My take on the 9/11 anniversary

[Ken Burch]

Six years ago, thousands of people died in the World Trade Center and some in the Pentagon as well. Others died in a field in Pennslyvania, the latter after performing an act of the ultimate heroism.

These are the unchallengeable facts.

What is also unchallengable is that these events, and the suffering of the victims and relatives of those events, were immediately used by our nation's unelected leaders to push for a right-wing extremist agenda they had not been elected to implement. The country's largest opposition party, out of fear, division and a desire to prove that that they should never had to have proved, their loyalty, went along with this for far too long.

As a result.

1)A large country in the Middle East lies in ruins. A country that the world now knows(and our unelected leaders knew then) was not responsible for the events of 9/11.

2)Our civil and personal liberties have been curtailed, possible permanently.

3)A new form of religious and cultural McCarthyism has been launched against Muslim Americans, Arab Americans, and in many cases those who simply "look" Muslim or Arab.

4)The ruling party manipulated the electorate into narrowly granting it electoral victories it would likely never have gained otherwise.

5)Our opposition party(the party most members of this forum support)is still torn by division, indecision and an obsession among its leaders with looking "tough" and "patriotic".

We need to reclaim what was taken away on 9/11.

We need to reclaim the notion that our country, when it uses its power internationally, must use it with care, sensitivity and wisdom.

We need to reclaim our country's public space and public discussion, because dissent and defiance of the abuse of power are more crucial than ever in a time when our leaders continue to pursue an agenda which can only be called imperialistic.

We need to restore the notion, in a broad sense, of "innocent until proven guilty"-not only in criminal trials, but in assessing the loyalty of each person in this country.

And we need to hold both parties accountable for their actions, defeating the ruling power and reclaiming the soul of our own, making it once again into a party of principle and courage, defending all those the ruling party excludes and denounces. The "Other" is the majority, in this country and in the world.

Remember 9/11. Defeat terrorism of the spirit. Defeat terrorism against democracy. Defeat the terrorism of political fear.

It's OUR America. We are ALL Americans. And we must reclaim the country if it is not to become a bitter mockery of itself.

[Benhurst]

1. Recommended #1

:bounce: :kick:

[Ken Burch]

2. Thanks, benhurst.

n/t.