September 10th
Five years ago was the last September 10th that was just a date and not an expression that was made up by the mindnumbingly stupid expression/perception makers. It seems that there are a variety of different sources preparing to commemorate, possibly even celebrate (or never forget) what happened on September 11, 2001.
I’m not sure what there is to commemorate. I’m not sure what I have to say to people who would argue that America’s perception of themselves and the world changed forever that day. There is no doubt in the days (and maybe even a few weeks) that followed those horrific events, Robert Downy Jr. could’ve odeed (sp? Jeanz? Keef Richards? anyone) while sucking transvestite dick and no one would have taken much notice. Strangely, I had that thought at the time and thought the world made a bit more sense to me.
Sure, American soil was attacked in a shocking way. Thousands were dead…and those firefighters…
I remember watching and couldn’t believe then (and still can’t believe now) that anyone went into those buildings. I still thank God that there are people in this world so selfless, or with such a sense of duty that they would run into two skyscrapers that looked like they were going to collapse. I have no idea what valor like that is like and I still pray from time to time for them and their families.
So maybe they are worth remembering. But as far as the attack on the homeland, I’m not sure if the events at the WTC evoke the same emotions in me as the McVey (not the people from Fleetwood Mac) attack on the OK City fed building or the attack on the Pentagon. In a more real way to me, those attacks were an attack on our general government and as a result more of an attack on me than the collapse of WTC I & II. Maybe this is selfish and weird.
I cried when I CBS flipped over and showed the Pentagon in flames. I don’t think it is a “class” thing with the workers at the WTC – I’m not a big class talker. Dave Chappelle deserves to be rich – he’s funny and talented. People who sell advertising on the radio deserve to be rich. They have successfully convinced people to “buy air.” C’mon if you’ve figured out a scam like that – you deserve everything you get, good and bad…
…so too with the workers at the WTC. I had nothing against them for being rich (the folks that were rich) and I certainly did not think ‘serves ya right you rich fucks’ when the buildings crashed down.
Ever since the attack on the WTC in the early 90’s I always thought that those buildings were doomed. Certainly in the days, and years following the attacks I never said ‘huh huh I told ya so’ what a stupid and insensitive thing to say. I think this might be the first time I’ve said this to anyone besides my wife.
Five years later this country is not galvanized in the way some thought it would be. It is also not “more divided than ever” as some liberal pundits would have us believe. It just is. My instinct is g bushy has had this divisive effect on America and his supporters have certainly used and abused the events from that day to lead to the current state of affairs.
Now of course the smack shooting dick sucking death of Robert Downy Jr. would certainly make the top story of everything, everywhere.
We’re up to our guts in the Middle East but this too was inevitable following the end of the Cold War. We had the unfettered opportunity to “do shit” there…so we did. That’s how power works in the history of the world. This is not to say that power absolutely defines history and events. The fact that I could be such a ball bustin’ bitch on our reasons for going to war suggests that I believe there is a standard besides raw power for judging the actions of a political entity such as ours or any other you’d care to name.
Everyone now knows that the g bushy crowd was planning to go back to Irack…and was talking this talk all the way back in 1998. Professional Dorks like Paul Wolfowitless just said that ‘Sept whatever was a teachable moment’.
Fie on that!
What is worth remembering is how some people treated each other in the days and weeks that followed those events. People were stupefied…and I didn’t feel my road rage as often. Not an uncommon experience by the way – there are others who’ve said similar things.
What is worth celebrating? I think our country could’ve gone down a much darker road regarding religious hatred and the suppression of rights. I know there are many who would say we the people have already had too much taken from us. I’m not sure I agree. I have an interest in bringing gels and cells on an airplane…it’s not clear that it is a fundamental right. If the Patriot act has spies looking at my library card…so be it. I’m spending a lot of time researching the political life and works of John Adams. Maybe they’ll conclude I’m in favor of the alien and sedition acts.
So my fellow Americans, have a good day tomorrow. You still live in a world where some political actions seem to be the work of the Devil himself (I prefer to laugh at those who engage in such activities because the Devil can not bare scorn and laughter)…
You still live in a world where heroes can lay down their lives for friends and strangers alike.
I’ll leave it to my friends who are bigger football fans than I am to blog about the Bears’ win. It was a nice distraction from the SOX game.
