Five years ago last night, I was on an American Airlines plane between San Francisco and Boston. I think I was on the penultimate journey of AA Flight 11, the plane that was hijacked the next morning and was the first to hit the WTC, although I was too shocked to check my ticket stub to make sure. [AA 11 was an LA bound flight, my flight was LA to SF to Boston].
I remember waiting for the flight at SFO very vividly. It was delayed, so I sat patiently, nursing a novel. There were three wisacres in the padded reception seats facing mine, and they decided to pass the time by making remarks about how I was a terrorist, as if I was somehow deaf or couldn’t comprehend what they were saying. I lowered my book long enough to glare at them, and then went back to my reading.
That was in the good old days, back before such behavior was criminalized, back before I learned to shuffle, shuck and jive, to grin broadly like an idiot and look at my feet, back before passengers counted the number of times you went to the bathroom to pee. It was a long time ago.
I took a cab back to my place and fell into a deep dreamless sleep. Because we had arrived late, I decided to sleep in the next morning and was awoken not by my alarm clock but by my father, calling on the land line (back when I had roomates and no cell phone).
“Beta, turn on the TV,” he said.
I did. And I saw. But I did not yet comprehend.
I stayed in the living room all morning, watching events unfold on television, and talking to my father in NYC. I was lucky, I never had any trouble getting through. I didn’t realize then how much everything would change. How much, even five years later, things would not be the same as they were just 24 hours before.
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p> I’ve been meaning to post something personal on this topic for years, but never got around to it. You know that I rarely talk about myself in my posts, both to preserve my anonymity but also because I’d rather you paid attention to my words than my person when I’m talking. This is hard for me to talk about. Last night, I was clenched down to my stomach in anticipation. Ironically, it was the sight of all the blather in the newspapers this morning that made me feel distant from the event, and which gave me enough perspective to start to write.
In typical desi fashion, I’m going to have to wing this. I’m going to write this in segments throughout the week, week permitting. I don’t know how well they’ll fit together or how much of what’s on my mind I’ll be able to share. Just bear with me as I post parts 2-?, and we’ll all get to see how it turns out together. Just don’t expect a happy ending to this one.
ennis: thank you for sharing.. i don’t think any of us will ever forget where we were when we saw the tragedy unfold…
Funny, I flew on an American Airlines flight out of Logan two days earlier, from Boston to Chicago. My brother didn’t really know my itinerary and was frantic that day, trying to call and find out when I flew out of Boston. I didn’t watch any of what happened: I was at work, I had a lot of cases to handle at the hospital and I didn’t have my television hooked up to cable. I listened to everything on the radio and read the web, sparsely. My most vivid memory is of a Turkish resident supervising the ‘gross’ room, who turned and said to me, “It’s Islamic fundamentalists, that’s who it is.” I had no idea myself. None at all.
After, I too got a phone call by my father. I had never heard my stoic, mathematician father sound like that. I had never heard his voice sound like that, ever. That shook me.
Less than two weeks after 9/ 11, I flew to Canada. At that time, I was on H-1B visa.
It was really scary. Airports used to close at 8:00 PM, and people were put up in hotels. I reached Canada an hour before my talk (almost a day late).
Day after 9/11, I taught a class with 200 freshmen. I had students coming up, and crying. It was quite moving
“That was the good old days, back before such behavior was criminalized, back before I learned to shuffle, shuck and jive, to grin broadly like an idiot and look at my feet, back before passengers counted the number of times you went to the bathroom to pee. It was a long time ago.”
today – and other such days – is such a sad day on so many levels. that line of yours is really telling, really moving and makes me feel even more sad.
Ennis I’m with you on how you feel. I’m overwhelmed. This day brings back nothing but bad memories. My brother was in Tower 2 and I frantically searched for him all morning while he searched for his best friend who didn’t make it. He did.
I couldn’t tell my parents he was in there because his office was across the street. It felt like I died a 1000 deaths in those 3 hours. I was lucky. My brother came back to me. Today all I can think of are all those that didn’t come back. I lost a dear friend as well.
We’ve come a long way in the wrong direction. I’m not happy in the place we as in Americans are today. I really don’t want to get into a political debate because I just think it’s so simply inappropriate for this day.
thanks for sharing dude.
