The tragedy did not occur on September 11th, 2001.

[varkam]

It happened several months following it. I can't pinpoint the day, maybe not even the week or the month. I don't think it was a sudden sort of thing, but much more gradual progression. It didn't announce itself with a roar, like the carnage wrought on us that day - it came without a sound. There were no explosions, and there was no screaming. People did not have confused expressions on their faces, caked with soot and dirt. Rather, it was a day like any other. We were driving to the little league game, sipping our Frappuccinos, and banging out another manuscript on our laptop.

It struck me, that in the hours following the attacks, that something very deep and powerful had occurred. What struck me was the notion that, from all the death and destruction, from the final minutes of those 3,000 people and the last phone calls home, something good could come from the madness. All of a sudden, the lines of distinction to which I and so many others had become accustomed to had vanished. Republican. Democrat. Libertarian. Black. White. Hispanic. Christian. Muslim. Atheist. Poor. Rich. Young. Old. Fat. Skinny. Beautiful. None of it mattered. They had all been taken from us by the acts of a few extremists who were warped by hatred and ideology. All that was left was a single world - American. We had all suffered. We bore witness to the unfathomable depths of the dark side of humanity. We all saw the towers come down, and we all mourned. I remember reading about an article entitled "New York Drops It's Game Face": complete strangers were hugging one another on the street, asking if they needed anything. Solidarity. Yeah, that's the word. And it moved me to tears, more so than the attacks themselves. For my money, the solidarity that arose from the remains of the WTC was one of the most beautiful things I had seen or been a part of.

The road signs went up. Everyone and their mother bought an American flag. Donations of material, blood and money poured in. Everyone wanted to help. These were not strangers that were suffering. These were our brothers, our sisters, our mother and our fathers - and we loved them just as dearly. Then, as time dragged on in the way that it does, things returned to normalcy. The McDonalds down the street took the "We will not forget" sign off the reader-board and replaced it with "McRib is Back!". Donations fell. Blood was in short supply. And everyone put an American flag sticker on the back of their car - as if that would suffice for compassion, thought, and action.

We had deja-vu during the past hurricane season. We all saw the images of the poor, the destitute, stranded. Starving and dehydrated. We all saw the rage and the destruction. The suffering and the death. Again, all of us felt compelled to help our brothers, our sisters, mothers and fathers. Our fellow Americans. Donations again poured in. People went in droves to lend their time and their bodies to the efforts and solidarity came again. This time not from the hatred that dwells in men's hearts, but the wrath of mother nature. I thought, perhaps this time it will stick. Perhaps this time, we will remember that that stranger on the other side of the street is not a stranger at all, but one who is intricately connected to our very lives.

And of course, that time has passed once more. I find myself wondering why. I wonder why it has to be this way. Why we have to go back to driving to little league games or sipping Frappuccinos or banging out another manuscript on our laptop. Perhaps some of you are thinking that I'm being too unreasonable - that I expect people to mourn or to think about such things all the time. I do not. But it seems that we are constantly educated through pain and we forget the lessons it teaches us with similar frequency. That is why I say the real tragedy did not occur on September 11th, 2001 - as I, for one, mourn the passing of solidarity.

[Selatius]

1. To set the record straight on Katrina:

Some people wanted us victims to die down there on the coast and in New Orleans. They said we deserved it for our casinos and hedonistic ways. They say we deserved it because we're poor and because being poor is our own damn fault, and as a result, they imply that we deserved what we got with all the dead bodies floating in the water and buried in ruined homes and the insurance companies ripping us off and FEMA moving slow or not at all to help the poor.

It's insane. It fills me with bitterness. Sometimes I want to say, "Go to hell, America. You've treated us all like shit for so long. You've stomped on us poor for so long, and we've always gotten the short end of the stick. We clean the shit you left behind. We die in your goddamn wars, and we build your fucking mansions, and this is how you repay us! Why the fuck should we care about what happens to all of you?"

[Maraya1969]

6. Most people wanted to help. Just check the numbers of the donations

that came in. Pakistani refugees sent $10,000. That one made me cry.

I agree some wanted or didn't care if you died. I think some in this country don't care if most of us die - they certainly don't care if we have health care or clean water when they can by bottled water.

I cared and I helped. And I still care and so do many people. Keep your eyes on those people ok?

Peace :hug:

[Deja Q]

8. The perfect response, and why "spreading democracy" is a fallacy.

In a Democratic, free society, people would response precisely how you described it - not giving a fuck to the callousness to people who helped build this nation. Your response is how people WOULD feel if they felt abused and misused.

[druidity33]

9. if you believe MIHOP or LIHOP...

