# Trotting out old speeches to mark 9/11. Gee, how about some creativity?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trotting-out-old-speeches-to-mark-9-11-gee-how-about-some-creativity/122689>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 6, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trotting-out-old-speeches-to-mark-9-11-gee-how-about-some-creativity/122689 "2002-08-06T22:41:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trotting-out-old-speeches-to-mark-9-11-gee-how-about-some-creativity/122689/1 "2002-08-06T22:41:09Z")

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Pre-post disclaimer: Anyone who knows my posts knows that I have a deep respect for American history, especially NYC history. My post is not intended to be irreverent; quite the opposite: it is intended to “raise the bar” for posterity.

Okay, the plans for marking the 9/11 first anniversary have been announced. See here for some specifics:

[http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/08/06/ny.911/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/08/06/ny.911/index.html)

Bagpipes? Fine. Tolling bells? Great. Reading names? Absolutely.

But reciting the Gettysburg Address, the Four Freedoms, etc.? Yuk!

I mean, this is an opportunity to MAKE history, not reenact it. Is it asking too much of today’s politicians to come up with new, stirring orations?

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trotting-out-old-speeches-to-mark-9-11-gee-how-about-some-creativity/122689/2 "2002-08-07T20:25:52Z")

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Gee. Is this thread _THAT_ uninteresting?!?!

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**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trotting-out-old-speeches-to-mark-9-11-gee-how-about-some-creativity/122689/3 "2002-08-07T20:35:45Z")

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I’ve never heard Pataki give an particularry inspiring speech.  
Of course Abe Lincoln wasn’t the main speaker that day at Gettysburg and his is by far the most remembered.

I don’t know The Four Freedoms speech. Personally I’d go with Captain my Captain. (at least I think that the name)

I suppose that it would be a daunting task to write a speech for that day. But I agree that they should try.

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**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trotting-out-old-speeches-to-mark-9-11-gee-how-about-some-creativity/122689/4 "2002-08-08T19:40:28Z")

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The massive outpouring of jingoistic glurge already being planned for Sept 11, 2002 has me dreading exposure to media of any kind on that day.

Less is more (think the wreath at Pearl Harbor, think the changing of the guard at the Tomb of Unknowns).