Well written Allan, a multi sourced rebuttal, you win since I was keeping score at home.

So when I die, I would like to say right now that i want none of you at my funeral or to remember me in any way shape or form. Based on the thread thus far, there will be arguments about the legitamacy of my 6th grade chess tournament victory, how I treated my 1st girlfriend, whether or not I flossed, if I inhaled and how I came into possession of my first fake I.D., with little to no mention of any of the good things I did with my time on the planet.

Let’s take every story of heroism and try and destroy it with conspiracy theories. Let’s pretend there are never good guys and bad guys, just bad guys.

I know one thing for certain regardless of what brought down the soviets. The people on the fourth plane that somehow mustered the courage to prevent it from being used as a weapon or the people who perished after rushing into the towers before they collapsed. No matter who your god is or what you believe happens to you when you die, if there is an afterlife, they will be seated at the “Big Table” with the “Big Guy or Gal” and we can only hope that we will have the honor of cleaning their dishes. Until that day, I’ll pause once a year to honor them, make promises to them and defend to the death your right as an American to be ungrateful and disrespectful.