Reclaiming 9/11

Remember how you felt on September 11 and in the days that followed? When exactly did this hallowed day become a caricature of itself? Probably anytime Rudy Guiliani had anything to say about it.

Well, there are ways to avenge this double loss, and the families of some 9/11 victims are doing something important:

"Jim Riches, a New York deputy fire chief whose firefighter son was killed during the attack, said the group aimed to raise doubts about the central premise of Giuliani's presidential campaign -- his leadership role on Sept. 11. "If we have to follow him around all 2008 we'll do it," Riches said.

Lauded as "America's Mayor" for his blunt talk and compassion after the attacks, Giuliani's political stock soared, and he built a multimillion-dollar consulting group emphasizing his leadership skills."

and:

"But the former New York mayor's frequent references to Sept. 11 on the campaign trail have infuriated Riches and about 20 activists who lost firefighter sons. The New Yorkers blame Giuliani for decision-making failures that they say contributed to the deaths."

It is taking New Yorkers a while to crack St. Rudy's halo, but it appears they're getting ready to - and it's time.

Beyond 9/11

On Monday, September 10, 2001, one of my nieces was in New York City interviewing for a job at a company called Cantor Fitzgerald. It just so happened that Cantor Fitzgerald was a tenant of a building called One World Trade Center, located on the 102nd floor. If she had been there a day later, could she possibly have been a victim of the terrorist attack? Perhaps. But, it's a haunting thought, and luckily not one that our family has had to think about.

But as we approach the anniversary tomorrow, we're going to hear a lot of talk about revenge and Al Qaeda, and what the Chimp has (or hasn't) done to keep us safe from further attacks.

I had a passing thought the other day about 9/11 and the disappointment I have with our country's response to it. We went from immediate shock and horror, to actively seeking a payback, and now a generally blase feeling about - at least so far as I can tell.

What if our response had been different? What if we had simply done the necessary things to bring those responsible to justice? What then? Would we have been able to move on and focus on the bigger picture? Would we be able to commemorate the anniversary of these horrible deaths with a bit more...I'm searching for the right word...pride? What I'm trying to say is so long as that dingbat is in the White House, he will keep us psychologically stuck on September 11, 2001.

Imagine, if you will, a president that took us forward - and focused us all on a brighter future. Next year, we have the opportunity to put this horror behind us. At long last. It's time.





PS: After writing this post, I came across this post from Anna Quindlin in Newsweek. She says it better than me, but it's a similar message.