well this is interesting, this is a thread with a title but without a single message. I’ll add one.
What’s wrong with remembering 9/11? Nothing at all.
But remembering it every few months in formal ceremonies laden with emotional appeals leads one to think that perhaps wallowing in self-pity is taking place.
And, obviously, the administration wants thr impact of 9/11 to be fresh in everyone’s mind in order to bolster support the poorly defined “war on Terror”.
Looking at it from those two points of view I venture that “remembering” 9/11 for the above reasons every few months is an affront to those who died or lost loved ones in the attack.
I agree, and would like to add that this doesn’t only apply to 9/11.
It disturbs me that there are still huge memorial ceremonies held here in Japan for victims of the Kobe earthquake. Sure, it was a tragedy, but that’s nature. Why can’t the families and friends of the individual victims mourn/remember in privacy, instead of having a whole city/region drop everything for two minutes of silence? I mean, its been seven years now…
And for Hiroshima as well. I think its important to remember the disaster, and it teaches us a lot about why nuclear weapons are a BAD IDEA, but by having a huge ceremony every year, isn’t Japan continuing to promote hate towards America and its allies at the time?
Abe, I agree that there is nothing at all wrong with remembering and commemorating the events of Sept. 11…
However…
I wonder too how much of this is serving the ends of the govt. so that the war can continue with public support.
(I also wonder if Osama bin Laden has already been found and ‘dealt with’ by US authorities, but they are keeping this hush-hush so they can justify their continued presence in Afghanistan for other ‘strategic’ reasons. Surely there can’t be anything left of the country to bomb the bejesus out of anymore!) [But that’s just my conspiracy theorist side coming out…don’t worry]
People will NEVER forget 9/11, no matter where on this planet they happen to live. To continue with the public displays of grief, while cathartic for some, does little to help the living rebuild their lives in this new world.
Hi Tsubaki!
I’m not so sure about the Hiroshima/Nagasaki memorials. As you mention, they are only an annual event (and you can find many Hiroshima Day rallies throughout the world in support). Yes, we need to remember, but I think they are more a community-instigated thing, rather than directed down by the Government (but correct me if I’m wrong.)
The difference with the 9/11 ‘memorials’ is that, especially in these still early days of recovery and rebuilding of shattered lives, it seems to be reopening wounds that haven’t yet had any real chance to begin healing. Certainly I would support a memorial service every year, and one that invites the whole world to share not only the tragedy, but the strengths of the human spirit as well. Every few weeks seems like overkill to me.
I’m still with Abe, and I reckon the US govt are being self-serving and not really giving a tinkers cuss about the effects of these constant memorial services on the needs of its citizens.
While the Hiroshima/Nagasaki events aren’t organised by the government, there are enough top-level MPs attending to feel that its officially sanctioned. And therein lies the problem, AFAIC.
Just a thought but I think it’s too early to let 9/11 slide as it were. Someone mentioned how it’s ripping open old wounds that haven’t had a chance to heal yet, but I think that for many others the memorials and other things are what’s helping them heal. Not to mention it wasn’t just the people who live in NY or work in the Pentagon that were victims, but it was the whole country. I know I still get shivers when I think of turning on the TV on that Tues. morning and I imagine that many others do too. Ultimately I think that it is too soon for people to get back to normal as it were. I’d give it a year, and if they’re still having memorial services every other day then I’d say that there is a problem.
As for the whole “govt is using it to get support for the war on terror,” I’m not sure if it isn’t somewhat the other way around. 9/11 pissed a lot of people off and the govt. didn’t have to do too much prodding to go into Afghanistan.
But even after we’re done in Afghanistan (whenever that’s going to be) people are still going to want to continue a war on terrorism, if for no other reason than revenge. I don’t think the govt. needs to do to much prodding or pointing at 9/11 to get people on board with their plans, the people are doing it plenty themselves. It’s a piss poor reason to declare war on another country and I’m not saying I support it, but is the government perhaps doing what the people want? Take a look at this poll: 74% of Americans favor removing Saddam Hussein from power using military force. Mind you I do think that the White House is taking advantage of the situation to a certain extent to manipulate public opinion towards what they want, but the people want them to do something. Not an excuse, just a thought.
WE still have memorials for Pearl Harbor, too. And from my own point of view, I think that this tragedy will and should be remembered for many years.
What gets my goat is how 9/11 is constantly reported as a “New York” tragedy, an “attack on New York”, “New York will never be the same”, etc, et al, ad nauseum.
I recognize that this tragedy had a disproportionate effect on New York City, where most of the deaths took place. But hey, lest anyone else forget: hundreds of people died in the Pentagon AT THE SAME TIME; hundreds of people died in the plane crash in Pennsylvania AT THE SAME TIME. And from the same cause: a terrorist attack from the same group. And many of the people that died in the World Trade Center were citizens of other countries, who happened to be/work there.
I resent this tragedy being hijacked by New Yorkers as if they were the only people affected.
