on this day. I don't want to hear about the commemerations, etc.
I have quietly/personally meditated on it, and that's all I want to do except say this: 9/11 is a tragedy in 2 ways. First, the horrible acts themselves. But second, and this upsets me more, is what this day has become. The commemorations have taken on a life of their own. They are too often being used politically.
What saddens me more than the actual events is what this country has become since then. We lost our minds that day. We gave up our essential freedom for temporary security (which is really only imaginary). We gave up our reason. We became even more war-like and jingoistic than we were before.
3000+ people died and it was an excuse to go to unending war. An excuse for decreased civil rights and for being willingly spied on by our own government.
My father-in-law died 1 week before the attacks. My wife says it was a blessing. You see, my FIL was a member of the Italian Resistance in WWII. He, no shit, blew up bridges and railroads and killed many Germans, just like you see in movies. He saw the horrors of fascism close up. Many of his family members were murdered by the Nazis after the Italian armistace with the allies.
He moved to the U.S. after the war,so that he would never have to experience that again, and so his family would be safe. He was a staunch Democrat (actually a Socialist at heart), and would shout, "LIBERAL, LIBERAL, LIBERAL! I AM A LIBERAL!"
His heart would have broken had he seen what this "Land of The Free" has become.
So, in summary, while I mourn those who died in the attacks, I also mourn the millions of people who died as the result of the events being used as premise for a war of greed. I mourn for the remnants of what was once the symbolf of freedom for the world.
Bin Laden got what he wanted.
