9/11: How do you remember?
By Jo Piazza / current.com / @jopiazza
If you live or work in New York City you were likely reminded that the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, was approaching by the appearance of the Tribute of Light — twin beams stretching into the sky in place of the fallen World Trade Center — in early September.
For others around the country, remembrance came this morning as your morning news shows covered the official Ground Zero memorial service or replayed footage from that horrific day 11 years ago.
I have friends who went to that Ground Zero memorial. I have friends who chose to walk to work over the Brooklyn Bridge so they could reflect on how our city has changed in 11 years.
I have friends who didn't do anything.
On this particular anniversary, one year past the decade mark, some news organizations and individuals are being called out for not "properly" paying homage to the day.
The New York Times has been criticized for making the decision not to put the anniversary on their front page.
Margaret Sullivan, The New York Times Public editor, wrote in a blog post Tuesday: "The pain, the outrage, the loss — these never fade. The amount of journalism, however, must."
Similarly, "Good Morning America" pointed out on Twitter that no politicians were scheduled to speak at the Ground Zero memorial service.
"For the first time, no politicians will speak at the 9/11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero this am, it will be family only," @GMA tweeted.
I read about a half dozen blog posts this morning worrying that the media and politicians had "forgotten" about 9/11.
It is absurd and insulting to think anyone who lived through that day has simply erased it from their memories.
I bike to work along the West Side Highway. On my way I saw a group of people holding signs out to passing cars that said: "9/11 Heroes: We will always love you." They were some 20 blocks north of Ground Zero, where all morning long the official celebration will continue.
They chose to remember in an intimate group on the side of a highway. You know what? They looked like they were having a really nice time.
I saw a lone bicycle chained to a pole and covered in flowers — another makeshift memorial.
We don't need to criticize anyone for not showing up to one memorial service or another or for not making it the focus of today's news cycle.
Watch Bill Press reflect on the 9/11 anniversary.
People mourn in different ways and people remember in different ways.
The fact that we are doing other things and writing about something else is proof that we are healing and moving on. That's a good thing.
Tell us in comments what you have planned today. How have you chosen to remember?
Tune into Viewpoint at 8e/5p to see Eliot Spitzer speak with New York Times op-ed writer Kurt Eichenwald about today's explosive editorial.
(Photo from Getty Images)
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joepublic
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On September 11th, I remember J.W Bush & Dick Cheney are war criminals that have never been brought to justice!! and the obama administration is happy to turn a blind eye and continue the states quo .
- 8 months ago
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joepublic
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Laocoon_Seer
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9-11 is what you call when you want to be put on hold by the police. September 11th is a day the United States was attacked in an act of war. Nobody says 12/7 when they talk about Pearl Harbor. I am another New Yorker and not only did my Country that I love, and fought for become attacked, but my city was. Friends died, and I, like many New Yorkers, and New Jersey'ers will never be the same after watching the tragedy, and never being able to see the towers again.
- 8 months ago
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Laocoon_Seer
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Class_Warrior
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The Elephant in the room
- 8 months ago
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Class_Warrior
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Class_Warrior
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"The Years of Shame"
By Paul Krugman
September 11, 2011
Is it just me, or are the 9/11 commemorations oddly subdued?
Actually, I don’t think it’s me, and it’s not really that odd.
What happened after 9/11 — and I think even people on the right know this, whether they admit it or not — was deeply shameful.
The atrocity should have been a unifying event, but instead it became a wedge issue.
Fake heroes like Bernie Kerik, Rudy Giuliani, and, yes, George W. Bush raced to cash in on the horror.
And then the attack was used to justify an unrelated war the neocons wanted to fight, for all the wrong reasons.
A lot of other people behaved badly.
How many of our professional pundits — people who should have understood very well what was happening — took the easy way out, turning a blind eye to the corruption and lending their support to the hijacking of the atrocity?
The memory of 9/11 has been irrevocably poisoned; it has become an occasion for shame.
And in its heart, the nation knows it.
I’m not going to allow comments on this post, for obvious reasons.
- 8 months ago
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Class_Warrior
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JanforGore
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I will light a candle for the victims and also for the innocent Iraqis and Americans and others killed in an illegal war that was spawned out of using 9.11 to get it that has done absolutely nothing in healing the hatred that led to this tragedy. This day should not be about "patriotism" but humility.
- 8 months ago
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JanforGore
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JanforGore
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JanforGore:
PEACE.
"If blood will flow when flesh and steal are one
Drying in the color of the evening sun...
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay...Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetime's argument...
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how Fragile we are...On and on the rain will fall like tears from a star, like tears from a star..."
- 8 months ago
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JanforGore
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Bigblu2u
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JanforGore:
Well said. The day we occupied Iraq, I had tears in my eyes. My America doesn't invade a foreign nation. We dont talk about the 100,000's of dead and displaced who had nothing to do with 9/11. We need to never forget them as well.
- 8 months ago
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Bigblu2u
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Joshua_Caliendo
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eleven years ago today, i was in middle school and my aunt andrea, came to my middle school and pulled me and my sister from class, taking us to her house. it wasnt till noon that we understood what was goin on, we were still young and to see such video of the iconic twin towers falling and being unable to get in touch with our family members whome still resided in the city, i remember watching andrea cry and hearing over and over that we may have lost her sons, which we hadn't but the feeling was there, so anyone who can should take a moment and have remembrance of all those who lost their lives on 9/11/01, and those civil servents whom put their lives on the line in the aftermath, and those who died on the plan which the passengers fought back and the ppl from the pentagon who also died, take time to remember, and remember even with us taking down their leader, we can never restore our family, our friends and our fellow citizens who we lost that historic and horrible day,
- 8 months ago
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Joshua_Caliendo
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dondanl
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Although I still put-out my flag, I don't see many others out. I think that most Americans are TIRED of WAR, ME TOO. We've had SO much time to reflect, that we've also had time enough to INVESTIGATE. And, sadly, with what we've found out about HOW much we were LIED to, I HAVE to think that AT LEAST 1 of the Events, that we were told, happened, DID NOT HAPPEN, or was a "FALSE FLAG EVENT", designed by a Govt Propaganda Machine that KNOWS EXACTLY HOW TO MANIPULATE PUBLIC OPINION.
It's ALWAYS the COVER-UP that 'Proves the Point', Iraq WAR 2, NEVER HAD TO HAPPEN, AND ALMOST ALL OF THE "TERRORISTS" WERE SAUDI ARABIAN. If there was 1 LIE, then HOW can Citizens EVER TRUST our Govt? In a Court of Law, EVERYTHING they told us WOULD BE THROWN OUT!
On this Day...I remember the WAR DEAD. - 8 months ago
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dondanl
