Focusing On Fluff, Forgetting 9/11
Wednesday - September 26, 2007
Not two weeks have passed after the sixth anniversary of 9/11 and we have already forgotten. Actually, our nation and this community put the murderous assault on our country on the back burner a long time ago.
I was hoping this year was going to be different.
Why?
I suppose it’s all the swirling debate over the service of our troops and the Bush administration’s policy.
It could be all the recent saber rattling regarding Iran.
Perhaps it’s contemplating the latest payoff to North Korea to stop its nuclear weaponry programs only to see Kim Jong-Il’s signature on such weapons in the Middle East.
Maybe it’s the sobering news that Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to suspend his nation’s government.
Possibly, it was the political unrest and violence surrounding Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf.
Potentially, it’s the awareness of Hugo Chavez creating his own personal fiefdom in South America while spewing hatred and venom toward the United States.
Reasonably, it’s the attention on our porous borders allowing millions to enter our country illegally including those with a similar murderous intent six years ago.
I truly thought these and other pressing issues would capture our attention and focus on not only future threats to our nation, but would cause us to reflect upon those horrific attacks as a reminder of what could happen again.
Alas, I am mistaken.
Our collective days are treated to expansive news coverage and analysis of a has-been football player, who probably killed his ex-wife a decade ago, and his latest legal derrings do.
We are so caught up in the personality of presidential politics we base our support of particular candidates primarily because of the color of their skin, their gender, their name recognition and their star qualities rather their ideals.
Our town is immersed in the conquests of our beloved college football team as we revel in the destruction of opponents such as Northern Colorado and Charleston Southern. But ask a local resident about the impact of the State Supreme Court decision regarding the Hawaii Superferry and eyes glaze over.
I am certain most of you know more about the sexual escapades of Paris Hilton, the drunken tantrums of Lindsay Lohan and the child custody battles of Britney Spears instead of knowing that presidential candidate and likely nominee Sen. Hillary Clinton is proposing a sweeping reform of health care that makes 1993 look worse than 1984.
In other words, the majority of our neighbors have forgotten about 9/11 because there is no room for contemplation of historic and current events that shape our collective futures. Our brain space is occupied with O.J., Paris and Colt. Frankly, I am sure it’s more fun to spend precious moments ruminating about some pop tart running around without underwear rather than consider the consequences of a terrorist attack in Waikiki.
Fine.
I just hope when we find ourselves in “re-education” camps accepting the teachings of our captors that someone has a video of Britney at the VMAs. At least we’ll be able to remember the good old days.
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS Comments (0) |
Most Recent Comment(s):
