It's Been Six Years

It's hard to believe it's been six years. Six years since the towers fell. Six years since time stopped. Six years since we proclaimed we would be one America - united. But united for what? United against what? Today there are random thoughts, all of them observational: some of them fact, some of them not, all of them individual perspective.

Six year later and we have a publically accepted way of dealing with race stereotypes: If someone wears a burka, if someone appears to be of Middle Eastern decent, if someone says they are Muslim we must treat them as potential terrorists. We pull aside young men in airports for a more thorough documents and personal inspection. We offer and broadcast extra protection for Jewish synoguages during holy days but we say nothing about protecting the Muslim mosques. I have personally witnessed the dual policy, or at least dual practice, of security measures in Boston. BOSTON! Of all places, you'd think that security would be tighter than tight. All passengers were being "wanded" prior to reboarding. The women? A quick up and down. Once each direction. The men? It depended on their color. Any white man traveling with a woman got the same once over as the women. Any white male traveling alone or with another male got a slightly longer inspection with the wand including an arms to the side instruction. Occassionally a carry on bag was also opened and casually inspected. Any male of color - any color - got the full attention of the inspection wand, a hands on inspection of carry on materials and a documents inspection. WHY? Why was it different for those different categories of people? I'm sorry, but it is NOT OK to suspect people simply because of their race or country of origin. Not all Iraqis are terrorists and not all Americans are republicans and it's time we start accepting that basic information.

"We" have memorial services every year to mark the passing of those who were in the towers and on the planes who lost their lives on that clear September morning. The thousands of innocent people who were just going about the business of life when they were turned into thousands of reasons to pursue a political agenda. I've heard and read things about a conspiracy. I don't buy it. I still believe the havoc that was reeked upon the lives of people around the world was the result of those men who decided to act as a group and take control of planes to use as weapons. I also think there were other groups of men who were not able to implement their plans when the events of the day came to light - plans were grounded, crews more alert, planes that never took off. I think of the horror that could have been wraught had the decision not been made to ground all planes. What happened that day was horrific. What could have happened was even more horrific. What did not happen needs to be acknowledged. If the communication between agencies had been better, could any of the deaths be avoided? Probably not. By the time the Country accepted that one plane was an accident, two planes was an attack, and then the 3rd plane hit the Pentagon. That leaves United 93. It probably would have fallen on the shoulders of some young man or woman with our Armed Forces to shoot that plane out of the sky - ending with the same result. I'm sorry, truly sorrowful, for the people who lost their lives on that plane. But I'm greatful that no young person was put in the position of having to shoot down a commercial airliner to prevent urban attack.

In the six years since the attacks, we have traded freedoms for the idea of better security. We have traded the ability to see our friends and relatives off at airports or to great our incoming loved ones as they disembark their planes. For what? Those who wish to use airplanes as a part of their plans will continue to try and find ways to do so. What's in your carry on? But now, instead of carrying your favorite liquid aboard you have to rely on the airlines to provide you with a beverage, or in some cases pay the airline for a beverage. Instead of being able pick up your favorite perfume, toiletry or styling product as you travel and carry it in your overnight bag - the only one you brought along, you have to check these items through to be stowed in the underbelly of the plane. I don't know about you - but I'm tired of paying airlines more and more and getting less and less - all in the name of security and "sound business sense". I'd rather have to watch someone pull an item out of a carry on bag in order to use it than wonder if someone might have checked through a combination of materials that at the right altitude and we'd not know until it was too late to act. Yes, I know I'm paranoid. But that doesn't mean their not out to "get us".

The other thought that keeps crossing my mind this morning is how sad, indeed, it is that an event that should have been a catalyst to help us become a better nation has done little more than "justify" some of the very things we need to be fixing: "our" stereotyping agenda, "our" court systems, "our" racist attitudes, "our" education of youth about rights and freedoms and priviledges and the duties that come with them, "our" national identity, "our" political process, "our" political voice... It's sad that such a small minded man gets to be the "decider" even though his idea is contrary to the opinion of the majority of Americans. When did we allow our country to turn from the ideals of democracy and start embracing a sort of oligarchy? I suppose we should be glad it's not a dictatorship yet.

So on this day of rememberance, I will remember all of those brave men and women who faced death and lost. I will remember all of those brave men and women who rushed to assist those who were in the rubble, in the planes, on the piles searching for life. I will remember all of the families who have been struck by this tragedy, worldwide. And I will remember that we still have a lot of work to do to reach any of the goals that were set as a country as a result of that day. We all remember where we were when... but do we remember what we vowed then? And have we followed through?

It's hard to believe it's been six years.