Even now it is difficult to focus on basketball. The catastrophes in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania put everything into perspective. Basketball is just a game.

I was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles on that morning of September 11. As I watched the television I was, like so many others, shocked by the horrible atrocities brought against so many innocent people.

As Americans, it is beyond our comprehension how people can give their own lives to take the lives of countless others. Life is a precious commodity in our society. We all view every day as being so precious, which makes it even more difficult to comprehend such an act of terror.

Many comparisons have been made to the events of 60 years ago when Pearl Harbor was attacked killing thousands of Americans. On December 7, 1941 we knew our attackers and the nation rallied for the cause.

Six decades later, once again America has shown its resolve but our enemy is beyond comprehension. They seek no territory ? only the killing of innocent people.

But it is important to recognize that our enemy is not Muslim-Americans.

In the aftermath, an Arabic-American was killed here in Arizona. It was tragic. There are so many great Americans that have been targeted by hate crimes simply because they are of foreign descent.

This should not be blamed on all Muslims. Standing together against an enemy means standing together as Americans and that includes Muslim-Americans.

We shouldn?t make the same mistake we made in the wake of the attack on Peal Harbor when so many innocent Japanese-Americans were rounded up into camps.

Unfortunately the terrorist attacks changed forever our way of life. So many of us never gave flying a second thought. We will all be more observant in the future. We cannot let fear get the best of us.

As long as there are individuals that do not value human life there will always be a threat. But that is a threat that we will never begin to understand.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those who lost loved ones. God bless America.