# When do we stop wallowing in 9/11? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 7, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523 "2011-09-07T18:07:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/121 "2011-09-08T17:22:44Z")
The thing that is so fucked about this is that we’ve been fighting a war now for 10 fucking years as a result of those attacks. And I’m sure we’ve killed way more civilians in Afghanistan than died on 9/11/01. And then there’s the whole Iraq war debacle. What we should be doing is taking a good hard look at what are reaction to this event was, and how we should change that reaction in the future. I’m all for going after al Qaeda, but we shouldn’t have to devastate 2 entire countries in doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/122 "2011-09-08T17:26:23Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Still, the OP can always watch something else. BBCamerica is full of _Top Gear_ & _Doctor Who_–nary a twin tower on either show. Or subscribe to Netflix Streaming. Or turn off the damn TV… I went to retrieve my email yesterday and Yahoo bludgeoned me with 9/11 stories. Ignoring it is not an option. This maudlin crap is everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/123 "2011-09-08T17:35:18Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > On the other hand, I’m oppositional enough to have a slightly negative reaction to the city bus instructing me to “Never Forget” on its electronic message board. Yeesh. “Never Forget” could be the collective slogan of the Balkans. I don’t think we should aspire to that score-keeping and grudge-holding mentality. And for that matter I’m sure there are people in Iraq and Afghanistan who will also “Never Forget.” Personally, I would rather avoid a trans-generational feud of cultures. To that end, yeah, let’s forget. Or at least stop wallowing. Let’s move on. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/124 "2011-09-08T17:59:17Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > But after it actually happened, they picked their shit up and started fixing what they could. I haven’t kept up with news from Japan since then, but their reaction immediately afterward suggests to me they’re not going to spend much time banging the “the 2011 tsunami changed everything!” drum. People will grieve for their own lost loved ones, pick up the pieces, and carry on as best as they can. Well, sure, there’s no convenient enemy to attack, nor a boatload of money to be made from said war. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/125 "2011-09-08T18:01:14Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I _do_ think that people wallow in the Holocaust. As someone who grew up in Jewish culture, though without much religious teaching, I got really, really sick of people talking about the Holocaust at a young age. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to be the only Jewish kid in your 6th grade class, and have to suffer through a unit on World War II and the _only_ picture of the Jewish people that your classmates get is emaciated concentration camp victims being bulldozed into mass graves? We didn’t learn about General Maurice Rose, Mickey Marcus, MGySgt Lou Diamond (“Mr. Marine”) or that Jewish medic who mowed down something like 250 Japanese soldiers with a machine gun and won the Medal of Honor. We didn’t learn about the Jewish scientists who gave America the atom bomb. All we learned were that Jews = Corpses. > > Yes, I’m fucking sick of the Holocaust. I’m sick of “Never Forget.” Please, forget. There are other genocides going on RIGHT NOW. _Those_ are what we should be trying to stop. But the Holocaust, in my opinion, _should_ be forgotten. Do you feel that the two (the heroic Jewish soldiers/Jews on the Manhattan Project v. the Holocaust) are mutually exclusive? BTW, I agree that we should know more about current genocides. Though, the expression,“Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.” seems apt. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/126 "2011-09-08T18:04:21Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > We’re talking about 10 years of **near constant** remembrance. I don’t know where you’re living, but the only “near constant” reminder – and I’m not even talking about remembrance, just a reminder – of the attacks are occasionally seeing Virginia license plates with a 9/11 symbol on them, I just can’t say that I often see or hear anything like what you seem to be referring to. 9/11 remembrances are certainly uncommon in the newspapers, other than around this time of year, save for the occasional story like the firefighters not getting health benefits. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/127 "2011-09-08T18:06:09Z")
Don’t overlook the New York factor. These big media companies have large presences in New York and therefore were more directly impacted by it than say Katrina. Therefore the media probably overplays 9/11 because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/128 "2011-09-08T18:06:17Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Though, the expression,“Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.” seems apt. I think you could equally say “Those who remember history are doomed to repeat it,” at least when it comes to remembering historical grievances. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/129 "2011-09-08T18:07:55Z")
