Who Loves America?

Today, one item in the news that caught my attention was former NYC mayor, Rudi Guiliani saying that President Obama didn't love America.  That,  "You know, President Obama didn’t live through September 11, I did. President Obama didn’t almost have a building fall on him, myself and my police commissioner and my fire commissioner did."   My dear husband reminds me that none of America's other political leaders were at Ground Zero either.   True enough.  He reminds me right. And not all of them poured into the city in the days and weeks following, either.  What you got pouring in were firemen and medics and nurses and general laborers from around the country instead.

Now it is true that Obama in 2001 was not in NYC, but that does not mean he didn't live through 9/11.  I wasn't there either.  I was taking calls in a call center in Albuquerque with people from NYC trying to get through to family and friends, from people all around the US trying to call to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to ensure the safety of their loved ones.   So you don't get to take it too personally.  We here in America who were present on US soil that day, citizen or not, ALL lived through 9/11.  We all lived that day.  Indelibly.  Irremediably.   Just cos' you were the Mayor, doesn't mean your day was any more meaningful and fraught than ours. 

What kind of man are you that you'd dare suggest Pres. Obama was not a part of that American body that day?  That you'd imply he didn't care?  Imply that he was unmoved?  What exactly is wrong with you that you think so small?