Ireland

Ireland

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Today, the 10 year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York City, and our country, I sit, and like most people, take a moment to remember that terrible day.
Ten years after the fact and those two little numbers, 9 and 11, when said as a title, bring back the horror, disbelief,anger, saddness and grief that all of us felt that Tuesday morning.

It is a day none of us will ever forget, especially those who were touched by that tragedy on a personal level. I'm one of the lucky ones, I was not touched personally. I didn't loose a family member or friend that day at the hands of a few sick misguided individuals. But as an American and a human being, I was affected, like we all were.

Here's what I don't need, and maybe this is just me. I don't need to watch footage over and over again of the Twin Towers collapsing into a pile of rubble, with thousands of people inside. This wasn't the demolition of some old building that was scheduled to come down, this was a terrorist attack on two buildings that had real human beings sitting at their desks, innocently drinking coffee and preparing for their workday that lay ahead. How can this scene continue to be shown on TV?

Another thing I don't need to see are the planes, loaded up with bussiness people, vacationers and families, from every conceivable angle flying into those buildings and killing all the innocent people aboard. I can't imagine for a minute, how I could stand to watch that if I knew my son or daughter was sitting in row 7A of that plane. What if my mother was working on the 19th floor of the South Tower? Do I really need to revisit again and again that building crushing her to her death?

I don't want to hear that the reason they show it is so we won't ever forget. Just say the numbers 9/11 and my head is full of images. I don't need the networks to show me, while they are trying to boost their ratings. I can't look at a fireman, in any city or country, and NOT think of that terrible day.

There are other ways to remember that day and those thousands of innocent people. The Freedom Tower which is being built on the site, is a beautiful way as well as the memorials made from the foot prints of the original Towers. We should never forget, and those memorials will make sure the generations that come after us know of the sacrifice those people made that day.

I think showing publicly, the murder of thousands of American citizens over and over again on TV should be against the law. I don't think the family members of the fallen need CNN to remind them of that day.

I don't either.

9 comments:

Donna said...

Mark
thank you SO much for your comment. I thought I was the only one who felt that way.
Like so many other events, the media pummels us with images and too much verbage and doesn't know when to let it be.

beth said...

you my friend, are a brilliant writer....

and i have to say, those memorials, that we finally got to see up close and personal on the memorial show this morning, are truly amazing.

Cait Throop said...

Amen. I totally agree...don't need those images shown over and over. I will never forget and that day is engraved in my memory but I don't need TV to commercialize my grief. Thank you.

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

BRAVO, Mark. I couldn't agree with you more. I often think of the insensitivity of all the footage reruns. As if ANYONE could ever forget.

Sueann said...

The memorial has been a long time coming and it is so beautiful! That waterfall fountain is amazing! I must find a way to go see it in person. As for the images...well...we live in an information age...more is better they think!! Sigh!
Hugs
SueAnn

Unknown said...

very thoughtful and well written.

Formerly known as Frau said...

I'm clapping right now....well said! I agree and I can't imagine if I was one of those people I would not want to see this again and again. I stopped watch....we all know what happen that day...we won't forget.

I hope to visit the memorial some day soon...I think they did a great job.

Joy Tilton said...

ten years have passed and for the first time, we watched the CBS account last night of the towers falling. We both sat with with lumps in our throats and heavy hearts. Like you Mark, we didn't lose a loved one or a friend. I cannot imagine the grief we would feel all over again if that was the case. My hope is that the networks refrain from showing the explicit film on a yearly basis.

Anonymous said...

Well said!
Molly