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The September Without An 11th
I just read an interview in Salon (I subscribe). In it, the interviewee is asked about September 11, and says this (emphasis added):
But I didn't go through that. At the same minute that the first plane swept into the WTC, I was being wheeled into surgery, totally unconscious. By the time I woke up it was all over, and I was still pretty groggy for the next few days. So there seems to be some way in which September 11th, 2001 just didn't happen for me - I mean, it's tragic and awful, yeah, but somehow it's not all that real to me. Despite the fact that I had been to the top of the WTC a few times, and have some vivid memories (actually from standing at the base of the towers - they were so damn tall that they made me feel agoraphobia just looking up, and I don't have agoraphobia).
People act so weird about it all! They're totally willing to close their eyes and put blind faith in an Administration that couldn't possibly be more cynical and obvious in their intention to exploit 9/11 as an excuse to shred the Constitution and loot the country. What the hell happened to everybody? What's the problem? Why did an attack like that turn everyone into pathetic, bleating sheep, begging Big Daddy Bush to take care of them?
Maybe the most disturbing question is this: If I had been awake that day, would I still be asking these questions?
God, I hope so.
"...it was clearly such a momentous event, such an overwhelming and somber -- I'm sorry, I'm just going to sound banal saying this stuff. Everyone reading this interview went through the day also so I don't need to expand on that."
But I didn't go through that. At the same minute that the first plane swept into the WTC, I was being wheeled into surgery, totally unconscious. By the time I woke up it was all over, and I was still pretty groggy for the next few days. So there seems to be some way in which September 11th, 2001 just didn't happen for me - I mean, it's tragic and awful, yeah, but somehow it's not all that real to me. Despite the fact that I had been to the top of the WTC a few times, and have some vivid memories (actually from standing at the base of the towers - they were so damn tall that they made me feel agoraphobia just looking up, and I don't have agoraphobia).
People act so weird about it all! They're totally willing to close their eyes and put blind faith in an Administration that couldn't possibly be more cynical and obvious in their intention to exploit 9/11 as an excuse to shred the Constitution and loot the country. What the hell happened to everybody? What's the problem? Why did an attack like that turn everyone into pathetic, bleating sheep, begging Big Daddy Bush to take care of them?
Maybe the most disturbing question is this: If I had been awake that day, would I still be asking these questions?
God, I hope so.