Sep 14 2006
Lest We Forget
I know this is late for a 9/11 Memorial Post… but considering the subject matter, I think that’s appropriate. My friend Joseph Derbyshire sent this to me in an email he’d written up after a discussion over Scrabble of the effects of 9/11 on our lives. I thought I’d share it with you.
...Our view of the world changed shortly after 9am that day. Afterwards, as the Pentagon burned, the Towers collapsed, allflights in North America were suspended, and the US closed itsland border crossings, we realized the scope of this change. And it awoke something in us. For several days afterward, wewere polite to strangers, we spoke to distant friends and family on the phone, we remembered our manners as we let driverschange lanes in front of us. People spoke openly in the mediaof how their faith sustained them as they waited for rescue orworked long hours to rescue others. For a brief moment, weweren't self-centred, busily scurrying from appointment toappointment but we were focused on others. We were in mourning. We condemned the attacks. We called those who plotted andcarried out these plots terrorists. We admired the firemen,police, paramedics, rescue workers, construction workers whohelped pull out any survivors and removed the rubble to searchfor human remains. Good was recognized and evil was despised. Five years later, we are starting to forget. As the civil-liberties ofimprisoned terrorists become a greater concern than national securityagainst future terrorist attacks. As the media censors those originaldisturbing images and displaces those voices of righteous indignationwith revised misgivings of self-guilt, questioned presumptions andhand-wringing. As fringe conspiracy theories become mainstream. As open professions of faith make others uncomfortable. As we getback to our busy, self-centred lives. As I watched the ceremonies on television this morning, it was difficultfor network commentators to refrain from speaking during the momentsof silence. Or keep from breaking to commercial. Or break away toregularly scheduled programming at 10am. Lest we forget.
It is sad how short-term our collective memory is.