9/11: Lest We Forget

How many television specials, books, special editions, parades, product placements, documentaries and sensationalized news logos must we be subjected to as we mark the tenth anniversary of 9/11? 

Do we really need to be reminded by a myriad of events and products reflecting the most shocking event many of us ever witnessed? We all witnessed it, thanks to television. Now we get to relive it all over again in so many different ways.

It’s not like we could ever forget. We’ll never forget how blue the sky was that morning, and we’ll never forget how horrific the day ended. How, with the images, loss, war and political aftermath that haunts us to this day?

When marking the anniversary, why can’t we leave it at three solemn memorial services? Certainly it’s appropriate to honor every anniversary at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. There should be a moment of silence marking each anniversary. Names of every single victim should be read aloud so we can remember. All of this is required. Unfortunately, we can’t leave it at that.

No, we have to have a “freedom ride” every year. We have to have 10k races. We have to have a NASCAR 9/11 memorial tribute. Perhaps most disturbing are the tractor trailers that parade around steel girders from the wreckage of the Twin Towers. Please point out the sanctity in that. 

It’s gotten to the point where groups hold memorial events simply to draw attention to their various causes and products. Don’t think corporations won’t buy out full page newspaper ads and Google won’t come up with a clever 9/11 logo for its home page.

Good luck on avoiding all the special news coverage recounting the exact timeline of when each plane hit, and the corresponding horrible images that have been engrained in our minds. 

Of course there will have to be in-depth analysis on how the U.S. has progressed in its war on terror. Ten years later and we get to recount all the security failures by two White House administrations that led up to the attacks. 

We get to recount all of the foiled plots by would-be terrorists who tried to blow up planes with their sneakers and underwear. Well, at least we got Osama bin Laden, right? 

We’ll get to hear all the talk of how the U.S. is that much closer to defeating Al Qaeda. Breaking news! It appears Al Qaeda has popped up elsewhere.

Then there’s the offshoot programing that’s somehow related to the tragedy. No disrespect, but I don’t care to watch an entire show updating the lives of pets that were rescued after their owners died in the Twin Towers. If you want to help a victim’s family by remodeling a house, that’s great. It’s totally unnecessary to make a TV show about it.

Parents will probably feel the need to explain to their children what really happened that day, and they should. It’s a conversation many parents will likely struggle with, but please don’t make some guy rich by going out and buying the “We Shall Never Forget 9/11 The Kids’ Book of Freedom.” 

The point is, it’s just all way too much, and no, I don’t need a special edition 9/11 commemorative gold coin.

Many of us want to feel part of the experience. It’s one of the reasons why there are remembrances held in the smallest of towns thousands of miles removed from where the attacks took place. 

Many of us crave to be included, but the fact is, we're all part of the experience whether we like it or not. It’s partly because we watched it happen live, and partly because we’re all now subject to the post-9/11 policies and effects of the wars that have taken place since.

Still, why can’t we just honor the victims, firefighters and emergency responders from that day? Why does there have to be all this other stuff? It’s disgusting to watch politicians, businesses and entrepreneurs cashing in, and it would be nice to see more of us, including the networks and magazines start to use some restraint.

Good luck finding on television a September 11th special focusing on forging stronger relationships with our neighbors, bridging gaps between cultural differences, and finding better ways to balance civil rights, basic American freedoms and security. Lest we forget, “9/11 changed everything.”

We can never forget, and that’s part of the problem. Ten years later, and all the political rhetoric, fear-mongering coverage and product placement continues to degrade the sanctity of that tragic day, and in the process, keeps us from moving forward.