Sep 11 2010
Remembering 9-11
I was not sure what to say this year on this 9th anniversary of 9-11. The nation is in a rut and heading down a bleak path. The political front is anything but serene or positive. And we have Americans who want to recognize this national day of memorial with book burnings, to show they are as intolerant and insecure as the Islamo Fascists that brought us 9-11. I seriously doubt those who have given their lives in our cause on that day in September 2001, and every day since, were fighting so we could become as fanatical and brutal as our enemies. Though many factions on the political fringe do tend to flirt with crossing that line. Maybe it is about time we expected more from ourselves, and demanded it in others.
I think I want to note on this 9-11 what we may have lost since we let go of our collective outrage and fear in the days, months and years after 9-11. We drifted from a sea of American flags unified in cause despite our differences, back to the mindless fight of the hyper partisans who keep trying to yell and brow beat the other side into submission. Under our system of individual rights and our demonstrable will to chart our own individual paths – at times with enormous success and failure – submission to one group’s views of right and acceptable will never happen. Not without the heart of this nation being ripped out in the process. Why can’t we all be what we want to be, and let others do the same? Why can’t we stop trying to use government to control.
I want to recognize what I see as a brilliant piece of writing by Instapundit this week, the esteemed Glenn Reynolds. Glenn wrote about the double standard of the hyper partisan, how one side thinks it can rip the other, then acts all hurt when the tables are turned.
Filthy. Parasites. Disgusting, overbreeding candidates for sterilization and extermination. Possessed of false morals and a “breeding culture.â€
Hitler talking about the Jews? Nope. This is Discovery Channel hostage-taker James Lee talking about … human beings. Compared to Lee, Hitler was a piker, philosophically: Der Fuehrer only wanted to kill those he considered “subhuman.†Lee considered all humans to be subhuman.
Lee was a nut, an eco-freak who said he was inspired by Al Gore’s environmental scare-documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.†His badly written “manifesto†underscores his craziness. He hated “filthy human babies.â€
…
Policing the science is likely to prove difficult. But policing the rhetoric — as American society has long done with expressions of racial hatred or genocidal sentiment — seems well within reach.
In contemporary America, no respectable person would advocate, say, the involuntary sterilization of blacks or Jews. Why, then, should it be any more respectable to advocate the involuntary sterilization of everyone? Or even of those who cause “social deterioration?â€
Likewise, references to particular ethnic or religious groups as “viruses†or “cancers†in need of extirpation are socially unacceptable, triggering immediate thoughts of genocide and mass murder.
Why, then, should it be acceptable to refer to all humanity in this fashion? Does widening the circle of eliminationist rhetoric somehow make it better?
Maybe it is time we started acting like professional adults and stopped calling each other names and smearing their reputation without proof or cause? Maybe we should shun those who cannot control themselves, and remind those who occasionally wander into the cesspool that real patriots are able to make their case without smearing and demeaning the opposing side. Maybe it is time we stop obsessing about humanity as evil.
It is over the top rhetoric, and I am as guilty as anyone else in employing it on occasion. It is sadly easy to paint with a broad brush when discussing motives. Which is why I try to stay focused on results not motives, like failed stimulus bills or government run health care that fails to provide high quality services or save money. As an engineer I am used to having my ideas shot at, and to do some serious shooting at the ideas of others, without it ever being personal. To be able to debate ideas, explore the positives and negatives, to be spectacularly right one moment and just as spectacularly wrong the next, and to do so while never feeling lesser or seeing your fellow debaters as lesser is the signature characteristic of a wise  person. We have lost that skill. The slightest difference is an affront. Religion is an affront. Believing President Obama made a mistake is an affront. Living is an affront to nature.
We have become crass, smart lipped, rude and elitist in our echo-chamber cliques. Sadly, all these are signs of insecurity and arrogance. We don’t need to sink to the lowest rung on the ladder all the time.
I was pondering what I thought and might write about this 9-11, and I went back to look at other anniversary posts I wrote. I was stunned to realize there were so few (out of 1000’s I wrote about 9-11 and its aftermath). Â They are interesting for me, a reminder of the political battles that raged inside the nation as we fought off our enemies outside. They only reminded me that we once were much more unified as a people, more optimistic, more energized.
Below are the posts for anyone interested. I am especially fond of the post where bloggers had to research and write about one of the thousands of 9-11 victims. It was an amazing collective act of patriotism I was proud to be a small part of.
Come this November, when DC is cleared again of hyper partisans run amok and lost in their little power trips, we can begin to refocus our energies. This time not on war or tearing each other down, but on building a better future here in America, in Iraq and in Afghanistan (since we have to finish what we started).
After all, isn’t that what we would all prefer to be doing with our lives?
Beginning A Long Farewell With A 9-11 Salute To President George W Bush – 2008
Anniversary Of 9-11 – 2007
Paul Laszczynski, 9-11 Hero – 2006
You Can Never Go Back – 2006
Really, AJ. Must you discuss on this day of all days yet another ideological killer? Or as is the case, a would be killer. Your post is very uplifting but the world will not be singing kumbala around the campfire any time soon no matter how much the dims in DC are knocking themselves out to accomplish this. This will never, ever happen.
