Something I heard over the weekend has been stuck in my craw ever since, so I figured I’d let it free here.
On this week’s installment of The Chris Matthews Show, the host asked whether we, the viewers, still remembered the events of September 11, 2001. I’m sure he was asking this because of increasing levels of apathy among the U.S. population regarding BushCo’s war or terror, the war in Iraq, domestic surveillance, the PATRIOT act, etc.
But it’s a daft question, and my personal response is this:
Yes, I remember 9/11 vividly. But I don’t dwell on it, and I’ve moved on.
It’s a basic concept called “healing.” And for some, it’s an ever-evolving process – especially for those who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks or in the resulting military actions. But an essential part of life and of personal development is to assess the situation and move on, not dewlling on the past but looking toward the future.
I’m not suggesting that everybody forget history – after all, I do subscribe to the idea that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. But I’m also not going to rest idly and wait for the future to happen. It’s something that the current administration (as well as many who agree with their faulty rationale for becoming involved in Iraq, for blatantly ignoring the law with domestic surveillance, for throwing the Geneva Convention out the window) should keep in mind: the future is not a passive, backward-looking endeavor, but one where things can only change for the better through active participation and by moving on.
Grey Kitten
14 April 2006 — 13:09
South Park just did a wonderful two part episode about terrorism.
The premise of the show was that a cartoon, “The Family Guy” was going to show an image of Mohammed. Muslims were in an outrage, and threatened retaliation if the show was not pulled.
Fearful Americans came up with a plan to bury their heads in sand so the Muslims would not consider them as participants in the airing of the show.
W. gave a press conference explaining how he was unable to demand that Fox pull the show because of some trickly little legal thing called The First Amendment. What ensued was a hilarious scene where W. defends the First Amendment and the crowd of journalists seeks ways to work around or get rid of it for the safety of all Americans. Brilliant.