# 9/11 Anniversary B.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 12, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708 "2003-08-12T19:25:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![AmericanMaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@AmericanMaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanMaid)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/81 "2003-08-13T19:13:21Z")
No photo ops No Ground Zero visits. I just don’t want to see his monkey face that day. He should stay in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/82 "2003-08-13T19:18:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*IF he actually timed the campaign to kick-off in 9/11, then you might have a valid complaint. \*\* Assuming for a moment the MSNBC cite is correct (I haven’t heard anything which disproves it yet.), how do you interpret it? Sounds to me like, if true, the re-election campaign is being deliberately delayed to later than it has even been started to coincide with the third anniversary of 9/11. Seems pretty blatant to me. **World Eater** , I agree that it _is_ a good point, and the answer is likely different for everyone. What would seem sufficient and appropriate to me might seem dismissive or not enoough to someone else. To me, attending a commemoration ceremony and possibly making a short speech focusing on those who made sacrifices that day (not himself) seem appropriate. But that’s me. (On preview: See, **AmericanMaid** ’s view on what is appropriate for Bush is different than mine. I doubt there is consensus on this question, for anyone.) Does anyone think building a campaign launch strategy around 9/11 is appropriate? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/83 "2003-08-13T19:31:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AmericanMaid \* > \*\*No photo ops > No Ground Zero visits. > I just don’t want to see his monkey face that day. > He should stay in Texas. \*\* That’s just stupid. **Av** , that’s pretty much along the lines of what I was thinking. How about you **Rjung?** ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/84 "2003-08-13T19:32:05Z")
Well, the good news is that for every voter who might find their proper feelings of grief and patrotism manipulated by a partisan, political treatment of the memorial-events, another will be sickened and turned off. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/85 "2003-08-13T19:34:29Z")
Well Said, Avalonian & American Maid! If he’s going to celebrate it at all, it should be Solemnly, Silently, & In Private. I don’t want to hear any “And let me take this opportunity to announce my new program…” Crap. Bush, just STFU for One God Damned Day and show the class that people like Gobear Think you have. For Just One Day… ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/86 "2003-08-13T19:39:35Z")
Well I hope _all_ the POLs show some respect on 9/11. There are _other_ people then Bush that will try and use it for political gain, let’s make sure we include them in our bitching. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/87 "2003-08-13T19:41:19Z")
I don’t think the extremes proposed by **AmericanMaid** are necessary – on the anniversary of an event like 9/11, _some_ sort of speech/act/recognition from the President of the United States is expected. And as long as it simply focuses on _the event itself,_ without sidetracking into self-promotion over current administrative policies, I don’t have a problem with that. It’s one thing to say “We are here to remember the victims who lost their lives on this tragic day.” It’s another thing all together to say “We are fighting the terrorists because of bold action from my administration.” ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/88 "2003-08-13T20:35:31Z")
Completely agreed, both **rjung** and **World Eater**. I am critical of any pol who uses something like 9/11 for their own gain. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/89 "2003-08-13T23:03:08Z")
> [@](#): > > …The idea that September 11 ought to serve as a show in political or consumerist bread and circuses, like so much patriotic bunting around the political stage, is an insult to this nation and its dead. Just so. Couldn’t have said it better, not about to try. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_Heart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Angel\_Heart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_Heart)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/90 "2003-08-14T02:52:46Z")
I think the OP says he wants to grieve in his own way. Life has gone on for all of us, but we will never, ever forget. If someone wants to turn on the TV, or pop in a movie, that doesn’t automatically make them a heartless person. They may observe 9/11 by contacting family and friends (you can never take for granted you’ll see them again), for example. ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/91 "2003-08-14T16:58:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*_Originally posted by FP@work_ > Well I’m glad to see that your regret at resorting to petty insults and name-calling lasted all of 10 seconds. Congratulations. \*\*No, I said I _generally_ don’t like to. I wrote **rjung** off as a lost cause long ago. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*Just because _some_ of us have enough respect for the victims of 9/11 and don’t want to see their deaths turned into political trimmings for **anybody** (least of all the candidate whose campaign staff _already has plans to do just that_) is no justification for you to get pissy about it. \*\* Shithead, you missed my point entirely. I actually _agree_ with what you’re saying. However with your usual complete lack of tact you spouted off in a thread that didn’t concern the above because you have no self control when it comes to politics. Now why don’t you stop hiding behind sympathy for the victims (or whatever else you come up with as an excuse) and start threads about what your problems are with Bush, conseratives, etc. instead of starting hijacks in existing threads? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/92 "2003-08-14T17:25:06Z")
We already have umpteen threads about Bush. Do us a favor and _don’t_ start anymore. ---