I don’t advocate the death of anyone, but I do dislike the ruling class in DC. What are we supposed to do when our leaders push anti American laws down our throats, completely ignoring the Constitution on which this country was founded and has thrived? Make excuses for them and turn the other cheek? Also, I do dislike the liberal democrats with their heads in the sand and or in collusion with our enemies. I realize that is a generalization but everyone who belongs to the democrat party and votes along party lines is either an instigator or an enabler. I dislike organizations like Code Pink and Answer and other like organizations. They are communist organizations whose goal is to bring down our country to its knees. I dislike organizations like the New Black Panther party, Nation of Islam and La Raza. They too want to destroy our country. No, I don’t advocate their deaths, but I do want them out of power. If this is extreme rhetoric and makes me a hater, then so be it. All these people I named are entitled to their opinions but they don’t have the right to infringe on the rights of others and certainly don’t have the right to cause civil disobedience with their violent protests that accomplish nothing except looting and other crimes.
Babara,
There is a huge spectrum between singing kumbaya and being respectful adults. At least some of us know it exists.
No need to go into full panic mode, it is a day of remembrance, including all we have achieved.
AJ, as you might suspect, I am 100% with Barbara.
RE:9/11, I am proud to remember all my fellow citizens who were killed on 9/11/01 and am proud to remember what I said and felt on that day. I went outside and raised my eyes to the heavens and prayed as strongly as I have ever prayed and with more passion to the Angels and to our Maker for bold actions and protection for our beloved America. Threatening and attacking America will not stand.
Strength and boldness are American hallmarks and Lord help us, we will restore these (among other things) on Nov. 2., for a strong America = a stronger world and a BETTER world. What other nation can boast of this?
And for those who can’t handle a strong America: Get over it… For “it is not enlightened [for America] to shrink so that others may feel more secure”(my version of this quote.)
G-d bless my beloved America, the Beautiful. And G-d bless all in New York, The Pentagon and on Flight 93 and their families and friends who are grieving this day. And for all who helped out on that horrific day.
[…] more… Nine years later … – hotair.com 09/11/2010 The new normal. more… Remembering 9-11 – strata-sphere.com 09/11/2010 I was not sure what to say this year on this 9th anniversary […]
Steve Cooper, who posts at a blog called conservativemonster
reminds us of the seriousness of this day, by which I mean 9/11 – 2010
I will post his text here because I think it is so important, and because he explains it better than I can:
By Steve Cooper
The Conservative Monster.com
The center of global terrorism is not in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan or the Chechen Republic. The terrorist infection is spread worldwide from Lubyanka Square and the Kremlin cabinet. – Alexander Litvinenko, (Former KGB agent assassinated in England)
The meaning of Islam is “to submit”. Saying “Never Forget” is not enough, it is just a phrase, because the real agenda here is to hold a sword to your child’s throat to force them to convert to Islam. Now THAT is something you will “Never Forget.” 9/11 was not the end; it was just the beginning. – Steve Cooper
The final stage of the war against capitalism kicked off on 9/11/01, but I am really the only person to ever express it this way. Sure, others have stated that Bin Laden wanted to undermine the “financial system of the USA”, but they are missing the deeper meaning.
IRAN was behind 9/11 and they acted out on behalf of the International Muslim and Marxist movement that has united to destroy the USA and Israel. The truther movement is part of the radical left, but they are calling themselves patriots and conservatives for the purpose of deception. They are useful idiots and agents of misinformation for the enemy. The 9/11 truther movement has fooled many people and they are undermining the Tea Party movement as well.
We are not fighting a bare foot Muslim in a cave. This is state sponsored terrorism and Russia, China, Iran, Syria, North Korean, Venezuela and Brazil just to name a few that are part of the machine that is backing Al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas. The American left and the wealthy elite are also part of this movement as well. This is why the defend Islam with such determination, because they are being used as a battering ram to destroy freedom and capitalism.
The goal of 9/11 (as have been stated by Soviet defectors in the past) was to:
Shatter the U.S. economy and weaken the dollar
Drag the U.S. Military into bloody wars
Spread the U.S. Military thin, globally
The Russian Newspaper Pravda did a report July 2001, warning the Russian people to withdraw any investments that they might have in the dollar, because an “attack on the American financial system” was coming from “Shadow Forces”. Tatyana Koryagina predicted that the U.S. financial system would be attacked on Aug. 19th, 2001.
I do not know about you people, but I find it is very suspicious that Koryagina’s prediction was so close to the 9/11 date.
Russia had prior knowledge of 9/11
Analysis Based on Rumors by JR Nyquist
Bush, Putin, NATO and Pre-9/11
Bin Laden Hiding in Iran? Iran linked to 9/11?
If Nukes go off, will it be Russian Spetsnaz that Detonates them?
The Russian and Iranian Axis of Evil executed 9/11?
Viktor Suvorov was Russian Special Forces (GRU) soldier that defected from the Soviet Union.
