When it comes to September 11, 2001, there are two types of people in this country. There are those who are still reacting to it and think it should be used as a primer for action by our government and by society, in general. These people use it as an excuse and a crutch and, in so doing, they have corrupted a national tragedy and muddied this country's good name, both domestically and internationally. For these folks, 9/11 is a lens through which we should view everything that happens in the world; black and white, but no gray area.
There are also those who look at it for what it was: a horrific spectacle of hate and jealousy of our society realized by 19 maniacs who used religion to justify their disgusting action. This latter group was effected by 9/11 when it happened and immediately thereafter (how could they not be?) and were hoping it would be springboard for action in this country, much like Pearl Harbor was in 1941. But, when 9/11 was so obviously politicized and, by not joining the giant lynch mob, they were ostracized by the self-declared "mainstream", 9/11 quickly became for these people a wasted opportunity.
At the risk of sounding unpatriotic and unsympathetic, I am one of the latter. While an innocent naiveté was lost in me when I saw the second tower erupt in a fiery blaze that morning, a sort of righteous pride in my country was born that I had never known before. I said to myself, "This is our generation's Pearl Harbor, Kennedy assassination, and Challenger explosion all wrapped into one." As a senior in college engaged in a job search, I quickly turned my focus to Washington. At that time, I was galvanized.
Even though I was much younger (mentally, emotionally, and physically), I knew our country had become lazy after 10 years as the world's top dog. I was hoping that this would be the catalyst to whip us back into shape and bring back the can-do attitude and wherewithal to start fixing the big cracks in our society. But, it didn't take long for me to notice that our government was going to politically milk this for everything it was worth and do nothing to inspire motivation, innovation, and the general American spirit among our citizens. But, it also showed how decadent and complacent our society had become.
Compared to Pearl Harbor, another turning point for American innocence, 9/11 shows that the selfless and tested Americans of 1941 have yielded to Americans who are spoiled and self-entitled. Pearl Harbor jump-started the capacity for American production and innovation; 9/11 added to Americans' already overwhelming credit card debt ("Everything will be fine. Go ye forth and shop!") The widows for Pearl Harbor never sued the government and got millions of dollars. FDR didn't use the national tragedy to belittle and neuter his political opponents.
It is true that our government cynically used 9/11 to ruthlessly advance its partisan agenda, but it is squarely the American public's fault for letting them do so. Our world of instant gratification and uninhibited selfishness simply did not enable 9/11 to become the opportunity it could have been. Thus, as a country, we are much worse off than we were seven years ago. Instead of coming together, we responded to 9/11 by tearing each other apart, if and when we were paying attention.
So, when the news media is spending the entire day harping on that terrible day, through cheesy montages and melancholy musical overtones, and both candidates are proselytizing on their respective stumps from Ground Zero, think back to the way you felt when you saw the towers fall. It might inspire in you the damaged pride and love for this country you felt seven years ago and reinforce for you the tremendous opportunity for change that awaits us on November 4, regardless of the candidate for President. Stay classy, America.
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