Does anyone know how the residents of Pearl Harbor commemorated the 6th of December 12 years after the attack. I ask because we seem to be stuck in a self indulgent loop that seems new.
I mentioned that I lived in Baghdad during the worst of the fighting there, what was always amazing was there would be a horrific attack and within hours life would go back to normal. They’d sweep up the glass hose the blood off the streets and get back to living, it was extraordinary and I think we could learn a lot from the people of Baghdad.
I think it’s (partly) because the event is known by the date, so it’s kind of inescapable. Here in Scotland we certainly didn’t mark the anniversaries like the 12th anniversary of Lockerbie - but that’s known as Lockerbie, not by the date when it happened. I’m sure most people couldn’t tell you the date. It’s the same for all sorts of disasters and dates that will live in infamy.
But when you see the date is 9/11, there’s no escaping what that will immediately make you think of.
To me, it’s surprising and unsettling that the American media seemed to pay a LOT more attention to the 12th anniversary of a terrorist attack than our media did to the second anniversary of ours.
I think this pretty much sums it up for you. I assume that you also feel that it is appropriate to demand that everyone also join you in this permanent state of affairs.
Yes, I thought so too. I’m glad someone else read it.
ETA: For those of you who haven’t clicked the link (prolly because you know Cracked.com is a humor site), it’s not a funny article at all. It’s actually a well-written critique of the US today and of the US response to the events of 9/11/01.
Hating those who started a war on American soil is just something I’ll have to live with… till the day I die. I’ll never forget what I saw that day, all the people that were shoeless and covered in dust as they walked past my building like freaking shell-shocked zombies.
I honor the dead, and I honor our soldiers, so think what you like, I’ll stay “miserable”, and you can stay how you are. How’s that?
Whatever. If holding onto hate forever is your idea of “honoring” anybody, then that’s your prerogative. I find it disgusting. I find it sad. It’s the exact same pathetic and self-harming mash-up of patriotism, parochialism, hatred and martyr-worship that leads crazies to decide to hijack planes and blow up buildings.
You sound like a teenager who lacks any sense of perspective; “he broke up with me, and it is the worst. Thing. Ever. I am going to be sad for the rest of my life!!!1”
You are making a conscious choice to embrace hatred forever. You know who else does that? Terrorists. And Hitler.
They committed a horrendous crime. Then we decided to call it a war. And as soon as we did that, we lost. See the Cracked link. They spent $500,000 and we decided to spend $5 trillion mostly killing people who had nothing to do with it. Our hate made us into losers.
The dead are, like, done dancing, they no longer care about anything. If you genuinely want to honor their memory, do what ever you can to make the world a better place. A place where anger no longer boils up into suicidal rage and spills blood all over everyone’s table. A place where no one feels a desire to commit acts of terror. Killing or torturing people, even assholes, does not get us closer to that place. Letting your anger simmer and sputter helps no one, least of all you. Heal yourself, as a step toward getting everyone healed.
The thing I take most vividly from that horrendous day is that people ran into a hell on earth to try and help strangers. Forget the fanaticism that led to the atrocities, the geo-politics or whatever, at least for a while, but instead look at the simple courage of a fireman, lifting his heavy gear, and climbing the stairs to his death.
