What We Have Really Forgotten

“Don’t forget about 9/11” can be heard echoing every corridor still two days after the sixth anniversary of the attack on this nostalgic country.

Just a few short minutes ago, I dragged my eyes across an editorial in my local newspaper about the frustration of the “writer” with the attitudes of Americans on this day of half mast flags. Between yawning at the Bible Belt jargon and scoffing at the false ideas of patriotism and union, one thought remained very faithful to the forefront of my mind: we have forgotten something. These front porch dwelling Appalachians have forgotten what grief is.

Grief is not anger and hatred renewed against olive skinned brothers every eleventh of September. Grief is not requesting a different seat on a flight to the Dominican Republic because your neighbor is sporting a slightly tall white hat and sensible shoes. Grief is the process of acceptance and moving on.

Remembrance is not bad, please do not get me wrong, but is it necessary to renew a widow’s tears when she may be finally forgetting to look at her calendar on this day? Is it necessary to remind the child that he is one parent short when the only thing he was thinking about last night was how nervous he was to give that oral book report today? These people do not need to be bombarded with the images of their loved ones and dashed into bereavement once again.

Schools are not closed. Work places are not closed. Life must move on; real life should go on too. If every country stopped to renew anger and hurt every time something bad happened in their history, the world could not function. The day, I do not doubt, will not be forgotten as it has thrown us into this seemingly endless, fruitless war that (excuse me, but) is getting no one anywhere fast.

The article mentioned that “Americans were united like [he had] never seen before.” He remembered an America united in grief. Yes, America felt shocked and saddened by the attack and we stayed that way for a while until action was taken. We are progressing and should not be expected to regress and start all over again when the anniversary of the tragedy comes around each year.

We harbor hatred. We hold grudges. We litter articles with cliché’s and order citizens (only those with American parents though) to “fight terrorism” and not to “aid the enemy” with our nonchalance or progressive attitudes.

What we should feel in unity is pride that we do not regress every year approaching the harvest season. We should congratulate ourselves on taking action, any action, toward growing emotionally as a people and on being able to move on in the grieving process like adults and young people with active minds and not becoming stagnant because we had a set back brought on by the hostility of people that knew that we were not on the right track. We should progress further and realize that the individuals (not the race, not the country, or geographic region) that attacked the buildings and people were trying to get our attention and make us realize what they had been able to realize already.




Disclaimer #1: These are my opinions; they are not yours.
Disclaimer #2: I am a fatalist.