It’s five years today since the attacks on September 11th changed our world. In that five years we have lost many of our civil liberties, been spied on by our own government, transformed a large budget surplus into the biggest deficit in US history, seen one of the biggest expansions of government in our history, invaded and decimated the infrastructure of Afghanistan and Iraq and made those countries a breeding ground for terrorists, wasted the good will of most of the world and turned us into one of the most feared — if not most hated — countries on Earth, killed innocent Iraqi and Afghan civilians on purpose, established secret prisons, tortured and killed prisoners, handed prisoners over to countries we know will torture and kill them, thrown away the Geneva Convention, ignored our own Constitutional protections of freedom and liberty, and given up the moral high ground in our “fight” against “terrorism.”

Those 19 terrorists wanted to strike a blow against America. They have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams: we have abandoned the principles that made America great.

What a sad lens through which to have to view this sad anniversary. I was so proud to be an American five years ago. I am so ashamed of my country’s leadership today.

I wonder: Would the victims be happy with the changes, the losses, we’ve endured in their name?