Revising 9/11

[carrot red]

On the first three anniversaries of Sept. 11, 2001, the nation had the grim luxury of uncluttered memory. We looked back on that day's events as the most terrible thing that could happen on American soil. Today, we are cursed with an unwanted expansion of that vision.

It took a day or two after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast to understand that it could affect our feelings about what happened at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon and in rural Pennsylvania. After all, the people who died on Sept. 11 were murdered by other human beings. Katrina's malevolence was only a metaphor, no matter how damaging its winds. But by the time the hurricane died down and the floodwaters stopped rising, it became clear that this hurricane would force us to revise 9/11, which, until now, had defined the limits of tragedy in America.

Without realizing it, we had internalized what happened four years ago in a rather tidy story arc: Terrorists struck with brutal violence and the country responded. Everyone rose to the occasion - rallying around New York City, comforting the survivors and doing "whatever it takes" to make the country, if not totally safe, at least totally ready for whatever came next. Mistakes were made, but we would learn from them, and wind up stronger and better prepared.

Given the area it affected and its potential death toll, Katrina perfectly simulated a much larger terrorist attack than the one that hit New York. It was nearly nuclear in scale. Everyone did not behave well. Local first responders went missing, or failed to rise to the occasion, or were simply overwhelmed. Leaders did not lead, and on many counts the federal government was less prepared to respond than it had been when the World Trade Center towers still stood.

We felt that 9/11 had changed our lives in an instant, that we had been jerked out of a pleasant dream. The difference in the blow that Katrina struck was not merely that we could see it coming. It was that, as a nation, we thought we were already fully awake.

The above is an editorial from the New York Times. You could read the rest of them here.


Do you still remember where you were and what you were doing on Tuesday 11 September 2001?

[deathbyhokie]

i was at school. heard about what had happened from the ROTC kids. half of the kids went home because they were scared or some such BS

[Darth Marsden]

I, as back then, have no idea where I was on 9/11 (which should really be called 11/9, but you Americans and your date systems :p ), but I remember feeling horrible for a few days. People died, and they shouldn't have done. The whole situation was handled badly, and I place a large amount of the blame on George Dubya. I believe him to be a terrible president, and I've seen nothing to convince me otherwise. Woah. Off-topic.

Incidentally, Michael Moore is, apparently, seriously considering doing a film about Katrina and it's aftermath, much the same as he did for 9/11. I'd like to see it, but I don't know how others feel about it. Thoughts?

[Tygore]

In school, heard about it between my first and second period classes. I also remember that no work at all got done that day, and it was all in all a pretty depressing mood.

Marsden, the problem with Michael Moore's films is he has a habit of taking things extremely out of context in order to portray the message he wants to portray. In fact, in one of his films(I believe it was Bowling for Columbine) he was caught actually making stuff up. I can assure you that any movie he makes on Katrina will not do anything as far as help remember the tragedy or comfort the families, but instead take partial facts and mis-placed quotes and paste them together to continue to portray everyone involved taht he doesn't like as incompetant.

[Beldaran]

George W did a great job after 9/11 and experienced the higest approval ratings in the history of an american president. What exactly should he have done differently, DM? Stopped the planes with his mind? Is that what we expect from presidents now?

[Tygore]

No, we just say bad things about the ones we don't like regardless of how things get done.

[Darth Marsden]

No, we just say bad things about the ones we don't like regardless of how things get done.

Damn, you've caught me. I don't like George Dubya. Not that I disbelieve you guys, but can you point me in the direction of some proof that he's done a good job regarding 9/11 and Katrina? I find it a little hard to find stuff, what with all the movies and flash games telling me how terrible a president he is.

[Archibaldo]

I remember that I had just come back from recess. We all sat down and my tacher said that there had been an attack on NY. He then explained what had happened.

[Beldaran]

Damn, you've caught me. I don't like George Dubya. Not that I disbelieve you guys, but can you point me in the direction of some proof that he's done a good job regarding 9/11 and Katrina? I find it a little hard to find stuff, what with all the movies and flash games telling me how terrible a president he is.

Well how can I argue with movies and flash games? What better way to build an opinion than to watch movies and play flash games.

I'm not saying GW is a great president, but he did a really good job right after 9/11 and for one brief moment the legislative and executive branch worked together to make things right. Of course, it was all lies and posturing. Now we're back to ruinous and irrational bureaucracy and red tape, not to mention corruption and politcal maneuvering on behalf of both the administration AND congress.

Blah. Politics = ass.

[Some Kinda Hate]

I was asleep in history class while everyone else was watching the news. I was sad of course, don't get me wrong but shit happens and I deal with it my own way. Sleep was called for.