The Fight Of Freedom

Remembering Back 22 Years Ago

A few days ago, I wrote about a Misconception of Freedom — How Freedom is obtained through Action.

Why is this?

The reason that Freedom has to be obtained through Action is that there are ALWAYS those who will work against Freedom.

In the United States, today we remember how very true this is.

On September 11th, 2001, the Twin Towers were attacked by religious extremists who actively chose to attack others due to differences in beliefs.

That day, there were nearly 3,000 people who lost their Freedom.

However, there are stories that bring us hope despite this horrifying attack against the Freedom of others.

As a former lacrosse player myself, we have the commonly told story of Welles Crowther, or “The Man in the Red Bandana”.

Welles was one of the individuals simply working in the Towers that fateful day.

He went into the office, as he did most days, expecting to do his work.

In a moment, everything changed, not only for Welles but for every other person in and around the Twin Towers.

Two hijacked planes crashed into the Towers.

In the chaos that was occurring, Welles was a singular Hero for what he did.

When others panicked, knowing that death could be imminent, Welles stood tall and began assisting people.

When he could have easily left the Tower he was in, he instead chose to help others.

He had an opportunity to keep his own Freedom but instead chose to take Action and ensure that more people obtained Freedom.

He led multiple groups of people toward the only working stairwell at that height.

He kept going back, again and again, as the dangers only increased.

He even took the time to carry another individual down multiple flights of stairs before returning up to help more people.

Welles was a man who understood that Freedom is only obtained through Action.

He was not the only person working to help others though.

There were many police, firefighters, and other emergency services who also went about helping as many people as they were able.

All of these individuals understood that Freedom comes from Action.

It is a great tragedy that 3,000 individuals perished.

However, do you know how many survived?

It is estimated that there were another 12,000+ people there that day, either in the Towers or near enough to be impacted directly.

This means that the death toll could have been 5x higher.

Why wasn’t it though?

It is because of this small group of Heroes, who understood inherently that Freedom requires Action.

They took Action that day, and they used their Heroic Strength to provide as many people with Freedom as they were able.

A Hero, from the Greek word Hērōs, is someone with the Strength for 2 or more people.

This small group of people, including Welles, used their Heroic Strength and took Action so that 12,000 people could keep their Freedom.

Sadly, many of these Heroes lost their lives that day.

In their efforts to try to save as many people as possible, time ran out.

The Towers crashed down with people still inside.

3,000 lost their lives and their Freedom because of the actions of a few individuals.

12,000+ were able to keep their Freedom because of the Actions of a few individuals as well.

Every day, we all have the ability to take Action.

Our Actions will determine if we will be Free or not.

If we allow others to determine our fates, we will lose our Freedom quickly, even in the “Home of the Free”.

If we take Action, we can ensure our own Freedom.

If we take better Action, we can create Freedom for our Family.

If we learn to harness our Heroic Potential, we can ensure Freedom for Hundreds, and maybe even Thousands.

What Action will you take today?