Good luck to all of us.
I’m not sure what there is to commemorate. I’m not sure what I have to say to people who would argue that America’s perception of themselves and the world changed forever that day. There is no doubt in the days (and maybe even a few weeks) that followed those horrific events, Robert Downy Jr. could’ve odeed (sp? Jeanz? Keef Richards? anyone) while sucking transvestite dick and no one would have taken much notice. Strangely, I had that thought at the time and thought the world made a bit more sense to me.
Sure, American soil was attacked in a shocking way. Thousands were dead…and those firefighters…
I remember watching and couldn’t believe then (and still can’t believe now) that anyone went into those buildings. I still thank God that there are people in this world so selfless, or with such a sense of duty that they would run into two skyscrapers that looked like they were going to collapse. I have no idea what valor like that is like and I still pray from time to time for them and their families.
So maybe they are worth remembering. But as far as the attack on the homeland, I’m not sure if the events at the WTC evoke the same emotions in me as the McVey (not the people from Fleetwood Mac) attack on the OK City fed building or the attack on the Pentagon. In a more real way to me, those attacks were an attack on our general government and as a result more of an attack on me than the collapse of WTC I & II. Maybe this is selfish and weird.
I cried when I CBS flipped over and showed the Pentagon in flames. I don’t think it is a “class” thing with the workers at the WTC – I’m not a big class talker. Dave Chappelle deserves to be rich – he’s funny and talented. People who sell advertising on the radio deserve to be rich. They have successfully convinced people to “buy air.” C’mon if you’ve figured out a scam like that – you deserve everything you get, good and bad…
…so too with the workers at the WTC. I had nothing against them for being rich (the folks that were rich) and I certainly did not think ‘serves ya right you rich fucks’ when the buildings crashed down.
Ever since the attack on the WTC in the early 90’s I always thought that those buildings were doomed. Certainly in the days, and years following the attacks I never said ‘huh huh I told ya so’ what a stupid and insensitive thing to say. I think this might be the first time I’ve said this to anyone besides my wife.
Five years later this country is not galvanized in the way some thought it would be. It is also not “more divided than ever” as some liberal pundits would have us believe. It just is. My instinct is g bushy has had this divisive effect on America and his supporters have certainly used and abused the events from that day to lead to the current state of affairs.
Now of course the smack shooting dick sucking death of Robert Downy Jr. would certainly make the top story of everything, everywhere.
We’re up to our guts in the Middle East but this too was inevitable following the end of the Cold War. We had the unfettered opportunity to “do shit” there…so we did. That’s how power works in the history of the world. This is not to say that power absolutely defines history and events. The fact that I could be such a ball bustin’ bitch on our reasons for going to war suggests that I believe there is a standard besides raw power for judging the actions of a political entity such as ours or any other you’d care to name.
Everyone now knows that the g bushy crowd was planning to go back to Irack…and was talking this talk all the way back in 1998. Professional Dorks like Paul Wolfowitless just said that ‘Sept whatever was a teachable moment’.
Fie on that!
What is worth remembering is how some people treated each other in the days and weeks that followed those events. People were stupefied…and I didn’t feel my road rage as often. Not an uncommon experience by the way – there are others who’ve said similar things.
What is worth celebrating? I think our country could’ve gone down a much darker road regarding religious hatred and the suppression of rights. I know there are many who would say we the people have already had too much taken from us. I’m not sure I agree. I have an interest in bringing gels and cells on an airplane…it’s not clear that it is a fundamental right. If the Patriot act has spies looking at my library card…so be it. I’m spending a lot of time researching the political life and works of John Adams. Maybe they’ll conclude I’m in favor of the alien and sedition acts.
So my fellow Americans, have a good day tomorrow. You still live in a world where some political actions seem to be the work of the Devil himself (I prefer to laugh at those who engage in such activities because the Devil can not bare scorn and laughter)…
You still live in a world where heroes can lay down their lives for friends and strangers alike.
I’ll leave it to my friends who are bigger football fans than I am to blog about the Bears’ win. It was a nice distraction from the SOX game.
Good luck to all of us.
posted by edP | 7:01 PM
11 Comments:
I emailed this story to friends earlier today but thought it fit here as well.
