With the anniversary of the terror attacks on our stoop, it is natural that we would want to reflect on that awful day. However, I think that all that we have done in the past year is ruminate on how the attacks have effected us. In fact, this country seems to have been stuck in a pepertual state of mourning since that day, and I think its time to move forward. Of course, having the economy go down the toilet and have the amount of corporate crime that was uncovered gave us all a secondary blow, but we as a country have lost any vision or hope of an upbeat future. All we hear is how we must be prepared for hard times and that the "war" on terror must take first place over any other priorites. We as a country have had distasters that have affected us in the past, like Pearl Harbor and JFK's assasination. However, those who were alive during those times managed to get up and move again in a short period of time. I sort of wonder if this generation has any of that energy to do the same thing. So, like most of you, I will meditate on Wednesday for those who lost their lives last year, but I will begin to look forward to a great and happy future. I hope that the those of us in the US will do that too. Not exactly a political subject, just something I have been mulling over the past few weeks. Cheers, Bill
I think most Americans outside of New York have moved on. However, there are powerful interests that require a continued dependence on those events, whether it is a media that wants you to keep watching news programs or a government that wants to enrich its own power.
"Any of that energy to do the same thing"? Like what? Wage four years of all-out war? What are you talking about? Do you recall what happened after Pearl Harbor? They got up and moved alright. Breathe, man, breathe! You're fading out on me!
I think most people have. Even in NYC. The only ones still traumatized are the ones who were in the towers or the ones who lost someone. The ones who lost people will be traumatized no matter wether it was a car accident, murder, or terrorism. It's really not that many people(in the big picture) still traumatized when you add it up. I think the ones who really are responsible for this thing getting drawn out are the media. They keep talking about it, doing investigations, reporting on EVERY memorial there is. It's so freaking irrelevant because none of it is real news, its just all to keep you glued to the tv. Much like the shark attacks were and kidnapping are this year.
I'll treat it like just another day and that seems to be the attitude of everyone around me. At the risk of sounding cold, I'm glad the anniversary on a weekday so most people will have more immediate matters on their mind. I will also be avoiding the TV - it was painful enough just being in New York that day and the last thing I want to do is relive it.
Media competition is so fierce that they're desperate for anything to get people watching. This, unfortunately, has so deluged us with these tragedies that many Americans just can't care anymore. You just can't work up the emotions to care when you've been so saturated in it for so long. The way I see it (through the media's eyes) is that 1) I can't go swimming cuz the sharks'll get me, 2) I can't go camping cuz all the forests are burnt down, 3) I can't have a backyard bbq cuz I'll contract West Nile virus, and 4) I can't breathe cuz Iraq has so many biochemical weapons. Basically, LIFE IS DANGEROUS! DON'T GO OUT! STAY HOME AND WATCH MORE NEWS CUZ WE'VE GOT ALL THE DETAILS (ad naseum...)!
> You just can't work up the emotions to care > when you've been so saturated in it for so long. It is part of human nature. I read somewhere that if there is a tragic event that does not directly impact you, within 6 weeks at most it no longer has an effect. This was Bush's great failing. In those 6 weeks, he had free reign to do whatever he wanted. He could have said "This attack is a symptom of a dangerous world - it is now our mission to reshape the world as we see fit" and go invade anyone he wanted to. That's what I would have done.