| 9/11/2001 |
| It has been six months now and what can one say. I, like most every other person that witnessed the destruction was shocked. However, my day began in ignorant bliss as that morning as I prepared for work I didn't turn on the television to watch the news that morning; opting instead to listen to a Haydn symphony. When I got into my car the radio was having news reports about blood donations and grounded aircraft and I was totally perplexed about what was going on. It wasn't until I arrived at work and asked what was going on (much to the surprise of my coworkers), that I found out the events of earlier that morning. Looking back, now some six months later, I wonder if we have learned anything. From most things I observe, life goes on as before and 9/11 is just something we trot out as a patriotic display when convenient such as at the Super Bowl or Olympics. Maybe the patriotism was a good thing. I certainly consider myself a patriot although I don't attach flags to my car. Most people that display flags aren't even aware of the proper etiquette one should use in displaying the American flag. (Contact your local VFW post.) While we wage a war against terrorism, I still see the same problems that existed before 9/11 and we don't lift a finger. What about the war on poverty, the homeless, child and spousal abuse, health care, etc. And these are just a few that don't make the news headlines in the evening. Maybe it is our short attention spans that contribute to lack of concern of other items that should be of importance in our lives. When WSJ reporter Daniel Pearl was killed, it was a horrible tragedy and my heart goes out to his family and unborn child, but, and there's always a but, how many others were murdered on the same day without even a brief mention of their equally tragic demise on the news or the promises of the president vowing to bring their killers to justice. Sometimes it all just seems like a big three ring circus and maybe that's what society, politics and the media is. I hope not, but I do not feel very secure in that hope. Word is we'll be victims of terrorist attacks again and who knows what to expect. The events of 9/11 will pale in comparison to future attacks according to some experts I've heard in the news. Are we ready for that day or better yet are we ever going to learn to put aside our differences and work for the common good and that itself is a debatable topic. It is said that there will always be war because that is just man's nature. Well if that is man's nature then stupidity must also be man's nature because he refuses to see the destruction he brings upon the earth and all of mankind and I fear that it's only a matter of time when the threat of destroying ourselves as a species becomes a real probability. |
| MY POINT OF VIEW |