IRL: Coffee's 9-11 Speech to Hartnell College

Today is the 12th anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2001, by members of Al-Qaeda. A week ago, I was asked by one of the staff at Hartnell College if I would speak for a few moments in the capacity as a military veteran and a student during the remembrance ceremony. I considered it for a moment, and then agreed that I would. If you've ever broached the subject of world politics, U.S. foreign policy, or the War on Terror with me on Teamspeak, you know that my opinions surrounding these subjects are complicated at best. I am a proud veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, where I have earned multiple awards for emergency environmental response and management, investigations, and federal law enforcement. That said, people mistakenly believe that I would be a self-loving uber-patriot who orgasms every time I see a picture of George Bush simply because I took my job in the military seriously.

George Bush actually orgasms when he sees my pic. True story.

Sorry to disappoint, but I'm a firm believer that a true American patriot is one who critically questions every government's actions to ensure the best decisions and intentions are respected - especially the United States' over all others. My opinions are formed by looking over all the evidence, asking questions when there is a gap in my understanding, and reaching a reasonable conclusion based on all the facts (and common sense). My opinions are neither right or left, liberal or conservative - they are what they are. For these reasons, I lost a little sleep last night wondering just what I wanted to say.

In the end, what I said today is posted below. I almost lost my composure when I was finishing the third paragraph, and when I finished a few people were sobbing. I guess that means I did an alright job (or it was just that horrible of a speech). Before I leave you with the speech, let me say "Thank You" to all my fellow military, veterans and first responders out there.

Delivered during the Remembrance Ceremony today at 1230 hours at Hartnell College, Salinas, CA:

"Hello, my name is Joshua McAtee. I am the President of the Hartnell Veterans Club and a US Coast Guard veteran. First, thank you to Dr. Lewallen and the staff of Hartnell College for organizing this event and bringing us together. A special thank you to Berta for inviting me to speak, and I apologize if I'm a bit nervous.

I was 19 years old on 9-11. I was getting ready to go to work that morning. I remember walking through the kitchen while tying my tie, and the TV was on some random channel. At some point, I realized something important was suddenly going on and I turned the volume up. I’ll never forget what I witnessed.  I’ll never forget what I felt. 

There was the horror. Horror at the fires, the explosions. I saw on live TV as the second plane hit the towers. The totality of what was happening set in. I watched rescue workers and good Samaritans pour into the buildings to help. I watched as someone’s daughter, someone’s wife, someone’s mother… I watched her body hit the ground after she had leapt from the towers in panic. And then another body fell. And another. And another. Then I watched the towers fall into waves of dust and death. 

Horror gave way to sorrow. And the sorrow gave way to anger, and rage, and hate at those that would commit such an act of evil. That’s what we all saw that day – evil, in its most brutal form. It is an evil that every society has endured, and that many governments (including our own) are guilty of. It is an evil that rages in parts of the world right this moment, and it will be felt again in the future.

It is in no small part that this evil caused me to join the Coast Guard, just as many of my friends joined other branches of the military. We did so not with vengeance in our hearts, but to defend all that we loved and held dear. My time in the Coast Guard taught me valuable lessons, most of which was a lesser known Coast Guard motto: “We do the right thing because it’s the right thing, every time”. That motto is meant to make you pause and reflect on your every decision and every choice. It makes you question the ethics and morals that are reflected in your actions. It makes you choose to be a better person even when it’s the hardest of the choices presented to you. It reminds you when it’s truly right to unsheathe the sword or raise the shield. This simple motto was a reminder that malice and revenge are easy, but they are always the wrong choice. Sacrifice, honor, respect and love are harder – sometimes they seem like the impossible choices - but they are always worth it. 

In the months that followed 9-11, it was not an inconvenience to call your grandmother to say hi and just talk. It was okay to tell your best guy friend that you loved him. You bought the homeless dinner and filled their change cup. You took the time to feel the sun on your face and listen to the life around you. You passed up chances to criticize one another, but never missed a chance to offer a helping hand to a total stranger. We learned something we had forgotten the importance of - to love our neighbors unconditionally, and to hold their lives as dearly as we hold our own. 

All I can ask of you, my friends and neighbors, now that so much time has passed is to not remember that day as just one full of horror and hatred, but as the day you were reminded what is truly important in your life.  Remember to stop and reflect on why you do the things you do. Ask yourself if you are doing them for the right reasons and in the right way. And, above all else, remember to say the following often and without shame:

I love you, all."