Friday, September 11, 2009

our failure in rebuilding the country shows in our failure to rebuild the World Trade Center

I was just driving home from the store and on the radio was a montage of different broadcasts from September 11th, 2001. I was not prepared for my reaction...we have already had 7 anniversaries of the day...why should today be different than the last ones. I couldn't be more wrong.

As I listened to the newscasters, disk jockeys, cell phone calls, I felt the tears well up in my eyes. Fortunately, I was in some pretty heavy traffic, because I actually had tears rolling down my cheeks for almost the whole montage. I remembered what it was like on that day as the news started coming in.

I remember this vividly because I was feeling pretty sorry for myself on that day. I was out of work at the time, but was picking up odd jobs here and there. On the night of my birthday, I had to work an overnight shift replacing RAM in computers at a call center. As I was doing this, I realized that just the year before, I was the one that was hiring people like me to come in and replace RAM in our computers. I was extremely overqualified for the job I was doing and I was miserable. It was my birthday, and I had to work all night at this miserable job for miserably low pay. I was not in a good mood and was feeling pretty down because of my situation.

I got home at about 7am, and started helping get kids up and ready for school. I couldn't take it any more so I went to bed leaving Gusti to deal with it. I had only been asleep for a short time when a friend called me and told me I needed to turn on the television. I told Gusti to do it and kinda went back to sleep. It didn't last long. I spent the rest of the day in a stupor...I was exhausted, but I couldn't quit watching the screen. I went to the internet, watched the news, waiting for any new information. I, like many others in the world, was shocked. Not that I thought it could ever happen, but that it finally had and now our world was going to change.

I remember how everyone pulled together...I remember the vows to rebuild the city, to make sure the terrorists knew that their act was in vain and that now they had made a big mistake. Similar to the attacks on Pearl Harbor, this act had awakened the sleeping giant. We were united, we were resolved.

I sit here today wondering where that has gone. To me, the first sign that this was not going to be a lasting change was when the bickering started over what to place at the grave of the Twin Towers. The politics started again, the divisiveness started again, the apathy and cynicism started again. I know, because I was one of those who participated in those feelings. I realized that everything was going back to normal and started not caring or paying attention to what the politicians were doing because I just didn't want to hear it any more. I became more partisan as the attacks grew more partisan. I wondered aloud if anyone at the national level of politics could even be called a moral person any more. I was right where they wanted me.

Fast forward to today. It has been eight years...and I see a symbol of our country and the state of affairs we are in while looking towards what used to be the World Trade Center. Eight years and the spot is still empty. Eight years and people don't seem to care any more what we do about it. Eight years and we are more divided than we have ever been in recent memory. Wow, time flies when you're apathetic.

Politicians...are you listening? Want to unite this country? Want to put the positive energy of millions of people to work building back the American spirit? Want to show that you are more than just a power hungry slimeball who doesn't really care about he country or the Constitution? Rebuild the towers.

We need a symbol in this nation. We need something to look to that reminds us of where we came from, who we are, and what direction we need to be moving. We don't have that right now. We have symbols of individuals and parties, but those don't matter. Rather than focusing on one person's achievements (or potential achievements), let us remember what our country stands for. We are a melting pot, that means that when you become an American, you become an American. We are not Irish Americans, we are not African Americans, we are not Catholic or Jewish Americans. In my mind, those things don't exist. We are Americans, that is enough for me. As a country we need to join with those around us who are different, who have strange ways. We invite you to bring us your positive customs, leave the negative ones, and join with us as one. You want to achieve that? Then quit politicizing things that matter, quit pitting us against our neighbors, quit the destructive behavior that you have fostered for so long.

We need a symbol, and this is the one that I see when I think of unity in our country...

 
And here is another one...

 
Somebody create me an image like the bottom one, including the top one, and an image of what the new buildings are going to look like.  Post it everywhere, put it up in Post Offices, show it on the evening news...
The failure to rebuild the World Trade Center is a sign of our lack of resolve and unity.  Someone in power needs to stand up and call it like it is and do something about it.  The time is now, we need that symbol.

4 comments:

Quinn said...

I like the idea of rebuilding the towers. It has really faded into MY memory, not even living in the states, I didn't catch much of the debate about what to do at ground zero. I like the thought of a new symbol to unite, to show that we have come back from what has been. How can you get a ball like that rolling?

Nita said...

Tony everytime I read one of your posts I know that I will whole heartedly agree on what your saying. The same goes for this one! Thanks for posting again! I am Quinn, "how do we get a ball like that rolling"? Any thoughts?

Nita said...

I meant with Quinn, not that I am Quinn =)

Anthony said...

I'm not sure what to do about it, if there is even anything that can be done by us. When they first started talking about what to do there, everyone was all smiles and agreeing. When it came down to it, this became just like a bill going through Congress--everyone was attaching riders and sneaking things in to the point that nobody could agree on what to do any more. It was really sad. I don't know what the exact answer would be as to what to put there, but the longer we let it go, I think it just shows our lack of resolve to draw together. Just the ramblings of an old man...