Thinking 9-11

On this fifth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, Americans are remembering that event in various ways. I would like to think that most of us will remember the victims and their families who lost so much on that day. But as a whole, we are arguing and debating that event and its larger meaning for America. The ABC mock-u-drama, “The Path to 9-11" provides an opportunity for the wingnuts to blame the attacks on Clinton just in time for to use the event as a political prop in the 2006 mid term elections. This is hardly new. They did it in 2002 and 2004. Should we expect anything else? Perhaps–and this is pretty iffy–Americans will know by now that much of the BushCheney war on terror is little more than an exercise in military adventurism.

My partner, Maggie, tells me that I need to think and write about other things. She’s right, of course. Spending too time on this is depressing for anyone. It also triggers far too memories of Vietnam for me. Not just the combat but the lies, deception, anger and paranoia of that era. Maggie’s been urging me to write more about the Appalachian Trail and non-political events.

I can’t quite do that on this particular day. My thoughts drift back to September 11, 2001 all too readily. I was living in Window Rock, Arizona on the Navajo Reservation and did not have a television (being unwilling to pay cable fees for very minimal service) so I did not see the images broadcast over and over and over. I heard the reports on National Public Radio and saw pictures on the internet but the combination of media and physical isolation made the event seem remote. Far more noticeable was the absence of aircraft in the skies overhead or activity at the airport adjacent to my home.

Still, I felt the anger, rage and shock. But I also asked “why?”, a question asked by only a few on that day and not many since. Somehow, looking beyond the attack itself was considered unpatriotic in the immediate aftermath. For many, it still is. Somehow, looking for causes was seen as taking the attackers’ side. Which is ludicrous. It’s like trying to fight a disease by only treating symptoms. At best, you will only keep problems at bay rather than solving them.

But addressing the root causes of terrorism is not something Americans are willing to do. Not when BushCheney promises quick action, and–most of all–safety. Look at the past five years and ask if all of our expenditure of blood and treasure has really made a difference comparable to the cost. BushCheney claim that they have kept America from being attacked but at best, they have closed off some of the more obvious opportunities. They have done little to address the reasons why so many want to harm the US and its allies. I have no illusions that the sources of hatred and fear will ever be eliminated but I do believe that quite a bit can be done to reduce the threat by addressing the poverty and hopelessness that leads so many to seek revenge in fundamentalism and suicide attacks.

That takes patience, determination and thought. In the long run, it’s the only thing that will provide real security.