Me, I am still not ready…it just doesnt feel like its been FIVE years. it was just wierd listening to radio this morning while driving to work. They had this montage of voices just saying what they were doing at that exact moment on Sept 11. I just had to turn it off as it just made me nauseous and afraid
It was happening and i thought everything would be ok, FDNY would put out the fire and wouldnt be as massive. but then the first tower collapsed and all the news reporters were just silent, complete shock….it just fell
Blue skies and fair winds to those who’ve departed. For those who bear the burden and grief of loss, may you cherish the positive memories of your loved ones.
Thanks for sharing your story Ennis.
I had been in the US for just over a month when 9/11 happened. I watched the events unfold on a huge TV screen in the students activity centre at my university. There were people from several different countries, all watching in shock and disbelief. At that point, it never occurred to me that my life (as an international student) would change drastically after 9/11. Having witnessed a lot of terrorist attacks in India, I thought that this was like “one of them”. I couldn’t have been more wrong. All classes for the day were cancelled….a couple of my profs didn’t even turn up for the next 3 classes. There was an eerie silence in the lectures..and I could see students in genuine grief….and these were guys who were 1000 miles away from the scene and most probably didn’t know anyone in WTC. I had never seen such a thing in India…and this shook me. Growing up in India, I had seen/heard of such carnage time and again on news channels, newspapers etc. But I was never affected by any of those incidents..my life went on as usual. On seeing the reaction of Americans around me, I had to question my inner self…was I too involved with my own life ?
Just wanted to call that out again because it was so powerful and hit close to home for many of us. Thank you and good luck with the remaining segments.
Ennis: How could I forget the 9-11 five years ago. I was at work when I got call from Abhi who was at NASA – Houston – telling me that a plane has hit WTC tower. I thought either he was joking or may be a small commuter plane inadverently ran into it. Within minutes story was unfolding. I was the man who broke the bad news to all my colleagues. We all ran into the conference room , turned the TV on and witnessed the hit (Live) on the second tower and later, on to the Pentagon (less than half an hour drive from our office). There was not a person in the room (50+) who did not have tear, or two in his/her eyes. Yo Mom and younger son P were somewhere in Tibet scaling Mt. Kailash on their way to Maansarovar. They had no idea what happened until they came back to Khatmandu a week later to find out about the events. Without going into the details of the politics and who is right and who is wrong, let me tell you it was not a preety site to even watch it on TV for me, much less for those who were actualy in Manhattan that morning. May GOD rests their souls.
I think I was on the penultimate journey of AA Flight 11, the plane that was hijacked the next morning and was the first to hit the WTC, although I was too shocked to check my ticket stub to make sure. [AA 11 was an LA bound flight, my flight was LA to SF to Boston].
You are very lucky that they did not pick you up for questioning. If you were an immigrant, you would have almost certainly been one of the 5,000 detainees.
Along with the nation, I watched the events of 9-11 unfold live on television. The shock and grief was overpowering as the morning wore on. Even today, I cannot rewatch the video of the towers collapsing. The horror was and continues to be overpowering. I cannot possibly imagine what it must have been like for those that perished in the planes and buildings. (As an aside, I am stunned by the fictional movies on this subject…the original wounds are so raw for so many people.)
If it is appropriate, I am curious to hear what the experience of fellow south asians in the US has been like five years on. Is your race more/less an issue while traveling or at work? Are you more/less noticed? Are you personally more/less sensitive about others noticing you?
I often wondered why they didn’t contact me, just to ask if I had seen anything out of the ordinary. That morning I anticipated that they would. But back then, I still thought of the FBI as a largely friendly presence.
I often wondered why they didn’t contact me, just to ask if I had seen anything out of the ordinary. That morning I anticipated that they would. But back then, I still thought of the FBI as a largely friendly presence.
I think if you were an immigrant, you would almost certainly been rounded up for a ‘purported’ dry run. Do you have a more ‘American’ sounding name?
Goodness, no. My name is very foreign sounding indeed. I may have gotten lucky.