I am a minority in the sense that I did not know anyone who perished or was injured in the 9/11 attacks. However, that day moved us all,right? I remeber running to a patient room to watch the news and feeling that overwhelming: "what does this mean? what happens next?"
A lot of people around the globe are not too happy with our leader. I think he's slowly turning the rest of the world against us. But that is beside the point. My story is this: Matt and I were vacationing in London during the one year anniversary of 9/11/01. On that day, at the time that corresponded to the New York morning time, almost every shop, pub and otherwise put signs up that said, "We are an anti-Bush establishment. However, from (let's say) 5:00pm to 5:15 please respect silence for the innocent and honorable men and women who lost thier lives in this horrific tragedy".
It was, as Kim would say, poignant.
The world is good. We should remember the evil but always hope for the best.
Di
Part of my point, which I did not do a good job making is...
Maybe emphasizing the way 9/11 changed our perception is like saying the terrorists have won in a certain respect. Why else would those terror cells plan this attack. They didn't really expect the country to surrender...they didn't expect an end to America's presence in the Middle East (they ended up with more of it) or and end to America's support of Izrael.
They wanted to "get our attention" and to a certain extend, I think the way we are choosing to "commerate" the senseless attacks offers some support to the enemy.
I will say this, if the families of the firefighters and those who died are comforted in some small way by this then fine - they deserver whatever comfort they can get in this life.
Maybe we can have Ann C. publicly flogged for them as well.
Nice piece.
But did Robert Downey Jr. die like that? I hadn't heard. I totally need to Google that.
Well said Official GM
I sum it all up on my blog.
There was a lot of good will there in the weeks and months after that day. Now society seems more coarse than ever. Maybe it is a reflection of our "leadership."
9/10/01 stands out in my mind as the day we got that ole tax Rebate check from Uncle Sam. I think it went towards car insurance.
I'm glad you remember the good will too OleKobe. I think that's right, that's something worth remembering...I'm not sure if any R pres w/ an all R Congress wouldn't engender the same kind of frustration with a public that feels they are being ripped apart by high prices, course business and social environs etc...g bushy may have been a uniter in TX because he had to actually unite different groups to do his job. It is only recently that the Congress has quit being his lapdog (in part) because the Courts have pushed them in this direction
I’d like to comment on this post more than my usual “very thought provoking” and “thank you” but I have neither the political savvy, wit, nor ardor to do any justice to the topic at hand. I had considered posting something of my own on the subject, but after mulling on it a bit further, I’ve decided to abstain.
Suffice it to say that hindsight is nearly always 20/20. And when you state that “Five years later this country is not galvanized in the way some thought it would be. It is also not ‘more divided than ever’ as some liberal pundits would have us believe. It just is.” I couldn’t agree with you more. Some people say that we need to commemorate the day so that we do not forget. Others argue that this is foolish because in their minds none of us can ever forget. The day did bring changes to our lives that will, in years to come, be taken for granted as commonplace. But I don’t know that I agree that commemorating the day of the senseless attacks offers support to the enemy. Nor do I agree that commemorating the day is a way to resolutely display to “the enemy” that they are still “in the crosshairs.”
Like I said, I don’t have the gusto to really pursue the topic to any end, but thank you, edP, for the forum to at least blather on with a bit of my mind.
auftn I think I agree with you
It would be an oversimplification to say that commeorating the day offers support for the enemy...
but it might be fair to say that we run the risk of giving them some of what they want.
In other words I think the most reasonable thing the terrorists could want (if such a thing is sayable) is to "change" us - to get our attention...to make us remember that they are out there...
but it is what we choose to remember that helps us avoid this - and that is suggested by your statement...and this was also brought up by my Cousin.
If we remember something like goodwill, towards each other, even towards our way of life...in doing this we reflect on the better angels of our nature or some junk like that.
We can choose what we remember. This business of remembering/history is taking a lot of space in my brain these days as I am teaching Nietzsche's Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life (again)
eternal return????
I hope not.
I think you put it best when you said: "If we remember something like goodwill, towards each other, even towards our way of life...in doing this we reflect on the better angels of our nature or some junk like that."
Well... at least until you got to the "or some junk like that" part. ;)
Frankly, I'm flattered that we agree. I'm usually pretty disagreeable to most.
And as a post script: I’m totally envious of you. Nietzsche. I remember having a brain. :)
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