The gov't and admin had just as little concern over New Yorkers... include also the EPA "everything's safe, nothing tosee here, no toxins at all, sure, we swear...." memo. Most of the people killed on 9-11 were working folk, many minorities and undocumenteds... and though this happened in the Financial District, it affected the whole city. I don't think the OP was really trying to compare the two events by their importance/effect, just to illustrate the fading memory and compassion of average Americans. How much different from this "average American attitude"(that of relative indifference) was the "average New Orleanean attitude" before the hurricane? Either which way whatever, people should be prosecuted and imprisoned for the inadequacy of their response. Katrina should be brought up constantly because it illustrates perfectly how incompetent these people are... and that their incompetence costs lives. Never let it go, and if you don't want to fight for the rights of all Americans, fight for your own goddamm rights. We're all working together here... just maybe pushing from different angles.

peace out.

[beam me up scottie]

2. Wow.

Awesome post, Varkam.
Recommended.

[KyndCulture]

3. K and R...

I am having an epiphany tonight...and you damn near summed it up! How dare they make lighting a candle or waving a flag a bad thing.....

I am watching Loose Change for the 3rd time today... and am passing, very sick to my stomach, from LIHOP to MIHOP.... and thinking about Katrina... dear GOD what have we let happen! And WTF do we do about it????

[OneBlueSky]

4. just a couple of random observations . . .

it's late (or early, depending on your perspective), and constructing detailed, coherent arguments is out of the question right now . . . however . . .

- a primary reason that interest in Katrina has waned is the lack of continuous media coverage . . . the corporate media is letting the story die . . . worse, they are trying to kill it (no doubt at the bidding of their BushCo partners, who REALLY want it to die) . . .

- as for 9/11, more and more people are realizing that (a) most of the documented evidence doesn't support the "official" story, and (b) there are a ton of unanswered questions about the event (which the media certainly isn't asking) . . . they're not sure what to make of it, or what to do about it, but they know that something smells -- and they're thinking . . .

[McKenzie]

5. Solidarity is what we need - good commentary

People can, and do, pull together when something happens that affects our whole community. In such circumstances all the little differences are forgotten; the differences aren't all that relevant when the whole community gets clobbered. But then the short term memory kicks in and we drift back to arguments amongst people whose views aren't really all that far apart. Between the two extremes of political thought, which really converge once both reach their polar extremes, there is a huge section that is just "the community". And nothing shows that more sharply than our ability to pull together in times of REAL trouble. Most of us are not all that different from one another when we look real close.

Sue Supriano has a neat take on these artificial differences - she calls them "isms and schizms". So maybe we need to stop fighting about things that don't make a great deal of difference to the world and focus on trying to get along with each other. Divide and rule is one of the truest insights ever.

We Scots have a saying - "We are all Jock Tamson's bairns" - which translates as we are all children of one parent, namely humanity. Maybe that sounds mawkish, maybe it's a silly, utopian idea. If so then there is little hope for us as a community.

Great post varkam and well worth kicking up.

edit - using a tiny font and mis-spelled

[glitch]

15. We are all cousins.

Sure it's mawkish. It's also true. I highly recommend a PBS special which you can also buy on dvd: "Journey of Man" about a geneticist who studies blood samples from around the world and determines migration patterns out of Africa. It's fascinating.

All our apparent differences are due to where our ancestors migrated (or didn't) and when.
http://www.shoppbs.org/sm-pbs-journey-of-man-dvd--pi-1402989.html

[HysteryDiagnosis]

7. Shrubco would rather people get back into a

pre Katrina mindset. Things were much easier then, little accountability, almost no responsibility, certainly no proactive activity on their part... but then reality trashed it all.... shrub is just caught up in a pre Katrina mindset.... too bad for the rest of us. Great post, recommended.

[Festivito]

10. At what point should we change?

When should we continue living our own lives? Never?

Should we still pine over tragedies of the eleventh century?
Perhaps not, because we weren't alive then.
Should I pine over 9/11 and Kennedy's death, but not December 7th?

Should I devote my life to remembrances, only donating blood and helping people on the street?
Should I stop going to restaurants with fine food, and only help at soup kitchens?
Should I drop my hobbies as too frivolous?

Or, should I balance my life between giving and living?
Which, brings me back to the question.
At what point should I change?

[Klukie]

13. Very insightful question!

I have struggled with this, but I have come to the conclusion that balance is definately better than the all or nothing philosophy. If we don't maintain balance how can we be effective as wives, mothers, friends, and persons of comfort and aid in our communities. The average person plays many roles that affect many people and I don't think it wise to sacrifice one for the other.

[Festivito]

19. Balance, rollercoaster, or pendulum?

Balance would imply some stability.
Which would be nice.

Are we, as humans, able to live in such niceness?
Are we too prone to overreaction?
One angered at religious abuse from believers becomes an intractable atheist.
One angered by abuse from a non-believer becomes an intractable theist.

There is no balance here.

So what are we?

One angered at socialism's lack of individual right becomes a devout capitalist.
One angered at capitalism's lack of compassion beomes a devout socialist.

We seem a bunch of pendulums.
Half a nation run by anger, anger and fear.
Fear the RepubliCONs tap. Anger and fear.