For the people getting mad at the OP, I have a question: Is there _any_ amount of 9/11 commemoration that would bug you? Like, suppose I went into every thread on the SDMB and started steering the discussion toward 9/11? “You know, that scene from _Return of the King_ reminds me of 9/11.” “Have you guys noticed that [global warming/the obesity epidemic/rape] has gotten worse since 9/11?” "How can you sit here talking about your cat when _people lost their lives on 9/11?!?!?"_ Would you defend me when I was banned? Why not? Have you no hearts? Do you not even care about our national tragedy? I suppose you’d just like to forget it ever happened, wouldn’t you? You bastards. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/130 "2011-09-08T18:10:10Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Do you feel that the two (the heroic Jewish soldiers/Jews on the Manhattan Project v. the Holocaust) are mutually exclusive? BTW, I agree that we should know more about current genocides. Though, the expression,“Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.” seems apt. Those obsessing over it don’t seem to be doing so well either, if we look at genocide. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/131 "2011-09-08T18:29:47Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Don’t overlook the New York factor. These big media companies have large presences in New York and therefore were more directly impacted by it than say Katrina. Therefore the media probably overplays 9/11 because of it. Thankfully, NYC is by no means oversaturated with maudlin 9/11 crap. I have to believe it’s worse everywhere else. As for Japan just “getting over” the tsunami, well, tell that to [Naoto Kan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoto_Kan), who just lost his job as PM over how he handled the aftermath. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/132 "2011-09-08T18:30:53Z")
> [@cuauhtemoc](#): > > For the people getting mad at the OP, I have a question: > > Is there _any_ amount of 9/11 commemoration that would bug you? Like, suppose I went into every thread on the SDMB and started steering the discussion toward 9/11? “You know, that scene from _Return of the King_ reminds me of 9/11.” “Have you guys noticed that [global warming/the obesity epidemic/rape] has gotten worse since 9/11?” "How can you sit here talking about your cat when _people lost their lives on 9/11?!?!?"_ Would you defend me when I was banned? Why not? Have you no hearts? Do you not even care about our national tragedy? I suppose you’d just like to forget it ever happened, wouldn’t you? You bastards. You’re talking about HIJACKING threads! That would annoy me, but discussions that organically bring 9/11 aren’t objectionable. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/133 "2011-09-08T18:40:58Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > You’re talking about HIJACKING threads! That would annoy me, but discussions that organically bring 9/11 aren’t objectionable. You don’t think those topics organically relate to 9/11? Why? If 9/11 made global warming worse, wouldn’t you want to know about it? Or would you rather stick your fingers in your ears and pretend it’ll just go away, like some happy ending hollywood fairy tale? Why do you hate America? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/134 "2011-09-08T18:47:43Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > we’re just talking about what, maybe 7 to 10 days of news coverage for a major historical event that killed 3,000 people and directly led to two wars that killed many more thousands of Americans, and God freakin’ knows how many other people? [nitpick] 9/11 did not directly lead to two wars. It led to one war, and it wasn’t (isn’t) even a war in Afghanistan. Our going into Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/135 "2011-09-08T19:05:11Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [nitpick] > > 9/11 did not directly lead to two wars. It led to one war, and it wasn’t (isn’t) even a war in Afghanistan. > > Our going into Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. > > [/nitpick] Is it time to argue about what “lead” means? Alcohol never “lead” to a driving fatality, it was the car, assembly lines, dinosaurs, the road, the tires, and the Exxon at which he purchased the gasoline! Without all those things the alcohol couldn’t have “lead” to the crash! -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/136 "2011-09-08T19:19:09Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [nitpick] > Our going into Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. > > [/nitpick] 9/11 didn’t justify our invasion of Iraq. But 9/11 was absolutely used by the promoters of that war as a reason to invade, and I have to admit that that argument unfortunately won the day. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/137 "2011-09-08T19:35:43Z")
[QUOTE=cuauhtemoc] You don’t think those topics organically relate to 9/11? Why? If 9/11 made global warming worse, wouldn’t you want to know about it? Or would you rather stick your fingers in your ears and pretend it’ll just go away, like some happy ending hollywood fairy tale? Why do you hate America? [/QUOTE] _Your Return of the King_ example (haven’t seen movie) is the only one I can plausibly connect ot 9/11. We’ve had alcohol/obesity/etc. for years, and MANY topics can get you banned :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/138 "2011-09-08T19:48:35Z")
One of the reasons we don’t forget 911 is because it has political coinage by some conservatives. Bush, Cheney and Guilliani could not say a paragraph without mentioning it. It justified enormous programs that have been very lucrative. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/139 "2011-09-08T20:13:25Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > _Your Return of the King_ example (haven’t seen movie) is the only one I can plausibly connect ot 9/11. We’ve had alcohol/obesity/etc. for years, and MANY topics can get you banned :rolleyes: I wasn’t talking about being banned for controversy, I was talking about being banned for being a one-trick pony. But forget the SDMB. My question was, is any amount of 9/11 remembrance too much? What if they had a parade down your street every Tuesday, for the Weekiversary of 9/11? Would you have gotten tired of it around week 427? Is it because you don’t appreciate our brave men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line for you every day? I mean, why else wouldn’t you want to commemorate the solemn occasion of the 427th Weekiversary of 9/11? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523/140 "2011-09-08T20:22:06Z")
How much I’d be fine with: Mention in passing on “flat” (not round) anniversaries. Retrospectives in 5 year intervals. I think it will change once Iraq and Afghanistan have stable, peace-loving democracies [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-we-stop-wallowing-in-9-11/595523.md?page=8)