I think if you were an immigrant, you would almost certainly been rounded up for a ‘purported’ dry run. Do you have a more ‘American’ sounding name?
muslim immigrant. not everyone is a moron, and some people in power can tell the difference between sikhs and muslims.
I also slept in that day. I had just gotten out of the shower when the phone rang. It was my mother. She was so frightened that I could barely recognize her voice. “WE’RE UNDER ATTACK! THEY’VE HIT WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK! TURN ON YOUR TV NOW!!” click She’d left out the “who” and “with what”… but having grown up in the late days of the Cold War… I thought… could it be… NO! not that… My legs were trembling so badly that I had to push off of a wall a couple of times to get to the living room and the TV. I finally got it turned on. The first thing I saw was the World Trade Center burning. I was relieved. No mushroom clouds anywhere and I was just thrilled to death about that. Something had clearly gone very, very wrong… but not the worst thing…
While I understand that today is all about the mass sharing of feelings, and Ennis, I totally appreciate your story and particularly your “shuffle, shuck and jive line” (good stuff!), I’m not sure I understand how things have changed significantly since 9/11. We’re embroiled in a civil war in Iraq. We’ve overthrown two countries. But…what else?
They’ve changed since before 9/11. I’ll get to it in one of my later posts.
muslim immigrant. not everyone is a moron, and some people in power can tell the difference between sikhs and muslims.
I disagree. We are talking about 9-12 here. If Ennis was Hispanic/Black/East Asian immigrant it might have been different. For a Sikh immigrant from India who took a flight from the same plane a day before, the chances of him getting initially swept up were pretty high. Of course he would have been released eventually. Over 100 Non-Muslim South Asians were caught in the sweep immediately after 9-11. Remember this was a time when individual Judges were signing off dozens of search warrants within 2-3 days of 9-11. I have worked on the cases of immigrants who were arrested after 9-11. You are correct about an overwhelming number of them being Muslim. But a LOT of shit happened in the month after 9-11 which I hope is never repeated in this country.
I’m not sure I understand how things have changed significantly since 9/11.
That you haven’t been attacked again. That many terror plots from the Shoebomber to the recent London Airplane bombings have been foiled.
Ennis – thanks for posting and I’m glad you could finally share this with everyone.
Definitely. I don’t think it affects me as much as a brown woman (I got searched more at airports before 9/11 than after) – but I am definitely conscious of it when with my husband (a turbaned Sikh). Everyday I wonder what people think as we get on the train station with two backpacks – especially this morning. I didn’t feel any of this before 9/11. I can understand the fear that unconsciously goes through a person’s mind, but I wish it wasn’t so misguided.
I’m not sure how not being attacked by terrorists would constitute significant change for the country. By those standards, every day is a smashing success if I just get to work alive.
I’m not sure how not being attacked by terrorists would constitute significant change for the country.
Just talk to the loved ones of those who have been killed in other countries since 9/11 by Islamic terrorists. In particular to those in India where one such attack has been followed by another and that in turn by yet another.
By those standards, every day is a smashing success if I just get to work alive.
I’d say given the times, yes it is.
That September, my wife and I had been married six months. We had moved to an apartment on the Staten Island, which is [a twenty minute ferry ride] off the southern tip of Manhattan. Besides, great views of the lower Manhattan skyline, we were enticed by the relatively low rent.
My wife’s work was/is a mere three blocks away from the world trade center on Wall St/Broadway. She left home at around 8.20 and got on the 8.30 ferry to Manhattan. When the first plane hit at 8.46 am, she, like others on the boat thought it was an accident/fire of some sort. By the time my wife got to her desk, the other plane hit and she was ordered to leave the building. Upon stepping out on the pitch black street, she said, ” I was thrown down violently, by a force, which, at the time, seemed like hundreds of people pushing and then walking over her. Later, she realized it was due to the massive force of debris flying through the streets, caused by the implosion of the twin towers.
Meanwhile, I [had also begun the first semester of graduate school]was running late for the 9 am ferry, which was cancelled. There I was, staring shell shocked across the bay, trying desperately to get in touch with my wife. Not knowing, If she was safe.