Hard to fight anger, fear and arrogance.

Balance, maybe someday in a Star Trek future.
Pendulum is dumb, but it describes us best for now.
Rollercoaster would be the most fun.

Whatcha think?

[Klukie]

20. Well......

I think that I have rode the rollercoaster for most of my life and although it can be thrilling, it also brings much unrest. Balance may be unattainable, but I refuse not to strive for that which brings me peace. With all that said, I reserve the right to swing the pendulum in times of necessity, like when our government has been hijacked by extremists.

[Festivito]

23. I hope we get along swingingly.

And, enjoy those swings.
Thanks for the playtime.

May peace be yours.
Something the extremists might never find.

[PATRICK]

11. We are not allowed

not allowed to have our votes count, to have the truth heard, not allowed just rrerpsentation, not allowed to protect piurselves or our nation, not allowed to have our rights, not allowed to have soldiarity with the world.

Because the regime that takes all this away has other ideas and other plans. You can have your sentiments but no reality. You can compete with other victims but not the overseers.

It is not the gernal cooling that comes to all emotions and relationships and dedications, it is how billions of people united in soimple woill, of superior moral spirit and superior education, with goals clearly above the clique running things in the most powerful nation state on earth can settle for blaming themselves, being wistful;, weak, compliant and letting it all slip away.

Rather than simply saying no to fraudulent government. That defrauded the vote, that refuses to protect us, that divided us against the world in a naked adventure for gain, that impoverishes us and balckens the future, that takes away all rights, that destroys our government, that makes an obscene lie out of our genral values, democracy and humanity. Not an issue or a single tragedy, the government must be held accountable for ALL and the hard work of doing the people's will must begin from scratch.

[BlueEyedSon]

12. Damn right it was December 12, 2000

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

GEORGE W. BUSH, et al., PETITIONERS v.
ALBERT GORE, Jr., et al.
ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT

*****

None are more conscious of the vital limits on judicial authority than are the members of this Court, and none stand more in admiration of the Constitution’s design to leave the selection of the President to the people, through their legislatures, and to the political sphere. When contending parties invoke the process of the courts, however, it becomes our unsought responsibility to resolve the federal and constitutional issues the judicial system has been forced to confront.

The judgment of the Supreme Court of Florida is reversed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.

Pursuant to this Court’s Rule 45.2, the Clerk is directed to issue the mandate in this case forthwith.

It is so ordered.

http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-949.ZPC.html

[glitch]

16. That was the coup. Since has been an attempted legitimization of the coup.

But I don't think it's working. :)

[Klukie]

14. The solidarity was beautiful

But like beauty it is unfortunately fleeting. It would be a wonderful world if this level of solidarity could be maintained but to be realistic life does go on. Life is something to be celebrated and mourned. I have faith in knowing that there is a solidarity among individuals who make their contributions on a daily basis not just in the wake of a tragedy.

[SmokingJacket]

17. A tragedy absolutely did happen that day.

It was a horrible, horrible day -- and what you perceived as a wonderful, beautiful solidarity I saw as the first big wave of hate: it was the US versus against "the ragheads." The rage I witnessed that day -- and I admit, felt for many hours -- pretty much dominated any kind of positive feelings of togetherness or whatever.

And that hatred only got worse and worse -- it filled Gitmo and tortured prisoners, raped children, dropped bombs on villages.

That moment of quasi-patriotic feel-good solidarity you speak of passed so quickly because it was fake. Few of us knew any of the victims. Those of us who did lose loved ones that day certainly didn't enjoy those months of patriotic fervor: they were too busy mourning.

And as for the Hurricane victims: I am so disgusted by our neglect of them I can't even speak.

[varkam]

18. A double-edged sword.

I read a story in the weeks following the attacks. A mob of people had gathered in front of a Muslim families home. Most of the family was not home, but the teenage daughter, who was hiding in the bedroom was. She decided that she would go out onto the front porch to confront them. When she did, she was attacked by one of the people who was wielding an American flag on a staff. When she later talked to reporters, she said that she couldn't believe that she was almost killed by the symbol of a country she loved so dearly.

However I don't think people like this had really experienced the solidarity I speak of. I think that many of them were already so emotionally crippled by their own prejudices that they were simply looking for a reason - and any would do. But something did happen that turned that feeling around, something that framed the discussion as "the US versus 'the ragheads'". Once the political hacks, the pundits, the hate-mongerers, the crooks, torturers and liars set their hands to it, it became about us against them - and not simply about us. That is the quasi-patriotism. That is the feel-good solidarity. That is the banner under which we went into Afghanistan and Iraq. That is the shroud that filled Gitmo, tortured prisoners, raped children and dropped bombs on villages. That's not the solidarity I saw, nor the solidarity I speak of.

[JeffR]

21. Beautiful post

Sad, and very beautiful.

[varkam]

22. Thank you n/t