nemoorange.com

9/11/06

I'm worried. If the past week's media build up has been any indicator, the five year anniversary of 9/11 will be consumed in politics. Not that this event could be completely free of political rhetoric, but ideally, it should not overshadow the true significance of this day. Pundits have been going back and forth about ABC's miniseries The Path to 9/11. They've been plotting what steps the President will take on the issue, how the Democrats will respond. The more important matter issue hasn't been discussed.

What I want to hear about is how the anniversary can provide our nation with an opportunity to unite again. A wake up call, to put the past five years in perspective and bring us all back on the same page. It becomes increasingly clear that the US has cowered into a nation propelled by fear. Just think of last year's terrorist attacks in London. By the next day, all was back to normal in the UK. On our side, American media outlets conjured more complex schemes for terrorism. The same can be said for the recent arrests made in London in August. With every blip in the radar, our fears of hypothetical situations grow greater. We are frightened.

So instead of wondering "are we safer" or I'm going to try to reflect on how 9/11 brought us together. I am united with my nation in remembrance, in reflection. To be concerned with the surrounding politics is to side step the greater issue.