9/11 Misused

I am a New Yorker, and an American. I care about 9/11. I was on the first plane out of Amsterdam to New York, six days after the attack. I had to be with the people I care about during that horrible moment.

I understand the pain and suffering the attack caused. I share the horror of witnessing thousands of innocent people die brutally and for no reason, leaving struggling families behind. I honor the brave firemen and police who struggled to rescue as many people as possible. I feel the shock of my country who, until 9/11, viewed its borders as secure. I have deep respect for those who rebuilt their lives after the attack.

But… we also have to acknowledge just how the Bush administration misused 9/11 for its own ends.
- The “Patriots” Act,
- the lies told to justify the invasion of Iraq,
- the infringements on Americans’ civil liberties,
- the introduction of torture as a legitimate government function,
- the institution of government by fear – codes blue, green and yellow in public places, side-by-side with the exhortation “go on with your lives”.

The forces surrounding the Bush Administration misused the fear following 9/11 to re-order our society, politics and values. Fear and unwarranted trust in the government made people accept things they would never have accepted if they had their wits about them.

9/11 matters profoundly. It matters most in HOW you remember it, and the lessons that we will take from it.

Thus far, it seems we have not done too well.

Bob