Real Kato Blog: 9/11

Just taking a moment to remember.

It's the fourth anniversary of the day that probably marks as the single worst day in most of our lives (except now, perhaps, for the folks living in New Orleans). I've been thinking about why it was such a singular event, when there have been other tragedies that have touched us more directly, or that have cost more lives.

I think the reason is that it made us realize that we are vulnerable. We'd been living in peace and prosperity, and we'd come to think of ourselves as safe from that kind of attack. I think the shock of the realization was the thing that hit us the hardest. If another terrorist attack of the same magnitude occurred again today, no doubt we'd be horrified and upset, but perhaps not to the same degree as we were in 2001.

I remember 9/11 vividly, as I'm sure most people do. I was going into work late, after 9:00 a.m., and before leaving home I checked the Internet for news as I usually do. There was a brief report: "Plane crashes into World Trade Center". I said "WHAT?!", but chalked it up to a tragic accident. I listened to the news on the radio on the way into work, and for a while no one seemed to be able to figure out what was going on. And then the news came that a second plane had hit the other tower, and it became painfully and horrifically clear what was happening.

The consequences that 9/11 have had upon us, as a nation, have been heavy. We have spent billions on "the war on terror" since then, perhaps unproductively. (An analysis from Dr. Erica Frank shows that if we'd spent the same money on disease prevention or basic services, we'd probably have saved more lives.) Thousands of soldiers have died in a war on Iraq, which was triggered and justified by 9/11. A presidential election has turned largely based on this event.

But perhaps, if to find the barest of silver linings, we can also say that Americans are now more knowledgeable about world politics, and that we've been shaken out of our complacency. We can no longer take the view that events halfway around the world do not have an effect on our own lives. And maybe because of that, we're more sensitive to things like the tsunami in Asia and the hurricane in New Orleans. Maybe some of the success of my Katrina Aid Meme can be attributed to our new-found sensitivity.

Of course we all wish 9/11 had never happened. But let's not use it as the jingoistic justification for politically-motivated wars, as a reason for religious persecution, or as a pretext for tearing down our own civil liberties. Instead, let us take what lessons we can from it, and make sure we end up being a better country as a result of it. We owe the victims at least that much.

Permalink 1 Comment

Posted by Ken in: commentary, politics

Comments

Comment #1 from Speaker (Guest)
2005 Sep 11 - 8:13 pm : #

i remember it vividly too....though 4 years? that's unreal.... it seems like it just happened but in that time i've gotten married, been so three years...i guess that makes sense if it was a year before...but four!? before you know it 5 then 10 years. is it one of those events that will just always be so vivid that it seems like it just happened?

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