Rest In Peace
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in History, The War On Terrorism
Five years later, the words “nine eleven” still make me cringe every time I hear them. For many generations, it’s the day that changed everything.
So to all of you who lost someone on that day or lost someone who fought the war on terrorism, my thoughts are with you.
And for anybody who feels the need, please leave your thoughts below in the comments section.
This entry was posted on Monday, September 11th, 2006 and is filed under History, The War On Terrorism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
September 11th, 2006 at 7:16 am
Things I won’t forget about 9-11. The 32 souls whom before that day were friends and business associates, who never walked out of those buildings. Waking up to a fog of cement dust (I’ll never forget that smell) that was through my apartment the morning after, since I left my windows open the night before when the air seemed too crisp and clear not to care. The endless candles placed on lamp posts, especially on Houston and 6th (so furious they took it down months later). The police barricades that blocked off Chinatown… the ceramic well wishes from Our Name is Mud on Greenwich… which are still there for everyone to see.
But most importantly, I’ll never forget the sense of pain I felt once the conservatives stole this day from us, and turned it into a wrath of ungodliness that my children and grandchildren will pay forever more…
September 11th, 2006 at 10:46 am
Today I am mourning our losses as well as the future we face as a nation that is so incredibly divided.
I hope all are doing as well as they can today. I know it’s a rough one.
September 11th, 2006 at 3:11 pm
To be honest what I think of now when I hear the words nine eleven, is GWB turning it in to a bludgeon to use against political opponents.
September 11th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
rob -
So you don’t think about how 19 men boarded planes and committed mass murder? You only think of Bush and partisan politics? That’s truly sad.
September 11th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
No, Monica what’s truly sad is that an American president has taken his office so lightly. We should be united today and dealing with this. We are not and we are not. Bush and his policies and politics are the reason for this. History will not be kind to him, nor should we.
And if you think I’m being harsh I’m tired of spending the last five years being called an “appeaser” or an “enabler” or a “terrorist-lover” or “un-american” by a party whose support of Bush and his failed policies does not preclude kicking half of our citizens in the teeth everytime we open our mouths. And the worst part is we are always right and they are the ones always lying. Their only response is to attack fellow Americans - it’s all they’ve got since they certainly haven’t gone after the real killers. (”You know, I just don’t think about him much…He’s just not that important.” Bush on Bin Laden, 2002)
September 11th, 2006 at 4:40 pm
Sure is…But when that’s all I’ve heard for the last 5 years, eventually it sinks in.
I also read your post earlier where you blamed both parties for turning 911 into a “polictical wedge issue”. I don’t find that credible. That may make you feel centrist, but it doen’t make it true.
September 11th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
A small quibble Justin -
“For many generations, it’s the day that changed everything.” just does not make sense.
“For many generations to come, it will be the day that changed everything.”
I agree, in exactly the same way as was said of Pearl Harbour, Dresden, Coventry and Hiroshima.
Monica, I am so glad that you said “19 men”, rather than “Islam” or a similar aggregation.
I want to think of a positive; something that can still emerge from the ashes of 9/11. Memories in brick and steel and concrete and death are not the greatest memorials that can be fashioned. The memory of the lives that are cut short should be the greatest mover.
I hope, perhaps against all hope, that there will be a lesson learned.
That lesson is the realisation that not one of us on this planet is immune nor protected from the actions of others; no matter who they might be or what action they might take; no matter what justification or rationale might be given; no matter how right we might be told they are, or how wrong.
That lesson is the realisation that every action we take - as individuals, as families, as nations - will impact in some small way on the lives of everyone else on this planet; for good or for not; miniscule or global.
There are consequences to every action.
September 11th, 2006 at 7:06 pm
Eural -
I don’t know how to respond to your post as I have no idea where you’re coming from. You’ve obviously had a rough five years. I hope the scars that were created during that time start to heal. It seems we all need healing, really.
rob -
I don’t claim to be a centrist, nor have I ever had the need to make myself feel like a centrist, liberal, or a conservative. That was a perplexing thing for you to say.
It makes me sad that that people see and use 9/11 as a political issue. We’ve really lost our way.
September 11th, 2006 at 9:11 pm
What’s sad is that 9/11 has been made into a political issue. I believe that the current administration is the maker, as they have invoked “9/11″ to obtain their political goals: war in Iraq, The Patriot Act, warrantless wiretaps, incarceration without due process rights, and last but not least, their move to increase their executive powers beyond the limits of the Constitution.
September 11th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
Why are we as Americans afraid to say who commits acts of terrorism? It is fundamentalist Muslims. Period. They may be from any number of countries but they have one inescapable commonality. Fundamentalist Islam. period. ALL fundamentalist Muslims are dedicated to the destruction of the West. They state this fact daily. Why don’t we believe them? “Convert or die”….seems pretty plain to me.
September 12th, 2006 at 7:12 am
mikegothro I do agree with your assessment - fundamentalism of any stripe tends towards dangerous extremes (duh!) - and Islamic fundamentalism is the current extreme we are faced with (at least in a violent, life-threatening manner). But lets not forget the other terrorist out there who don’t fall under that label but still take lives - Timothy McVeigh, abortion clinic-bombers and neo-nazi fascist groups to name just a few. Didn’t Belgium just bust a rather large cell of fascists who were planning an attack? Terrorism is terrorism regardless of who committs it. Our “news” just isn’t interested unless its Muslims.
September 12th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
Eural, 99% not 100%.
You missed out Christian Fundamentalists…