It's that time of year again. Time to remember September 11.
My facebook page is being inundated with patriotic posts, expressed in the usual Facebook manner.
This is achieved in the following way... first you wait until somebody sends you a post that includes a picture. The ultimate 9/11 picture is of the twin towers billowing smoke that is backlit with glorious rays of sunshine flowing through. If the smoke has been sculpted via photoshop to show the head of an eagle, or, even better, the face of Jesus, that's a definite plus. If there should be an American flag involved so much the better. If it has the phrase, "WE WILL NEVER FORGET" emblazoned in bold red letters you've really scored, because now you can click the 'like' button and the 'share' button without even having to type that phrase or any text at all.
Now that you have expressed your patriotism, outrage, grief, etc. you can, with a huge amount of effort, (three whole mouse clicks) you can even find a YouTube photo montage that will show dramatic pictures of ash-covered traumatized civilians slowly fading into each other while listening to an audio track recorded by a gravel voiced country western singer.
Having expressed your patriotism/moral indignation/heartbreak/etc, without going to the trouble of actually saying, doing or even feeling much of anything, you can now congratulate yourself and move on to the normal Facebook activities.
Such as liking and sharing smart-ass phrases you've never actually said, adorable photos of kittens you don't actually own, militant vegetarian animal rights rants you didn't write, and my personal favorite- sharing recipes that you've never actually prepared but you intend to try someday because it looks really scrumptious. (You will notice I did not include the playlists from DJ wannabes. That's because I unfriended them all years ago in one fell swoop when one of them posted a video by an underground all-girl band calling themselves the Vagina Bandits. Enough was enough.)
I did not know anyone in the twin towers. I did not even know anyone who was a friend of a friend of anyone in the twin towers. I fully acknowledge the pain and the suffering of those who lost someone on that day. But I did not feel that pain personally, and I cannot mourn for people I did not know. I can try to empathize. I can certainly acknowledge that it's a great tragedy and loss... but I don't think clicking a button on the computer screen does that .
My facebook page is being inundated with patriotic posts, expressed in the usual Facebook manner.
This is achieved in the following way... first you wait until somebody sends you a post that includes a picture. The ultimate 9/11 picture is of the twin towers billowing smoke that is backlit with glorious rays of sunshine flowing through. If the smoke has been sculpted via photoshop to show the head of an eagle, or, even better, the face of Jesus, that's a definite plus. If there should be an American flag involved so much the better. If it has the phrase, "WE WILL NEVER FORGET" emblazoned in bold red letters you've really scored, because now you can click the 'like' button and the 'share' button without even having to type that phrase or any text at all.
Now that you have expressed your patriotism, outrage, grief, etc. you can, with a huge amount of effort, (three whole mouse clicks) you can even find a YouTube photo montage that will show dramatic pictures of ash-covered traumatized civilians slowly fading into each other while listening to an audio track recorded by a gravel voiced country western singer.
Having expressed your patriotism/moral indignation/heartbreak/etc, without going to the trouble of actually saying, doing or even feeling much of anything, you can now congratulate yourself and move on to the normal Facebook activities.
Such as liking and sharing smart-ass phrases you've never actually said, adorable photos of kittens you don't actually own, militant vegetarian animal rights rants you didn't write, and my personal favorite- sharing recipes that you've never actually prepared but you intend to try someday because it looks really scrumptious. (You will notice I did not include the playlists from DJ wannabes. That's because I unfriended them all years ago in one fell swoop when one of them posted a video by an underground all-girl band calling themselves the Vagina Bandits. Enough was enough.)
I did not know anyone in the twin towers. I did not even know anyone who was a friend of a friend of anyone in the twin towers. I fully acknowledge the pain and the suffering of those who lost someone on that day. But I did not feel that pain personally, and I cannot mourn for people I did not know. I can try to empathize. I can certainly acknowledge that it's a great tragedy and loss... but I don't think clicking a button on the computer screen does that .
Way I can do is wait for the day to devolve as it inevitably will. There's a very good chance that in my lifetime, we will eventually remember this day in the same manner we remember other national milestones and religious holidays. With Bar-B-Que and football. It already shows signs of becoming a bit of a party game, "where were you when the towers fell?" Is a younger generations version of "where were you when Kennedy was shot?"
if I'm being totally honest... I just use the day as another reason to hate September.
My parents both died in September. Someone I was dating died in September. Lots of really hideous vile things have happened to me in September. As far as I'm concerned, the entire month can be ripped out of the Time-Space continuum, and it wouldn't upset me one little bit.
My parents both died in September. Someone I was dating died in September. Lots of really hideous vile things have happened to me in September. As far as I'm concerned, the entire month can be ripped out of the Time-Space continuum, and it wouldn't upset me one little bit.
Therefore, this entire post is really just an extension of my normal September Angst.
Thanks for listening.
I'm gonna take a nap.
Thanks for listening.
I'm gonna take a nap.
Well said. I, too, question how many people actually stop and think on days of national remembrance.
ReplyDeleteElsewhere on the net, I ran across a link to this essay, which the linker described as "The only 'where I was on 9/11' piece I've ever read worth a tinker's damn." That may or may not be accurate, but it's a good piece, and goes along with what you're saying here, I think.
ReplyDeleteConsidering how many people believe that 9/11 was done in conjunction with Saddam Hussein, or maybe the U.S. government, I'm inclined to think that NEVER FORGET is exactly the wrong thing for us to be encouraging one another to do. Maybe we could use some forgetting. I mean, which is worse, to have something awful happen and then not remember it, or to remember it and learn exactly the wrong lessons, and return every year to pick at the same scabs?
This is not the greatest of months for you Claude. Sorry for all your losses.
ReplyDelete