September 11, 2002. The one year anniversary of a tragedy that should not have happened. Today marks a day that was predicted last year to unite a nation and bring us together against our common enemies. Today marks the death of over 6000 individuals who did nothing more then go to their jobs like they did every day.
Someone asked me yesterday if I was fearful of September 11th and of what kind of attacks may happen on this one year anniversary. I'm not scared, there is nothing to be scared about. The U.S. is just waiting for a reason to kick everyone's ass in the middle east. Nobody is that dumb, not even fanatical terrorists.
But I do not want to write this blog today in tribute of those who died on September 11th in New York City at the Twin Towers. All of those victims, firemen, and other safety workers deserve to be remembered, but i'm sure the media has done a great job with that. I want to write this tribute to those who might just be haplessly lumped with those victims in new york: The victims of the planes, the victims in Washington DC, and the victims of the aftermath.
It is not that the media forgets those individuals, but the sake of simplicity does them no justice. How many times have you heard "All those who died on September 11th"? Now, how many times do you think "New York, Twin Towers"? Yesterday I was watdching a news tribute where they were talking about how the plane hit the second tower, and the realization that people in the towers were going to die hit them.
What about the people in the plane? They died INSTANTLY. They died helplessly knowing they were going to die. I'm sure the first plane that hit the towers was completely clueless. Maybe they had an inkling of an idea that something would happen, but they really didn't know what. But the second plane... i'm sure when they were circling in to hit, they knew they were aiming for that second tower... especially when they could all see the first tower engulfed in flames. How horrible is it to know you're going to die, and not have anyway of stoping it. It's shameful that the media treats the planes as if they were emtpy, with no souls that deserved such a fate.
Secondly, the victims of Washington, DC. They will be remembered, it is true, but only in DC, perhaps, only in the confines of the pentagon. Other then that, they are lumped as "victims of 9-11". It's not justifiable. They died thinking they were in the safest place in the world, the DEFENSE department of america. The HEADQUARTERS of the military. How can the survivors work their if they have to fear for their lives, knowing that even there, they are not completely safe?
Lastly, what about those victims of racial hate crimes simply because they look middle eastern? Sure, the government and the media did their best to let it be known to people that those in America should not be treated as terrorists, but how do you absorb that kind of information when the terrorists were living in america to plan all of that? Will those handful of victims be remembered? Or will they be left out the next generation of history books, so that our children will not learn how wrong it is to hate someone just because of the way they look?
Of course, there are those who will be remembered besides those in NYC. The victims and heroes of the plane who crashed themselves in order to keep the white house from getting hit will be dedicated everywhere. My only fear is that their tribute will be shadowed by the efforts to remember the victims of the twin towers.
I'd like to take this moment to point all of my faithful readers to my post on September 11, 2001. I think I summed up how I felt pretty much last year. As I am numb to all the exposure of 9-11 (since i worked in DC at the time), i won't make anymore tributes. The media and everyone else is already doing their part. I just want to make sure the other victims of the event will be remember.
Let America be as one, so that our past will lead us to the future.
Someone asked me yesterday if I was fearful of September 11th and of what kind of attacks may happen on this one year anniversary. I'm not scared, there is nothing to be scared about. The U.S. is just waiting for a reason to kick everyone's ass in the middle east. Nobody is that dumb, not even fanatical terrorists.
But I do not want to write this blog today in tribute of those who died on September 11th in New York City at the Twin Towers. All of those victims, firemen, and other safety workers deserve to be remembered, but i'm sure the media has done a great job with that. I want to write this tribute to those who might just be haplessly lumped with those victims in new york: The victims of the planes, the victims in Washington DC, and the victims of the aftermath.
It is not that the media forgets those individuals, but the sake of simplicity does them no justice. How many times have you heard "All those who died on September 11th"? Now, how many times do you think "New York, Twin Towers"? Yesterday I was watdching a news tribute where they were talking about how the plane hit the second tower, and the realization that people in the towers were going to die hit them.
What about the people in the plane? They died INSTANTLY. They died helplessly knowing they were going to die. I'm sure the first plane that hit the towers was completely clueless. Maybe they had an inkling of an idea that something would happen, but they really didn't know what. But the second plane... i'm sure when they were circling in to hit, they knew they were aiming for that second tower... especially when they could all see the first tower engulfed in flames. How horrible is it to know you're going to die, and not have anyway of stoping it. It's shameful that the media treats the planes as if they were emtpy, with no souls that deserved such a fate.
Secondly, the victims of Washington, DC. They will be remembered, it is true, but only in DC, perhaps, only in the confines of the pentagon. Other then that, they are lumped as "victims of 9-11". It's not justifiable. They died thinking they were in the safest place in the world, the DEFENSE department of america. The HEADQUARTERS of the military. How can the survivors work their if they have to fear for their lives, knowing that even there, they are not completely safe?
Lastly, what about those victims of racial hate crimes simply because they look middle eastern? Sure, the government and the media did their best to let it be known to people that those in America should not be treated as terrorists, but how do you absorb that kind of information when the terrorists were living in america to plan all of that? Will those handful of victims be remembered? Or will they be left out the next generation of history books, so that our children will not learn how wrong it is to hate someone just because of the way they look?
Of course, there are those who will be remembered besides those in NYC. The victims and heroes of the plane who crashed themselves in order to keep the white house from getting hit will be dedicated everywhere. My only fear is that their tribute will be shadowed by the efforts to remember the victims of the twin towers.
I'd like to take this moment to point all of my faithful readers to my post on September 11, 2001. I think I summed up how I felt pretty much last year. As I am numb to all the exposure of 9-11 (since i worked in DC at the time), i won't make anymore tributes. The media and everyone else is already doing their part. I just want to make sure the other victims of the event will be remember.
Let America be as one, so that our past will lead us to the future.
posted by Allen M @ 9/11/2002 03:33:00 PM
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