Yes, it was a tragedy. Many people died, and their loved ones still miss them. I understand that.
But I still don’t think we need to wallow in the subject.
At least, I don’t need it. I don’t want to hear the life stories of those killed. I don’t want to hear stories about how hard it’s been for the survivors to go on.
I especially don’t need to watch the film footage of the events themselves. I saw it when it happened. Once was enough, it’s not like I’ll ever forget it.
Of course you can’t just avoid the anniversary specials themselves. They run promos for them during other shows. Or have still pictures of the burning towers in the background of ads for newscasts, with ‘We remember’ or similar mottos on them.
I’ve even seen commercials for regular stores that seem compelled to shoehorn in some lipservice about how they, too, are deeply distraught. “Hey, sad about the towers, isn’t it? So run right down to XXX and take advantage of our commemorative sale – eleven for the price of 9!”
(Okay, not quite that crass.)
I’ve decided no live television for me for the next few days.
I don’t mind most of it. I’ve seen programs showing the progress of the rebuilding. One WTC has reached its 81st story. A huge memorial and park will open at Ground Zero on September 11. I see businesses rebuilding in the area and people have moved back into their homes, too. The tenth anniversary of any event is a natural one to look back on. But I see plenty of looking forward, too.
Of course, I’m pretty far removed from New York City, too, so I’m not in the thick of all the observations.
I’m hardly distressed, but I’m not all that excited about it either.
I’ll pay attention to the bits of it that interest me as history, and I’ll ignore the bits that pander to sob sisters. Of course, my television comes with a remote control, so I can change the channel (or even turn it off) if I’m not interested in something. I understand that’s not true for all.
The OP isn’t the only person I know that feels that way, and I can understand how someone could feel that way. However, for me, I look at the fact that we’re still commemorating the anniversary of other major events in our history like Pearl Harbor, which I don’t have a problem with. I certainly have no issue with commemorating the anniversary of an event I was alive for and watched happen on television.
Granted, it can definitely get hard to re-watch after a while, and I may tune out most of it, but I’m not bothered that these commemorations are going on.
This is sorta like saying we shouldn’t remember the holocaust, because it’s over, what happened happened, and we don’t need to be reminded of it all the time. Wrong.
I’m glad for the anniversary coverage. My son is six, and has no clue what 9/11 means. I’ve been trying to explain what happened, but for a six year old, thats hard. I’ve set my DVR to record as many of the history channel/discovery channel shows about 9/11 as I can. I’ll transfer them to DVDs and keep them for my kids to watch someday. I’m not particularly interested in watching all of it, but I want it for my kids. I still have the newspaper from 9/11/01, I’m going to add Sundays paper to it.
I wasn’t around during WWII. I’m glad we have stories and remembrances from those years, though. If we wait for the pain of that day to subside to the point we can comfortably talk about it, those who lived it will have dim and muddled memories. Europe waited too long to start acknowledging the holocaust. We cannot make the same mistake. As it is, I wish I had some news reports recorded on that day.
Capitalizing on 9/11, from a commercial standpoint, if that is indeed happening, is beyond wrong.
The only thing about the 9/11 anniversary that fries my bacon is showing the initial reaction by Bush when he’s sitting in that grade school classroom, and an assistant comes up and whispers in his ear.
I admit, I couldn’t STAND Bush before that happened. But when I saw his LACK of response, I went ballistic. The Administration KNEW that Osama Bin Laden was planning an attack, and that it was imminent.
No, I don’t think the attack could have been thwarted. Not with the failures in air transportation security. But dammit, the man could have at least showed some shock, horror, or surprise. A HUMAN response! Instead, it was a slight nod of the head, a blanking of the face, and a look that seemed to say, “Yeah, it finally happened.”
I’m still mad. I’m not going to be able to watch the special George Bush interview that Hubster recorded.
~VOW
Distressed is the wrong word–for me. Disconcerted is better.
I’ll probably hear some of NPR’s coverage, because that’s what our radio usually plays on Sundays(and other times). I probably won’t watch TV that covers it.
I will attend a church service which may include some mentions–my regular church service, and the choir song is carefully chosen to reflect the day.
I don’t find ignoring the anniversary a good choice, especially on the tenth anniversary.
But I’m not quite keen on some of the ads I saw on the TV the other day either.
I didn’t expect this, but I’m finding myself somewhere between distressed and uncomfortable with the whole media saturation of the event.
Yeah, 9/11 was terrible. Like most other US dopers of age, I remember that day very clearly. Thousands of innocent people died. I get that, and I grieve for them. It’s important to remember, it’s important to know the evil of the act, it’s fucking terrible.
But through all this 9/11 memorial coverage, all I can keep thinking about is how 9/11 changed my country. And I don’t like how it’s changed. I think, on the balance, ten years out, the change was for the worse. So I’m sick with the nagging thought that the attack did actually change my country, in a bad way. I just want us to move on.
Well, he TRIED to talk a bit about it on *The View *yesterday, but Barbara Walters persisted in making it all about Barbara Walters: “Remember, I was the first one to interview you after 9-11” and on and on. Rudy smiled indulgently and let her ego run amok. The viewers didn’t learn much. Unfortunately.
I agree with this. We should never forget about what happened, just like we should never forget what happened in the wars, though sadly that’s exactly what is happening.
