9/11

[Originally written on . . . that's right: 9/11/01]

I finally got home from work near 5ish today and thought I'd sit with the events of today for awhile before I shared. I wanted to write a long post on the presumptuousness of America, the nature of ideology and patriotism, and a number of other things. Frankly though, I am having trouble formulating my thoughts into a flowing disertation and don't think I could do justice to such things with a stream of consciousness post, so I will just share a few thoughts from the day.



Yesterday I brought home a sheet describing the provisions of the fire policy from my current work. The lengths they were going to to cover their asses seemed hillarious as hell. It reads as follows:

This Company shall not be liable for loss by fire or other perils insured against in this policy caused, directly or indirectly, by: (a) enemy attack by armed forces... (b) invasion; (c) insurrection; (d) rebellion; (e) revolution; (f) civil war; (g) usurped power...

It doesn't seem quite so humorous now.



The power of icons has never really struck me until today. In the midst of all the human loss and the implications of such an event, one of the thoughts that has stayed with me since seeing that building collapse is still "The Trade Center is GONE. It's just not there any more." The power of association and symbols humbles me now.




WE are the victims. Those public out pourings of sympathy are now pointed at US from around the world. Even when we were the victims, it was never like this. Home has been struck and we finally see what the other side is like. It's about time.



Speaking of home and the like, I am a quite a cynic, especially when it comes to government and particularly thoughts of localized patriotism in myself. I always thought/hoped we needed to become part of the larger world community, yet when this happened, I felt such emotions welling up. We WERE hit at HOME. It struck on quite a personal level that took me off guard.



Despite what the news and other have been saying, I do not see this attack as "sophisticated." Thought out yes. (one plane could be dismissed as an accident) But it was really quite simple when one thinks about it. Not really that difficult at all. I think that we're just trying to comfort ourself given the situation.



I fear that we will just push this to the back of our minds and forget this after a short while.



I fear the upswelling of expressions of senseless racial hatred that is springing from this.



I fear the testosterone laden knee jerk reactions of revenge egged on by such people.



I fear the feelings of revenge within myself.



And finally for now, I fear our government. The way it was attempting to assuage the public in the aftermath. I speak specificly here of Bush's assistants anouncement from Omaha. Assuring us that the economy WOULD still be in tact. That the infrastructure WOULD still be here for the nation. That the government IS still working in this country. It seemed to me more of what would be said in the aftermath of a massive wide scale destruction such as a multiple domestic nuclear strike that would in fact upset the balance in this country rather that an isolated, albeit tragic incident.



Will we finally start to rethink our place in this world? Unfortunately I doubt it.

Will we finally rethink our defensive position in relation to it? Hopefully, but will it help?

Will this be the end? I highly doubt it. And I'm afraid that while the next attacks may not have the massive physical devistation that this one did, the one that does top it will be much more silent and deadly.