So, today is September 11th. What with all the fresh tragedy, it seems nobody is remembering past tragedy. Is it just me, or has this anniversary crept up on us? Sure, four years isn’t anything to celebrate (black humor intended), but it just seems… so sad. Not that we might be forgetting 9/11, but that we have so much else on our plate.
I find, on this day, I can only wish that we had more hope than we do. But I do not trust our elected leaders, I do not trust our enemies, I trust Nature only so far as she can throw me… I can hope, though, that when the fifth anniversary of this day rolls around, that I have found more to trust, more for my son to grow up hoping for.
That’s all. Hug your loved ones. Peace.
Reading this, I feel closer to Americans tan I have been for the last few years. And I feel hope for the future.
giuseppe
form Urbino Italy
Hi Giuseppe. I come from a non-traditional American perspective, having grown up in Argentina, Greece, and Spain before coming back to the U.S. for college. That said, I believe there are many true-blooded Americans (my wife, for one) who do share my thoughts on the state of the USA’s place in the world.
I have always known the U.S. had problems at home (racism, poverty, greed), but knew that we were actively trying to make them better. I also believed that our “interventions” overseas were with the intent to make things better. (I lived in Madrid when that country joined NATO, and the protests were legendary.)
But this Administration has taken those principles that served us during most of the last century (honesty, stewarship, courage, honor) and thrown them out. We haven’t solved problems around the world in the last six years, we have caused them.
The Katrina tragedy is serving notice to the American people that the Bush Administration has been negligent and malicious at home, too.
I just hope we/they wake up soon.