9/11

[swestrup]

Lots of people wrote about September 11th, 2001 yesterday and I didn't. Anything I might have said could so easily have been taken the wrong way, and I didn't want to challenge anyone else's point of view with my own. That said, I do have a point of view and maybe the day after is a more appropriate time to post it.

The thing is, when I turned on the TV that fateful morning and saw the ongoing attacks, my first reaction after OMG was "Someone's finally done it." I'd been half expecting something of the kind for well over a decade. That doesn't mean it wasn't a shock, or wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't unexpected. Terrorism is a fact of life throughout most of the world and the USA is one of the most hated countries, so it had long been expected by me.

Don't get me wrong; I do feel for the 8000 or so victims who died that day. I just don't feel any more, or any less, for them individually than I do for the victims of the Black July pogroms, the 2002 Bali Bombing, or the Madrid Train Bombing. Somehow, singling out that one major attack on the US seems, to me, disrespectful of all of the victims of terrorism over the last hundred years that we don't bother to stop and remember.

Its as if we're saying that 9/11 was the first terrorist act that mattered, just because it happened in the US. Now, if there was a movement to dedicate 9/11 to the memory of ALL the victims of organized violence the world over, rather than to just one particular act, I might feel compelled to mark it on my callendar and pause on that day to remember them. As is, it just seems so horribly self-indulgent that I don't want anything to do with it.

Comments

[kishiriadgr.livejournal.com]

I flat-out refused to acknowledge September 11 in my LJ. I refused to the point that I didn't even mention that I wouldn't do it. And I agree with you.

[thebabynancy.livejournal.com]

There are many events throughout history worthy of writing about... Canadian, and otherwise... but at this point in time... and likely for many years to come... I do not see myself putting pen to paper, as it were... and spouting off about it.


My view is... it happened... and we have only begun to have our senses stimulated/bombarded by the fall-out and ramifications. I see nothing positive in a post-9/11 world. And I believe that a large portion, if not all, of our innocence was lost that day.


For me, it's hard to talk about 9/11 without blaming the Bush administration. For me, it's hard to talk about 9/11 without launching into a rant about the brand of democracy attemoting to be spread throughout the middle east. For me, it's hard to talk about 9/11 without looking to my neighbours to the south and thinking better than 50% of them in a negative way. For me, it's hard to talk about 9/11. But there are people who sound off about the events leading up to, and the day of... and everything thereafter. And I prefer to simply read and comment... rather than actually post about it.


Don't get me wrong, I sympathise, and I mourn... but I refuse to let it consume my thoughts or my day-to-day life any more than it already does.

[thebabynancy.livejournal.com]

attempting*

[jdhobbes.livejournal.com]

On the day, I remember thinking "This is what you get for meddling in other people's affairs."

But it was the beginning of a horrible few years for everyone and I remember wondering if we would survive it all. In the end, many of us are still kicking around, although the world seems a scarier place to be.

But to me, 5 years ago marked the end of a personal era for me. 8 days after September 11th, I got laid-off from my dream job. The depression that set in after that took me 3 years to recognize and the better part of 4.5 years to climb out of.

September 2001 was the worst month ever for me for so many reasons.

[azrhey.livejournal.com]

3000, not 8000.

And by Halloween or so the usa will have lots more soldiers in Iraq than on 9/11.

In fact they already have, but they dont count all the dead, just the dead in combat scenes. so if they are evac'd and die in a hospital they are not considered KIA for statisticall purposes.

So humm..yeah.

I dont excuse the heads of terrorist groups, or those, like OBL who have money and a good life. But I do understand the psychology of suicide bombers and I do understand the motives of terrorism.

I new a Palestinian man once his brother one afternoon was driving from his small village to the nearby city of Ramalla because his wife was about to give birth. An about 2kms drive. But they were stopped at a roadblock. And told to take another street about 500m from the hospital. They did and at the other street there was a road block. And they took their time in checking the papers while his wife was half giving birth in the backseat. Unfortunately he had his papers but the wife having left home with her waters broken and all didnt. so they didnt let her pass. Complications and what not by the time the guy ran to the hospital to get a dr back to the check point her wife he hemorraging, ended up dying and the baby a few days later.
My friends brother blew himself up a few weeks later.


Of course not all have such a blatant excuse, and some do it for the 72 virgins and what not... but if I were in that man's place I think i'd blow myself up too.


What annoys me most about all the 9/11 drama is how we are starting to havve to right wing groups in the states cheering up for the other 9/11. When USA-sponsored Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected Allende in Chile.
Because Allende was a Socialist I have been seing cheers for that in a few right-wing and republican forums I monitor.

of course then you have the crazies who think the only reason 9/11 happened was Islam's retaliation for yet another 9/11, The Battle of Vienna in 1683.

So, yeah, world? full of nuts!

I could go on for a while like that...

[baronscartop.livejournal.com]

Yes. Thank you.

It reassures me to know some people out there still have sense.

t!

[sps.livejournal.com]

Yes.