A quote from the text of Viktor Suvorov’s Spetsnaz.
[Widespread terrorist and sabotage operations in advance of World War III] are known officially in the GRU as the “preparatory period,” and unofficially as the “overture.” The overture is a series of large and small operations the purpose of which is, before actual military operations begin, to weaken the enemy’s morale, create an atmosphere of suspicion, fear and uncertainty, and divert the attention of the enemy’s armies and police forces to a huge number of different targets, each of which may be the object of the next attack.
The overture is carried out by agents of the secret services of the Soviet satellite countries and by mercenaries recruited by intermediaries. The principal method employed at this stage is “gray terror,” that is, a kind of terror which is not conducted in the name of the Soviet Union. The Soviet secret services do not at this stage leave their visiting cards, or leave other people’s cards. The terror is carried out in the name of already existing extremist groups not connected in any way with the Soviet Union, or in the name of fictitious organizations.
and what about Iran?
Soon Iran will detonate nukes in NYC, DC, London, Tel Aviv and San Francisco,
and yet no one will say boo to a goose.
After that, predictions will be of no use.
Save your lectures for another day, people … Just wish… as I do… that you had 1/20th the guts of this man …
.
http://www.mudvillegazette.com/archives/000307.html
Like most of my fellow Americans, I still remember that day very vivdly…
I had a radio and a computer with an internet connection in my office (as I do today). I usually caught up on the news during the morning, and remembered first hearing about a plane (they initially reported a small plane) hitting the world trade center. Well, that’s unusual I thought…checked some internet news site for photos. But then the radio reports started coming faster…a second plane had hit the other tower, people in NYC were panicking. What was this?? Suddenly, I couldn’t get to the news web sites on the internet due to the tremendous traffic. So I listened to the radio – they all had interrupted their regular programming and were reporting non-stop on the incident. Then I heard the Pentagan had been hit too!! What the hell is going on here?? I remember being shaken as I went to a scheduled meeting that morning and trying to talk to someone about work…I could hardly speak. Later, I found out about the plane going down in Pennsylvania, and that the entire air traffic system was grounded indefinitely. We were at war…but with who?? Everything was confusing..the President and vice-President were being moved for their safety…the news reporters were in a panic as they reported the mayhem in NYC and DC. Then…the speculation began to emerge that these incidents were pre-planned acts of terrorism by islamic extremists. Nothing could be confirmed…it was coming too fast. Later, we all found out from President’s speech to the nation that this new enemy was called “Al Qaeda” and the principal mastermind of the 9/11 horror was someone name “Osama Bin Laden”.
I was glued to the TV and radio reports for days thereafter. I remember seeing the reports of people jumping out of the buildings…and getting very angry.
Of course, the rest, as they say, is history. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the constant fear of new attacks, the hell that was visited on President Bush by the Democrats and MSM for trying to take steps to keep us safe. I can say that the nauseating partisanship and recklessness displayed by the mainstream media was the beginning of end for my trust in ABCNBCCBSCNN…or the NYT/WAPO/USATODAY…never again would I knowingly support their product!
So, on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of 9/11, I’d like to say thanks and God bless to all of the brave men and women who gave their lives saving others on 9/11, and those in our military who fought (and continue to fight) to keep us safe.
May we always remember…
What I learned on 9/11 is the that things can always be worse. At 8:47 AM on that day I was in my car only vaguely enjoying the beautiful September day and fretting over some unpleasant things I needed to do in the office and a few minutes later I was frantically searching the web trying to get into news sites to try and figure out what was going on, what had happened, and then I went home and stayed glued to the TV trying to catch every scrap of information and I had completely forgotten whatever petty annoyances that had been on mind earlier that morning.
So yes, we’ve got some problems right now in this country and we’re fighting with each other over some trivial and some not to so trivial stuff and sometimes we’re acting like idiots when we do it. But it could always be worse. Because it was that day, we found out just how horrific it can be.
So I for one appreciate our divisions and our disunity and whatever IS right now in this country, the good, the bad and the ugly, all of it. Because at least it’s not having to endure an attack on our country. I am determined to be grateful as much as I can be for what we have and what we struggle for, even if the struggle is sometimes bitter and we don’t always treat each other very well. Because it could always be worse.
Every day is a blessing. It could be gone in an instant.
Archtop (and with minimal respect to BarbaraS and others),
Yes, remember the fallen, and remember those who sacrificed to really change the world in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And remember the families of our military who have put their own children or spouses on the line for freedom.
As the father of a US Recon Marine, who never expected on 9/11 to be one of those risking all that is dear for freedom – never forget the price paid. And never give in to the armchair critics, who can play games with other peoples’ lives.
Doginblue,
I agree, our strength is in accepting our diversity and our imperfections with pride and honor. And what we have learned from 9-11 is exactly how you summed it up – it can all be gone in the instant of a mistake, a wrong conclusion, and easy out.
And Obama took the wrong conclusion and an easy out through his speech at Pentagon yesterday. I don’t think many Americans appreciated this one comment.