shalanna

Five years ago today, America lost her "virginity."

The scare quotes, yes--they belong there, for it was only in a certain sense that we lost our innocence. After all, there was Pearl Harbor; there were the many "Indian (Native American) wars" and the Mexican wars; there was the War of 1812. All of these involved attacks on American soil. But this time it was an attack during the day in America's iconic cities, on civilians . . . using airplanes, for goodness' sake, commercial airliners that we are constantly believing are the safest ever . . . it was just different somehow.

I think it's appropriate to mark the anniversary. It's appropriate to mourn. It's vital to remember.

But I don't know whether I can bear an all-day dwelling on it. We watched documentaries on Saturday and on Sunday, and I think I've just about gotten as low on that as I can stand to. I may think about a few other things today . . . and that's OK.

You can't get away from it on the teevee today--it's all over the newspapers--everyone's talking about it. So you already are soaking in it. Me? I get depressed. I don't know if I can take so much of this. It's almost as if we're wallowing in it. We ought to acknowledge the anniversary, but then we should soldier on and say what we're doing to make sure it never happens again. And what we do should not involve giving away the civil liberties and freedom of movement and so forth that's happening now, because that's exactly what the terrorists wanted. If we continue down this primrose-strewn path of "we need more power to protect you better," then we're going to lose what we meant to protect with all the new rules. The terrorists are laughing into their sleeves. They will have won.

So let us not do that. Let us remember; let us wish it hadn't happened. But what I want (and what I think would work better) is not a further curtailment of our freedoms. Sure, I would like to have all those people back whose timers had not yet run out--who went before their time (surely). I would like to have back all those soldiers who have been sent into foreign lands to "find the bad guys," but who have been sacrificed to a cause that may or may not even be the right one. I would like to have back the America that was in place in the early morning hours of September 11, 2001, the one who wasn't worried (ever) about bombs or terrorists or what-have-you here at home. After all, this is America! That stuff doesn't happen here! We don't have to worry, because people come here to get a better life, and we help them make one--what's not to like?

But that won't happen. We have to move forward into the future, seeing only as far ahead as our weak lights can show us, and trusting that the next step is the right one.

Can it really have been five years? I suppose it has. Though when you show me (over and over) that awful footage, it seems like just the other day.

Are we any safer because of the steps we've taken in the intervening time?

I really can't say for sure. I know I don't FEEL any different. I know that we haven't implemented the 9/11 commission's recommendations. I realize that many of the changes at the airports and so forth have not, according to many analysts, really made us much safer. It seems as though we're casting about to find the magic word that'll make things safe again. Maybe the magic word is . . . (as Granddad would have said) . . . "courage."

But I don't know. I don't want this to be a political post (and I hope that others don't seize this opportunity, this memorial day, to politicize something that should be all about philosophy and right action rather than about getting elected or furthering one agenda or the other.) I'm just thinking out loud so I'll know what I think about events, and the way I do that is by writing it down.

Thank you for being out there and for (sometimes) being able to listen.

Be safe, and take care.