What should we do on 9/11?
We at Total Drek would obviously like to extend our sympathy to the families and friends of those killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, U.S. soldiers killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and all the innocent victims of those wars. All around the U.S., and among all our many, many friends around the world, people are taking this day to remember all of the victims of these terrible events.
How can we best remember this day? The best way is to remember not only the terrible attacks, but also the beauty that came after it. For the week or so after 9/11, millions of Americans set aside time in their lives for public service. Some drove to New York to help with the rescue efforts any way they could. Some reached out to Arab-Americans in their own communities, trying to promote understanding. Millions of people gave money, or blood, to organizations like the Red Cross.
Even politicians got into the spirit of unity, with Republicans and Democrats temporarily setting aside partisanship to sing God Bless America* on the steps of the Capitol. We can't set aside partisanship all the time; we are partisan because the parties differ on issues that matter. but we all have to remember the ideal of government. We elect the government, and they work for us. They do the best they can to make our country, states, and communities into the best places they can be.
After 9/11, even the advertising industry contributed, with the prestigious Ad Council's I Am an American campaign (which sadly doesn't run much anymore, at a time when we still desperately need understanding of what makes America great).
One website is trying to bring that spirit back. My Good Deed was founded by family and friends of a volunteer firefighter in New York who died in the World Trade Center collapse (see the Christian Science Monitor story here). The site encourages people to think about one or more good deeds they can do during 9/11. People register with the site and promise to do good deeds, nationally or locally. The site includes links to charities of both types.
So, I encourage you to do something good, today. Help turn 9/11 from a day of tragedy into a day where we all work together to make the world a better place.
*I hate, hate, HATE that song. We have one of the best national anthems in the world, an epic, stirring song about a young nation finding its voice in the world. Why replace it, even unofficially, with a musically boring song whose lyrics make millions of people uncomfortable? But I certainly appreciate the sentiment of Republicans and Democrats signing together on the steps of the Capitol.
How can we best remember this day? The best way is to remember not only the terrible attacks, but also the beauty that came after it. For the week or so after 9/11, millions of Americans set aside time in their lives for public service. Some drove to New York to help with the rescue efforts any way they could. Some reached out to Arab-Americans in their own communities, trying to promote understanding. Millions of people gave money, or blood, to organizations like the Red Cross.
Even politicians got into the spirit of unity, with Republicans and Democrats temporarily setting aside partisanship to sing God Bless America* on the steps of the Capitol. We can't set aside partisanship all the time; we are partisan because the parties differ on issues that matter. but we all have to remember the ideal of government. We elect the government, and they work for us. They do the best they can to make our country, states, and communities into the best places they can be.
After 9/11, even the advertising industry contributed, with the prestigious Ad Council's I Am an American campaign (which sadly doesn't run much anymore, at a time when we still desperately need understanding of what makes America great).
One website is trying to bring that spirit back. My Good Deed was founded by family and friends of a volunteer firefighter in New York who died in the World Trade Center collapse (see the Christian Science Monitor story here). The site encourages people to think about one or more good deeds they can do during 9/11. People register with the site and promise to do good deeds, nationally or locally. The site includes links to charities of both types.
So, I encourage you to do something good, today. Help turn 9/11 from a day of tragedy into a day where we all work together to make the world a better place.
*I hate, hate, HATE that song. We have one of the best national anthems in the world, an epic, stirring song about a young nation finding its voice in the world. Why replace it, even unofficially, with a musically boring song whose lyrics make millions of people uncomfortable? But I certainly appreciate the sentiment of Republicans and Democrats signing together on the steps of the Capitol.
Labels: terrorism
posted by Slag | 6:45 AM
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