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/93 "2003-08-14T18:50:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > \*\*Not to sound callous, but I was over 9/11 by 9/18. I don’t want to diminish the way anyone else feels about it, especally people who lost friends or loved ones in the attack… but I didn’t. I don’t know a single person who died in the WTC. I don’t even know anyone who knows anyone. And, much as I hate to say it, there have, are, and will be much worse tragedies in the world. Should I care more about a bunch of people I don’t know who died in New York than I should care about a bunch of people I don’t know who died in Rwanda? > > That said, I don’t begrudge anyone else their media grief. Looks like 9/11 is going to be another movie night for me this year. \*\* I’m with **Miller** on this one. I was shocked and dismayed at the WTC disaster, but I have to admit, not in the way that I’ve been horrified by such events as the Rape of Nanjing, the Holocaust or the Killing Fields. When it comes to utter atrocity man has shown himself capable of, 9/11 pales. That being said, it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t show the most complete respect to those who need to have commemorations on that anniversary. OTOH, there’s a difference between remembering respectfully and mournfully, and wallowing in emotion. ---
**Author:** ![DeadJesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/35a633/32.png) [@DeadJesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadJesus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/94 "2003-08-14T23:51:03Z")
**AmericanMaid** , I’m with you. I too hope that we will soon just let go and not wallow in the rage and pain anymore. I’m tired of being angry. Angry at the politicians who are going to milk the anniversary for all it’s worth, angry at countries who call themselves our friends and do absolutely nothing to end terrorism or use our or tragedy as an excuse to treat their Muslim citizens badly, and angry at the hate crimes being committed against innocent Muslims and Shiks (Frankly, I’d rather plow through mounds of schmaltzy emails 'til I pratically puke than wake up the morning of 9/11 to find out that the local mosque has been vandalized yet AGAIN.). Angry. Angry. Angry. :mad: I was planning on hunkering down at home and avoiding the TV and people in general, like I did last year. But I heard about an organization called [One Day’s Pay](http://www.onedayspay.com/) that wants to establish 9/11 as a “national day of voluntary service, charity and compassion”. So I plan to take the day off and do a mitzvah instead of ranting about how cruel humanity is to my partner and cats. BTW **AmericanMaid** , my partner and I are also looking into obtaining Canadian citizenship, especially if Bush gets re-elected. ---
**Author:** ![pencilpusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d6d6ee/32.png) [@pencilpusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pencilpusher)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/95 "2003-08-15T18:14:13Z")
I’m not “over” 9/11 either. I still vividly remember the horror I felt as I was driving to work that morning when I realised that the guys on the radio weren’t joking about the towers being hit. I’d just had a baby 6 months earlier and all I could think of was why now Whats going to happen to us? My boss was totally unfeeling about the whole thing. I remember sitting in my truck driving to my pickup site crying uncontrollably. I still feel the pain of that day. My best friends mother died in Tower 2. Even worse than the actual attacks (for me) was the reaction of those in certain foreign countries that were actually CELEBRATING the deaths of our people. I swear when I saw that I got angrier than I’ve EVER been in my LIFE. For the first time in my life I actually contemplated violence… TRUE violence… toward another person. I’ll never forget that day. EVER. My children won’t either. ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/96 "2003-08-15T20:34:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Asylum \* > \*\*No, because you’re an ass as well. This is a thread about whether or not we should continue to mourn the events of 9-11-01, and if so how much. Partisan sniping has nothing to do with this thread you fucking asshole. \*\* The second post in this thread talked about people trying to profit off of the anniversary, and numerous threads following that one have mentioned or hinted at it. So why’s he an asshole for saying a political party plans on doing the same thing, and the other guy’s an asshole for giving him a cite? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/97 "2003-08-15T21:25:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Airman Doors, USAF \* > \*\*$5 says you’re an ass. \*\* You’re on… [http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/5686610.htm](http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/5686610.htm) ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/98 "2003-08-15T21:53:28Z")
Well, I for one am tired of hearing people bitch about memorial coverage on the anniversaries of 9/11. People were bitching last year, and it was only a year after the horrific event. If it bothers you so much, turn off yer damn tv set, and don’t open a newspaper that day. Some people need the visual reminders, some people don’t want to forget. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/99 "2003-08-15T22:44:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LolaCocaCola \* > \*\*If it bothers you so much, turn off yer damn tv set, and don’t open a newspaper that day. > > Some people need the visual reminders, some people don’t want to forget. \*\* You’re right, of course, to some extent. The coverage won’t last only a day, though, I’m convinced, but will go on for at least a week. It will be comprised of endless repeat footage (which is not necessarily a bad thing, as some have pointed out) and interviews with everyone and anyone who was remotely connected with anybody who may have died in the tragedy. And it will all be accompanied by sappy sob music, since we are seemingly unable to grasp even the most basic concepts without turning them into some sort of special effects events. It will be voiced over by the likes of Katie Couric and Stone Phillips, who have perfected the art of looking concerned and speaking in hushed tones whilst dreaming of dollar signs and ratings numbers. With any luck, we’ll be treated to a made-for-TV movie that will sensationalize the already incomprehensible, take liberties with the facts, and star Tony Danza. But you are correct: I can and will turn off the TV and not watch any of it. That time and those people are burned into my memory and I don’t want it cheapened, nor the impact lessened. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708/100 "2003-08-15T22:47:51Z")
I can take anything, however maudlin, however manipulative, however politically exploitative. Just as long as nobody plays “Amazing Grace” on the \*GOD DAMNED \* bagpipes! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9-11-anniversary-b-s/194708.md?page=6)