later and it still weighs heavy on your heart and brings tears to your eyes.
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Deterioration…. my beloved Rory was put to sleep a couple days after the devastation and loss of 9/11. I was trying to further my education and never returned to classes after these impacting events occurred.
Ryan, who “replaced” Rory was put to sleep in July of this year, never to reach the 10 year mark of his life with me, he was almost 11 years old. What handsome and sweet lives these boys were to me.
Memories are hard to remember.
God bless freedom and life and what is most beautiful in this world!
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