September 11th: I'm NOT Over it? Are You?

by gryphon | September 11, 2007 at 09:50 am

558 views | 7 Recommendations | 6 comments

Below is my response to one of our own on Now Public. On this day, such an important day in the history of my country, the United Sates of America, commemorating the loss of so many innocent lives across the country, I will not stand by and allow others to disgrace September 11th, 2001 with ignorant statements.

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I am responding to these comments about 9/11 Events in New York:

http://www.nowpublic.com/life/9-11-nyc#comment-36488

I don’t know you well, and from your profile it seems you have been in NYC a while, perhaps a bit too long. I'm sure you are an intelligent person but what you wrote is absolutely the dumbest thing I have read from you. Not only is it poor journalism, but insulting, and completely inappropriate.

"nobody I know is planning to go to any of them."

-When I read this I thought of immature kids who don't do things that are unpopular, and thought of reminding you that YOU can participate in these important events, even if New Yorkers are not participating, but as I read further I realized you have your reasons for not participating.

"For one thing, it's raining right now For another, we're kind of over it -- except for the people who lost loved ones"

-Its raining. And here we thought New Yorkers were tough. They stand in the middle of Times Square freezing their butts of at midnight on Jan 1, but warm autumn rain is too much to commemorate the most important tragedy to befall your city in the last what century, or longer? But its not just rain, "we're kind of over it" yeah its not really cool to be mourning people anymore, that was so last year...actually so six years ago...Just impossible for me to understand how as someone who lives in the city that lost so much, you can be 'over it' dismissing the event and significance like a piece of trash. But, you still seem to remember that someone died 'people who lost loved ones.' Why bother, remembering at all Brian? Its raining, you are over it, and hey no one is doing it (this remembering stuff) any more anyway...

"the major lingering emotion for us is anger and embarrassment -- specifically, over the giant hole in the ground down on Wall Street"

-You should really be embarrassed about this statement. I certainly am angry enough for both of us that some one can even write something as audacious as this on September 11th. This is what you care about? Is it the bad aesthetics created by the 'hole'? Maybe you are inconvenienced with the construction trucks, railings and congestion caused by the people working on the 'hole'? Or maybe you don’t like the reminder that something bad happened there. Certainly, it would be great if we could just build something, anything really, so that we would not have to look at it, and be reminded. After all, the stereotype of Americans having short memories and just wanting to be happy, not sad, must come from somewhere, right?

"we can't build a skyscraper in six?"

Hmm. I bet if instead of fighting this war on 'so called terror' we used the soldiers and money to work on the 'hole' we could have built a really cool skyscraper by now. Just outrageous that you could even whine and complain about something like this. Certainly, you as a New Yorker, know better than most about the difficulty in investigating the terrorist attack six years ago today, to the minute? Certainly, you know how difficult it was to recover the remains of those 'loved ones.' Certainly you know what a huge project it was to clean the site and prepare it for a new project. Certainly you know about the politics of selecting the most appropriate project to commemorate 9/11 with a memorial and create an efficient space at the same time. And certainly, you know what a large operation it will be to rebuild in that tight space. or maybe, your just 'over it' and don’t bother to think at all before you write.

"No amount of politically motivated Remembering Our Fallen Heroes-type events is going to make us stop being ticked off about that."

- 'Politically motivated remembering' wow. I guess that whole We Are All New Yorkers on this day, thing is old news too. Not cool. Not popular. Its just those war mongering neocons who remember those 'loved ones' for their political gain. Not you though. Your making a point by staying home, out of the rain. And you mock 'Our Fallen Heroes" too boot. Firefighters and police who bravely entered those falling buildings to save others, are a political tool to you. You even labeled them with your sarcasm. As if that were not bad enough, you are most angry about that 'hole on Wall Street.' No amount of 'politically motivated' distractions are going to stop your being 'ticked off' about that damn 'hole.' Perhaps those 'Remembering Our Fallen Hero' event participates should start doing something better with their time, like build the damn skyscraper, instead of dwelling in the past and dragging up that terrorist thing and feeling sorry about those 'loved ones.' Its just so depressing, and why cant they also just 'get over it?'

"here's a list of commemorative events in town"

-Oh Gee thanks. In case I want to go to a politically motivated Remembering Our Fallen Heroes type of event, that no one is going to, except those sad family members who lost 'loved ones' and want to stand there like loons in the rain looking at a 'hole' in the ground on Wall Street.

http://www.nowpublic.com/life/9-11-nyc#comment-36488

gryphon, this is good stuff. I agree with Kaitlin-people "process" things differently, and although one person's focus might have seemed petty to you, it may say something else to that person. But I also agree with Kaitlin that I am so glad you wrote, too. Right now, I'm busy ignoring some things said today that I feel are cruel, and in poor taste on this day of all days. Some things have been said with hatred, disdain, and total disrespect for those who died, those who suffered, those who lost loved ones, and all Americans. I've decided that my love for my country, and my countrymen, is so strong that I will look away from those who seek to further hurt and weaken us by cruel jibes (and I am not including the story you referenced in any of my comments, and I want to be clear about that, as it doesn't fall into that category, IMHO). Heck, I love Canada too. And England. And other places, and people from many places of many backgrounds. People who come together as humans--and there were people from 87 countries who died in the terrorist attacks that day, which the haters overlook (or maybe they don't "count" to haters)are ultimately, the important people, the builders. Peope who banded together to rescue, and to just help each other are builders. People who raced into death to try and help others, knowing they were asking their families to sacrifice, too, they're builders. People who won't be sidetracked by those who continue the attacks, using words of hate as secondary weapons, to aid and abet terrorists verbally, well, they only seek to destroy. And that is never as important as the builders.

NowPublic