Editorial: Giving thanks in tough times

Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2001 | 8:39 a.m.

As Americans celebrated Thanksgiving last year, the nation's presidential election still was undecided as Al Gore and George Bush fought it out in the courts to see who would capture the White House. The court battle was bitter, and some commentators said at the time that it was creating a constitutional crisis, but most Americans took it in stride as just a modest diversion in their lives. The economy, meanwhile, hummed along at a brisk pace and it seemed as if nothing could get in our way of continued prosperity.

What a difference a year can make.

The post-election battle seems trifling in comparison to where we find ourselves today. The nation is fighting a war on terrorism, one that was provoked by the Sept. 11 airliner hijackings that killed more than 5,000 people. No longer do foreign terrorists confine their acts to embassies and military bases abroad, they have decided to wage their war on civilians on our shores. Those acts of terrorism, including the bioterrorist threat of anthrax, have produced considerable anxiety and resulted in profound changes in our lives. The terrorist attacks also caused an already skittish economy to tumble into a recession. Here in Las Vegas, the fallout from the slumping economy has been substantial, with 15,000 people laid off from their jobs.

In light of these terrible events, many in the Las Vegas Valley may feel as if there is not too much to be thankful for on this holiday. But the past two months have shown that we should be grateful for the many things in past years that we often took for granted. The sudden, horrific deaths caused by the Sept. 11 terrorism brought home how precious life is and how every moment should be savored. By the same token, freedom took on a new meaning, too. The terrorists thought they were hitting a weak nation that didn't have what it takes to protect itself from terrorist attacks. But their efforts to strike at the heart of freedom have completely backfired as our nation has stiffened its resolve to end the menace of terrorism.

The first outward signs that our nation wouldn't back down to terrorism occurred on one of the hijacked planes, United Airlines Flight 93. Passengers, having learned from cell phone calls to family and friends that the World Trade Center already had been hit by a hijacked plane, decided on their own to not let the same fate happen to their plane. The passengers stormed the cockpit and in the ensuing struggle the plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and the accompanying bravery by police officers and firefighters, many of whom paid the ultimate price in trying to rescue others trapped in the buildings, was both heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. We're also thankful for the men and women of the armed services who are overseas putting an end to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network and the r egime that propped it up, the Taliban.

The generosity of Americans also was unbounded following the terrorist attacks, with people from all over our nation sending donations to charities to aid the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York. Charities here in Las Vegas have had their services stretched thin by the thousands of layoffs, a situation complicated by a decline in donations to local groups. But it is encouraging to see that the spirit of giving may be rebounding locally. The Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts annual food drive last Saturday collected 142 tons of food throughout the valley -- a 14 percent increase over last year as Las Vegans answered the call so that others won't go hungry this holiday season.

As families and friends gather on Thursday, and bow their heads in prayer before they enjoy their meals, they will find much to be thankful for this year. Adversity in the past often has brought out the best in Americans, and the terrorist attacks hardly have weakened our nation's spirit -- if anything it's strengthened our character.