I don't want to be crass and cause offence. I have avoided the media today, but that isn't out of disrespect. The opposite, in fact. I don't think it's my business to watch people's grief. You can 'mourn with them that mourn' without gawping at them on television.
I wonder how it feels if you lost a loved one on that day - not in the terrible attacks but to some other accident, or gently after a long illness. I wonder if it feels as though the very day they died has itself been hijacked by history, like some fifth plane.
Conspiracy theories still abound. One which seems to have a better pedigree than most lives here: http://www.ae911truth.org/en/about-us.html
I know enough about politics to understand that finding the whole truth on this matter is going to be impossible. I certainly believe that politicians in every country are capable of doing terrible things to cover up their true agenda. I choose to believe that the Bush administration probably did not sacrifice 3,000 people to the cause of promoting war, but - there are many unexplained things about that day. And with a heavy heart I have to say that I could envisage being proved wrong.
What saddens me is that America and Britain seem to think that because of 9/11 and 7/7, we have some kind of moral superiority. The West is able to decide, apparently, which countries need to be Sorted and how to Sort them. I believe the vast majority of British people would not be able to tell you why we went into Afghanistan, or why we remain. I cannot think of a country where we have become involved and brought about peace. (Please comment if you can, I may be wrong). I don't believe we are currently fulfilling our stated brief in Libya. I am cynical about our involvement in countries where there is oil, and our lack of support for rebels in countries where there is not.
It has proved to be rather an own goal on the UK's part that we handed over one of the rebel leaders to the torturers of the CIA some time ago. Now he is threatening to sue. The carpet will be lifted, and we shall be able to see how much dirt lies underneath.
I don't want to write any more tonight. There must be literally miles of column footage on this subject and I am not well-versed in politics. So I leave you with one last thought:
When we look back in forty years' time, will we truly believe that Guantanamo Bay was a fitting tribute to those who died in New York on 9/11?
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I know people, whose lives have been shaped by various horrific events, that suffer each year - probably every day. But the massive attention that is received on the 'anniversary' [a truly horrific word for it] from the media just compounds the situation. I understand that there is a fine line that broadcasters have to walk - do you do a small segment and be accused of nonchalance or do you do a massive segment on it and be accused of glorifying or opening old wounds. The main issue for me comes in when they start trying to put events into proportion/context.
ReplyDelete"to put something into context is a step towards saying it can be understood and that it can be explained. And if it can be explained it can be explained away. 'tout comprendre c'est tout pardonner.'."
I would like to live in a world where we thought
"9/11 - let's spare a thought/moment/prayer for all and any affected by these terrible events."
Not
"9/11 - lets sit and watch SkyNews rehash the images that are eternally etched on in the minds of a generation while the political figures of the period use the airtime and pulpit of mourning to further their personal agenda."
I am by no means a political commentator or follower of the news in general but I know that it pains me that the masses think that if you remember something once a year - you can forget it for the other 364 days. Some people remember it every waking (and sleeping) moment.
When people visit Ground Zero; "Do they take pictures of each other there? Are they smiling? Do they hold hands? Nothing is appropriate."
When are we going to have a meorial day for all those around the world who have been killed or maimed by British-supplied weapons? There is no moral high ground, there are no hands without blood on them.
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