While standing there in anguish, my thoughts drifted to Kashmir, my home. The irony was inescapable – A little more than a decade ago, My wife’s and my entire family were forced to leave our native state, under very extreme circumstances. We were forced out by Islamic terrorists. The nutcases borrowing a page from Hitler’s playbook, target ted the intellectual class of the minority and indigenous [Hindu] Kashmiris. My mother in law, being a prominent doctor, a single mother of a teenage daughter, was singled out for “special” treatment . To cut a long story short, she and my wife went through hell, before fleeing to Delhi and starting life from scratch.
The thought that my wife may have succumbed to Islamic terrorism in New York, thousands of miles from Kashmir became surreal at best and unbearable at worst.
Finally, which seemed like the longest 24 hours, my wife got in touch with me. She had managed to get up, from below the debris and manged to find her way out of the darkness by holding on to a passerby’s arm, who had bumped into her. Her ankle had broken and she had several bruises. Injuries notwithstanding, she limped to a friends place in Forest Hills, which is quite a bit away.
Next morning, I borrowed a neighbor’s car and brought her back.
p.s. that morning, besides, becoming a Bush supporter, I also became a proponent of pre-emptive strikes.
And I’d say we should maybe think about how to prevent terrorism, and figure out effective means of dealing with the underlying reasons for terrorism, rather than simply trying to prevent attacks. And by those standards, we’ve done nothing in five years. So back to my original statement…nothing’s changed.
Because, see, sooner or later, law enforcement will fail. Someone will get through. And then what?
To riff on Salil’s comment–what glaringly hasn’t changed is that we, as a society, are still woefully unprepared to deal with terrorist disasters–or natural disasters or manmade disasters. NYC’s fire department and police department still get short shrift in funding, despite being the bulls eye of this and dozens of other problems. Our disaster preparation website is still a disaster. We dont’ have a culture of preparedness. I just went to my office first aid kit to get some advils, and noted that it was missing much of its contents. I work for a wealthy corporation. With Katrina we all saw what happens to the poor, the elderly, the immigrants, the weak, the people with pets or too many children to pile into one car. With 9/11 we saw what happened to Chinatown. To the elderly breathing in smoke and ashes. Our public health system is a wreck. And New York is a much better designed city to deal with this kind of thing than others. You can escape on foot, there’s somewhere to go, etc.etc. Imagine if a similarly scaled natural or terrorist disaster happened in your town.
All of these things have a common set of solutions built on a common set of principals. Even if all the terrorists in the world suddenly become angels, we would still have to deal with pandemics, fires, earthquakes, and accidents. Yet we focus our rhetoric on combativeness and war, instead of focusing it on building a better, stronger community that can deal with any crisis. These were the kinds of things I hoped would change, and these are the kinds of things that haven’t changed at all. Out government and leaders could have asked us to do much, but instead they asked to go shopping and carry on as before.
We saw that our hearts can well with compassion and competence when we’re awake, but also that years of sleeping will only tragically demonstrate how fragile we really are. And then we went right back to sleep, with more colorful and melodramatic dreams, hands uselessly curled into fists.
and figure out effective means of dealing with the underlying reasons for terrorism
Well then let all of us non Muslims get ready to offer ourselves to Islam. Because nothing short of that is going to placate Osama and his likeminded jihadists from London to Lahore.
Because, see, sooner or later, law enforcement will fail. Someone will get through. And then what?
That’s exactly why I and Kritic believe in preemption.
Kritic you had once mentioned rape of Kashmiri Hindu women by Muslim jihadis. Do you have facts to back it up or is it mere hearsay? I ask because I have been under the impression that Jihadists won’t ever rape. If this thread is not the place for that discussion then you may reply to me some other time.
jilted_manhood – i am on my way out. later, i can get write about it here or another site/forum/posting or email.
