on 9/11 and those who begrudge the "celebration"

[lillypaddle]

Not sure how to word this, so as not to offend those who are fed up with the "terrorist" meme. I don't want to offend anyone. Yet I find myself crying, so sad ...

Why do we let "them" take god for themselves? Why do we so willingly give them the patriotism they claim to own?

I was an army brat. My daddy was a Sargent in the army. I remember leaving New York harbor on the U.S.S. Rose in 1956, going to Germany ... the Stars Spangled Banner playing by the military band. It was a special moment, even then, as a child, I was touched, and filled with a pride I didn't even understand. I also remember, years later, fighting with my daddy when the kids at Kent State were mowed down by the National Guard. It damn near broke us as family. I remember dancing in Kileen, Texas, circa early '50s,for my daddy, to the Lucky Strike Hit Parade on the radio. I was probably only 5 years old, or so. So much for context.

I am all over the place on this 9/11 anniversary. My Mom, a German war bride, and my "Archie Bunker" Daddy, are long gone by 20 years or so. And I miss them. I wonder every day what they would think about what has happened over these years when they weren't here to argue politics, or share Sunday morning coffee with me, when I fought them for equal rights for all, yelling at my Mother that she was a fucking foreigner, and had no right to put herself above Black Americans, who were rightfully "more American" than she was. God, I was a shit, sometimes. I said such hurtful things to her, even though I knew she went through hell, running to bomb shelters in Germany at age 17 with my half-sister. She was 17. A CHILD. Her Father died in a Russian concentration camp, her brother, killed in Italy. No wonder she had "issues."

I am all over the place. This "terrorist shit" that so many are sick & tired of... I watch the buildings come down, the planes come down, the people of this country come down. I watch it again. It is my penance. My heart BREAKS. I refuse to let the fundie bastards claim this as their day. It is not. It is all of ours.

My thoughts, my prayers (such as they are) go out to all who lost, which of course is all of us. My admiration and love to all the heroes, you make me so proud.

"God bless America." And to those who think it isn't "cool" to utter these words, maybe some day you will understand.

I am all over the place.

[sabrina 1]

1. I think you are not alone at all. A lot of people are conflicted

but it's not about the tragedy, it's about how they have used it and I think people feel they are being emotionally manipulated to support all the wars and profit-making and taking away of rights by all the media coverage. I wish we could separate the two, but it's hard.

:hug:

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[Ohio Joe]

5. And at some point will truthers present this evidence?

Or just keep using the same non-sense they have for the last ten years?

[virgogal]

3. This too shall pass.

[mmonk]

4. Patriotic abuse of the tragedy instead of somber remembrance is my gripe.

My son reminds me that Britian had a thousand 9/11's from the Nazis. It depends on what it makes of us. So far, nothing noble. And that is because an administration decided to use it in the wrong way.

[Sparkly]

6. Be clear in your own mind.

The divide isn't about loving what we believe our country is, was, or ought to be.

It isn't about the military, the flag, or God. These are political divides the GOP has wedged for over a generation now.

We know the stories of our parents and grandparents; many who see what we do are military families themselves, right now. It's a false divide.

I know what you're feeling, because the (made in China) bumperstickers of flags and yellow ribbons ("support the troops") were all part of that same propaganda -- they were used not as symbols of unity, but as symbols of Republican support and all that went with it: the Iraq invasion, the Bush boy as Our Great Leader, Christianity as the only acceptable norm, the conservative "return to" Ozzie and Harriet family lives as if they ever existed...

Don't let it cloud your vision. Nobody is complacent about the "terrorist shit" itself. The World Trade Center was in New York City, not exactly Republican Central. They voted once again, in 2004, for the Democrat -- but people in remote areas, whose votes weigh more thanks to the electoral college, "saved them from themselves" by going against them again.

It is NOT "Their Day" except that they hold responsibility for it. Celebrating it, hyping it, propagandizing it, leveraging the fear from it -- that's what they do with this tragedy. They capitalize on it, and distract from their own part in dismissing terrorism as nonsense, a fiction of the Clinton administration.

Separate it out. They don't own those things you value. They just want you to think they do.

:patriot:

[lillypaddle]

9. Very nicely said. nt

[abbeyco]

7. I am with you - more that you could know

It sounds like we come from a very common background and I completely relate to what you posted.

God bless America - on this anniversary I have no issues uttering this phrase.

Thank you, lillypaddle :hug:

[lillypaddle]

10. And to you

:hug:

[dddem]

8. I'm so glad there are other who feel as I do.

My husband and I were discussing it earlier, I can't watch all the hype and hoopla surrounding the 10th anniversary of the greatest tragedy of this country, and I'm not talking about the attacks of September 11. I'm referring to the lost opportunity to come together as a country, and a world. The previous administration had that opportunity, and blew it. I don't recall a time in my life (I'm 52) when hatred and racism and bigotry was embraced with such "patriotic" enthusiasm. We had the chace to grieve together and heal together, but instead used this great tragedy as justification to kill thousands of innocent civilians who happen to live in countries we call our enemies. All for oil.
It's a shame.

[lillypaddle]

11. shameful. nt

[ixion]

12. why on earth would a god 'bless' us?

what, exactly, have we done that is so altruistic that it deserves some type of blessing? Creating the largest war machine known to civilization? Killing, maiming and torturing world wide?

I'm not really into 'god', but if there were a god, I'd be begging for forgiveness rather than pandering for a blessing.