So last year was the 10th anniversary of September 11th.
In the post I wrote about that fateful day, Dave wrote a comment that had a very profound effect on me.
9/11 was tragic and shit. I lost 9 friends and will be there on Sunday to remember them. When it happened I wanted revenge. I wanted America to be strong and decisive. I was wrong. Justice and revenge are very different beasts but I still meet people who can’t distinguish it. Families of the bereaved or victims of the attack I could understand, but it’s rarely them. The compulsion to get involved in matters you have nothing to do with is an American trait but using 9-11 to do that is unwarranted and unwanted.
With all the mudslinging going on between the Republicans and Democrats in the US election right now, it would appear nothing has been learnt and that’s another tragedy because as John F Kennedy said,
“An error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.”
I just hope sanity rises above all the rhetoric, machismo and political posturing being banded about and – even more scarily – celebrated.
So to all the people who have to revisit a dark place they would rather not have exist today, I wish you well and hope the pain has been replaced with good memories of who you lost. It took me 10 years to start remembering the good times with my Dad rather than just focus on his last days so I hope the same has now happened to you, if not before.