Nice post Ennis, I was given the most comprehensive “patting down” ever, last week in Frankfurt by this huge German officer. The flight was delayed and I decided to walk back to the Terminal Entrance and have some lunch. After washing down a disgusting Cheese Sandwich with a couple of Pilseners, I walked back towards the Security-gate once more. I spied the same blond, blue-eyed, hulk standing there with a smirk on his face. As I walked up to him I could feel my mind filling up with thoughts of revenge; a little alcohol had given me a lot of courage. I decided that I had to act and act immediately. I stopped in front of him, held his gaze, and as he was about to reach out towards me, I let out a casual, but enormous, stale-cheese-and-beer burp. For the briefest of seconds I saw him wince; Ocean-blue eyes turned coal-black as he struggled to regain composure. Eventually, he stepped back and waved me through. I muttered a Tschuss and walked on. An enormous sense of peace settled upon me. My only regret was that I was not Rob, my mate from school, who could fart at will anytime, anywhere! Oh, and by the way, Lufthansa sucks more than ever! Peace.
Kritic and Wilted Manhood:
Alrighty! You’ve convinced me. So…who should we bomb? Clearly, we’ve been pre-emptively bombing the wrong people. Or would you say that since there have been no terrorist attacks on American soil, preemption has been hugely successful? How silly of me. I forgot that America was the center of the universe. It’s AMERICAN lives that count. Oh wait…do Americans on foreign soil count? I guess not, huh?
While we’re at it, how do we define American again? Can I get a quick recap? I think I missed that.
Really, no one is saying anything about standing down our guard. Nor is anyone saying we need to negotiate with Osama bin Laden. Quite the opposite: how come we haven’t even tried to catch the mofo? Hmmm? It’s been five years. You can find ANYONE in five years, especially if you have the resources of the CIA, the FBI, and the Pentagon at your disposal.
Me, I’m just confused why we ONLY focus on preventing attacks. We don’t even try and understand how things came to this pass, and how to make it better. Or how to NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES OVER AND OVER AGAIN. That would be a nice start!
And I was trying to be civil and patient with you! You and your unoriginal arguments. My manhood is just jilted. You probably were playing with yours when the adjective ‘ wilted ‘ popped in your head.
Jeeze, dude, try and take your mind off your manhood. I don’t much care whether it’s wilted, jilted, raging, or otherwise. Fine, it was a cheap shot, but it was too fun to pass up. And thanks for being patient with me and my “unoriginal” arguments. I guess you’re right. It’s far better to be original than…correct. That is why I’ve composed a totally new poem about all this, in iambic pentameter, even. But I won’t share it with you, because you’re a Miss Prissy Pants.
Besides, you’ve explained absolutely nothing about how pre-emptive strikes have done well for America. Your definition was that there have been no terrorist attacks on American soil since 9/11. I still maintain that this is a specious definition of success, and one that will mean nothing if terrorists manage to land another blow here in America. You’re defining success in terms of defense, while saying that we should be pre-emptive in our “strikes.”
I’m all for keeping terrorist attacks away from America. I’m also all for keeping terrorist attacks away from Israel, Iraq, Lebanon, France, the UK, etc, etc. I’m all for preventing terrorist attacks in the first place. I don’t think terrorists love me, and I don’t want to give them hugs. I just want some measure of sanity brought back into this discussion, rather than screaming “bomb ’em more! bomb ’em harder!” I mean, we’ve seen how well that works.
On 9-12 this Canuck was in India, in the veranda of my rented house, doing skipping exercises while my bf sat reading the papers on the old couch. He muttered that a plane had hit the World Trade Centre. I had a momentary vision of a plane bouncing off the side of a building and smashing to bits on the ground. Without stopping my skipping, I smiled and said ‘well, it’s just the chickens coming home to roost’. I remember my bf looking at me, appalled. I’ve always felt guilty for that statement – though I had no idea at the time that people had died. It never occurred to me that a plane could bring a building down.
In India, the whole thing had a surreal, far-off feeling about it. People weren’t personally affected at all, and that detachment is infectious. In any case, while I learnt quickly to regret my hasty statement about roosting chickens, and wept my share of tears, I’m glad for the detachment that being in India gave me. Thousands of people die each year in many countries with very few people to mourn them. How many Americans mourn the nameless Iraqis slaughtered needlessly in Iraq each month? Why the ‘sacredness’ around American lives, and not the lives of others?
hugs
I think this post is about how hard it is for turbaned Sikh men in the US. Before, it was different. I know people who wear kesh, and life is hard for them now, compared to before. I know we all have stories of loss and struggle, but those that wear turbans have gotten a lot of crap. I hope things will get better. y’all have my respect.
