Today will be a day of quiet remembrance, reflection, and discussion with friends, away from the hype, spin, and agendas on the tv.
What I'll be remembering about September 11 are the heroic, mostly public, workers, most prominently firefighters but also *many* others, who are usually taken for granted or devalued in many ways, but who, on September 11, were providing the kinds of essential services, big and small, that they are ready to provide every day. On that day, they had to begin to deal with the attack on and murder of thousands of innocent people in the World Trade Center. The Pentagon, an important command and control center, might have been considered to be a more legitimate military target in a different context, if the attackers were part of a military force, but the terrorists were members of a covert multi-national criminal gang that is still bent on destroying its targets without much regard for the guilt, innocence, religion, or national origin of their victims...
I'll also remember the passengers on that flight that crashed that day in Pennsylvania, who heroicly did their best, as soon as they heard about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center.
I'll also recall that while most national politicians, including Mr. Bush, were flailing about for the correct posture, soundbite, and setting for a week or three, Mayor Giuliani stepped up boldly, wisely, and compassionately and was a major spokesman for his city and the nation for a few crucial weeks. He was one of the few politicians truly ennobled by the attack and the sacrifices of his troops.
I'll also reflect on what has been done and what has not been done since then. I'll think about how little has been done to address the chronic intelligence problems that were and still are a prime source of our vulnerability, while so many of our traditional freedoms and legal protections were so hastily imperiled or trashed (and I'm not referring to inconvenieces at airports and the like). I'll think about all the political and corporate agendas that have been pushed forward, while Americans have been preoccupied by a putative war on terror. I'll think about the instability and trauma that is growing in Afghanistan, the probable war with Iraq, and the various far-reaching ramifications of both. And there is so much more...
What I'll be remembering about September 11 are the heroic, mostly public, workers, most prominently firefighters but also *many* others, who are usually taken for granted or devalued in many ways, but who, on September 11, were providing the kinds of essential services, big and small, that they are ready to provide every day. On that day, they had to begin to deal with the attack on and murder of thousands of innocent people in the World Trade Center. The Pentagon, an important command and control center, might have been considered to be a more legitimate military target in a different context, if the attackers were part of a military force, but the terrorists were members of a covert multi-national criminal gang that is still bent on destroying its targets without much regard for the guilt, innocence, religion, or national origin of their victims...
I'll also remember the passengers on that flight that crashed that day in Pennsylvania, who heroicly did their best, as soon as they heard about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center.
I'll also recall that while most national politicians, including Mr. Bush, were flailing about for the correct posture, soundbite, and setting for a week or three, Mayor Giuliani stepped up boldly, wisely, and compassionately and was a major spokesman for his city and the nation for a few crucial weeks. He was one of the few politicians truly ennobled by the attack and the sacrifices of his troops.
I'll also reflect on what has been done and what has not been done since then. I'll think about how little has been done to address the chronic intelligence problems that were and still are a prime source of our vulnerability, while so many of our traditional freedoms and legal protections were so hastily imperiled or trashed (and I'm not referring to inconvenieces at airports and the like). I'll think about all the political and corporate agendas that have been pushed forward, while Americans have been preoccupied by a putative war on terror. I'll think about the instability and trauma that is growing in Afghanistan, the probable war with Iraq, and the various far-reaching ramifications of both. And there is so much more...