How many Americans mourn the nameless Iraqis slaughtered needlessly in Iraq each month? Why the ‘sacredness’ around American lives, and not the lives of others?
Well first of all noone is asking you or any other non American to grieve for 9/11. Americans mourn for their own more than that for non Americans because it hits home closer. It’s natural. Just the same way as Indians should mourn more for dead Indians. Please don’t be jealous of how some cultures value life more than others. America is not going to come mourn for Indians when they don’t mourn for their own. Why not set up fancy memorials for victims of terror attacks in India and then commemorate those attacks? Also Americans might not beat their chests when people die overseas but in all likelihood they care more about calamities and death in foreign lands than vice versa. When post 9/11 and post Bali bombing, the Tsunami struck, Americans didn’t go about gloating ‘ serves them Muslim Indonesians right ‘. Which is what was the reaction of many non Americans right after 9/11 and Katrina as eloquently put by you; well, it’s just the chickens coming home to roost’
At least you have been honest. But your spontaneous feelings on hearing the news would be no surprise to someone who has even a cursory knowledge of your comments on this site!
On the other hand ordinary Americans including schoolchildren went about collecting money for Tsunami relief. That’s just one example of the compassion of American people.
Jilted_manhood, I understand that you might be frustrated by Dharma Queen’s remarks, but this comparison is unfair. For example, I do not know of anyone who was gloating over Katrina, which is a closer comparison to the tsunami than 9/11.
For more than a decade before 9/11, there had been a strong feeling in frustration in India over the US support of Jehadism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which India had borne the brunt of in the form of many terror attacks. On 9/11/2001, I was in India, and it was hard to resist an initial reaction of ‘told you so’. But I did not meet anyone who was happy with the attack, and I strongly doubt that was the general reaction.
In fact, even after the Iraq debacle, India is perhaps the nation where public opinion is most sympathetic to the US. For whatever reasons.
In fact, even after the Iraq debacle, India is perhaps the nation where public opinion is most sympathetic to the US. For whatever reasons.
Since about 5-10 years (post, post Cold war), a lot people are keenly clued-in to America through outsourcing business. They are always concerned about the business continuity and new contracts.
Sure, there is some lone super-power envy, JNU-style debate, and some bashing too – even UK has it for USA. Hmmm……France.
I was in India in December, 2001. Everyone was much concerned, especially prospective students about the visa situation back then.
Also, was the talk of effect of global jihad. I thought most of the Indians in India were very vary of Pakistan turn around at that time, and strong opinions about it. Everybody I met talked to me about it in 2001.
Jilted, I was making a confession of GUILT – I felt shitty for ages about that comment. You seem to have missed that in your eagerness to tar all non-Americans as selfish bastards.
For more than a decade before 9/11, there had been a strong feeling in frustration in India over the US support of Jehadism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which India had borne the brunt of in the form of many terror attack
I totally get your point.
Even though the US wasn’t directly fomenting trouble in India it can be accused of turning a blind eye to India’s troubles in both Kashmir and Punjab. For example there was a lot of money coming from expats in both US and UK and going to terrorists. They didn’t do much to stanch the flow. But I am tired of Indians compaining about US not helping them then. When will Indians learn to fight their own fight? There is a precedent; Indira Gandhi despite US opposition dismembered Pakistan. It’s a flimsy excuse that India doesn’t have Israel type support. India is perhaps the nation where public opinion is most sympathetic to the US. For whatever reasons
For very good reasons. US is India’s biggest market for IT services particularly, the one export that has accounted much for the Indian Miracle. India and US just don’t have common enemies but they have common values too. They are natural allies and I am not parroting Bush here. I have been saying this much before this notion gained momentum here in the US.
…and any humanities department in any American University 😉 .
i dont know how you interpreted that but your earlier comment was extremely inappropriate. self-flagellation is not the best way to commiserate. please refrain.
btw – for all you folks out there. i pray you shall never have the need – but if you do – i felt today was a good day to send my blood sample to the trans-national marrow registry. a token gesture. but i did it for you… and for me.
(DQ – there are better ways to atone)
jilted:
Doesn’t it go deeper than that? Didn’t the US fund Taleban, using Pakistan as (a rather transparent) front, with the result that Pakistan had almost complete discretion of where and how to distribute US money and weapons? I might be wrong here, as I am no expert on Afghan politics.
Unfortunately my view of the Indian mindset is rather less charitable. I know many Indians and I am still not sure what their values are. I think they generally believe in liberty and plurality, but not so much in equality (of course assuming these are American values in more than a nominal sense…sorry, I am a natural cynic 🙂 ) .
My theory is that the hierarchical nature of Indian society allows Indians to be naturally more comfortable being part of a hierarchy, and they can live with a world where the US leads. In a way, Indians are okay with it if the US wants to play the kshatriya, so long as Indians get a chance to play the Brahmins, or occasionally the Vaisyas ;).
That’s nice, Hairy D. Did you do the same to commemorate the Rwandan genocide, the crisis in Darfur, the genocide in Bosnia, the deaths of Iraqi civilians etc. etc. Or just for these precious Americans whose sensitivities everyone must respect at all times?
Thanks, hairy_d. Watching Season1 of Grey’s Anatomy last night reminded me to do that too, but the real life message is more heartfelt.
DQ, I know that you care about global justice and human rights for everyone and things like that and so do I, but I do feel that emotionally hijacking 9/11 so that it becomes a vehicle for other issues is unfair and disrespectful to the victims and their families.
I mean, around the same number of people died when the Titanic sank and that event is still remembered as an historic tragedy. Maybe people should remember things like the Amritsar massacre and the Rwandan genocide alongside things like this.
But the fact that this isn’t the case does not mean that anger about such things should be directed at innocent Americans whose lives were lost on 9/11, and their friends and families who were left behind.
I think turning 9/11 into a comparative tragedy exercise is the worst possible thing to do. It’s a viewpoint which treats humans like expendable, value-measured, socially/racially/culturally determined creatures instead of individuals that has led to the world being as f***ed up as it is now.
Tashie, fair enough.
And Hairy D – I aknowledge self-flagellation is not the best way to commiserate. I didn’t interpret this post as one of commiseration but one of commemoration, and tried to put down my experience of 9/11 as honestly as I could. I can’t help but find the ‘holification’ of 9/11 distasteful in light of the fact that obscure, poor Indians/Africans/Chinese/whatevers die all the time without anyone giving a damn.
But yes, there may be personally touched mourners here, and to them – I’m very sorry for hijacking your space.
Have some perspective for Lord’s sake. There is every other day in the year to do what you ask and no one is stopping you from doing so. Can’t ONE day go by without folks trying to make American’s feel guilty for [insert your greivance with America here] and mourning loss of their own?
Everyone feels different about everything. You may feel kinship to those in Rawanda or Darfur. Good for you. No one is telling you not to respect that. How about YOU respecting us American’s right to reflect on our fellow citizens and their loss?
DQ:
that’s so weird I think we typed our comments up at the same time because we both mentioned Rwanda and I hadn’t even read what you wrote. I do empathise with your sense of injustice and can fully see where it’s coming from.
But I think that the vindictive and bitter tone of resentment that underlies how people feel about Americans and their tragedies post 9/11 is really unhealthy. As someone who lives in a country which is too tiny for anyone to find on a map let alone bomb, I feel that anger that should be directed at a corrupt elite who have dominated US foreign policy since the end of WW2 is now being heaped out on American citizens who are a multicultural, multireligious, diverse people.
I personally feel just as sorry for the rich white accountants who perished in the top offices as the Hispanic cleaning ladies and the Muslims praying in the mosque when the Twin Towers went down. They were all innocent civilians and no one should have to die that way.
I wish we could all stop fuelling things into 9/11 and take a moment to be silent and reflect and empathise. Because if we don’t start empathising with each other now we never will. I remember going on a peaceful anti-war protest just before the invasion of Iraq where I saw people stepping and spitting on an American flag. I cried with the Palestinian women’s group and I yelled about Bush and Haliburton and oil conspiracies, but I walked around that flag. Because I think that anyone who does want a peaceful world should give up on the America-hate.