9/11 Fatigue

[graysonmom]

Okay, I'm an American and happy to live here--I am patriotic.

Now that I've got that statement out of the way, I do hope we are able to talk about something, ANYTHING other than 9/11 for the next 2 weeks on the news and every other venue. That is not to diminish the horribleness of the event, or the incredibly far-reaching impacts of that day. But what I am saying is this: We have been talking about it, lamenting it, and dealing with the reprocussions for the last 10 years. The 10 year anniversary is not news, it's just another day of international unrest. I don't see it as being any more horrible than the 2 year anniversary or the 9th year anniversary.

Must we REALLY rehash everything over relentlessly? It's like a nasty morbid fascination, like a little kid pointing at a gross lump on the ground and saying "ooo Mommy! It's a dead frog! Yuck! it looks like a car hit it! Come look!!!"

[Sarah]

I work in the media, and it is EVERYWHERE. I'm proud to be a huge lover of America and was devastated by 9/11. I do watch a lot of the programmes but I do wonder why there is a need to show blow by blow accounts and mark each and every year in such a way. It was a HORRIFIC time. One only needs to look at the BBC website today for a minute by minute pictorial account of the movements of the alleged hijackers. It's known as the day that life changed forever but I'm not sure how any of us are going to move on if it's always in our faces. It's so difficult to watch and must be ten times harder for anyone who lost loved ones.

[Tessie]

Okay, I'm an American and happy to live here--I am patriotic.

Now that I've got that statement out of the way, I do hope we are able to talk about something, ANYTHING other than 9/11 for the next 2 weeks on the news and every other venue. That is not to diminish the horribleness of the event, or the incredibly far-reaching impacts of that day. But what I am saying is this: We have been talking about it, lamenting it, and dealing with the reprocussions for the last 10 years. The 10 year anniversary is not news, it's just another day of international unrest. I don't see it as being any more horrible than the 2 year anniversary or the 9th year anniversary.

Must we REALLY rehash everything over relentlessly? It's like a nasty morbid fascination, like a little kid pointing at a gross lump on the ground and saying "ooo Mommy! It's a dead frog! Yuck! it looks like a car hit it! Come look!!!"

If I can ever give karma again, then I'll give you some for this great post. I completely agree that we've been hearing about it every single day for the past 10 years, so, in a sense, the anniversary doesn't mean much. And I really don't want to see the video again of the plane flying into the WTC or people jumping to their deaths from the towers. It was horrible then, it's still horrible, and we don't need to rehash it just because it's the 10th anniversary.

[graysonmom]

What really fries me is that it is all done in the name of "remembering the heroic fallen ones, blah blah blah" when it's really such an obvious attempt to sell more magazines.

Compare that to the very tasteful and thoughtful threads that BarbaraFan has very nicely started here each year in remembrance.

[Sarah]

There's a sense though too, that it's being done in an attempt to find the truth - as to some people, there's a hell of a lot more behind what we've actually been told. A documentary on the other night talked a great deal about Loose Change, and how conspiracy theorists WILL NOT give up the fight to expose the truth.

[graysonmom]

There's a sense though too, that it's being done in an attempt to find the truth - as to some people, there's a hell of a lot more behind what we've actually been told. A documentary on the other night talked a great deal about Loose Change, and how conspiracy theorists WILL NOT give up the fight to expose the truth.

I'm all for legitimate investigation, if you really believe that civilians can find the truth if the government has tried to cover it up. But go to MSN.com front page. None of that is anything but jumping on the hand-wringing hype bandwagon.

[RedBeetEggs]

I saw a mag today, a special edition of children of 9/11. That tugs at even my jaded and mostly non-existent heart strings. I too do not need to see the plane crash again or people jumping from windows. They've replayed it enough over the last 10 years. If anything, I'd rather hear stories of how people have moved on and triumphed over their personal tragedies.

[CarlD]

Well said Graysonmom.

THANK GOD this day falls on a Sunday, where there will be NFL games and pregame shows on from 11 am eastern until 11:30 pm eastern to watch.

No doubt there will be a small moment at the beginning of the game where they will mention it, when they have their moment of silence, but that should be it.

The one exception of the day, is also the best game of the day, Dallas Cowboys at NY Jets. No doubt Al Michaels will talk almost as much about 911 as he will the game.

[Scarlett]

I remember the year after 9/11 we all had a school assembly (to remember the one year anniversary). It does seem to be brought up every year, especially more lately with the ultimate catch of Bin Laden. But I do not think that this continual remembering will last forever (ex. 20 years from now people won't be bringing it up every year - is my best guess).

Still, it is ten years this year, there are a lot of heroes that are still alive today and they should be remembered for what they did (ex. saving lives). I haven't been watching or reading very much about 9/11; I do not personally feel a need to, but I do believe that all of the media attention will eventually dwindle for keeps (to maybe be remembered once a year or decade rather than every month or year).

[Garrison]

This thread summed up:

[Sonya in Tx]

graysonmom, you're on to something.

The Oklahoma City domestic terrorist bombing done by Tim McVeigh, had fewer deaths, but didn't get this much news coverage ten years on.

IMO.....anything that happens in NYC (Hub of broadcast television) gets more coverage.

[CarlD]

graysonmom, you're on to something.

The Oklahoma City domestic terrorist bombing done by Tim McVeigh, had fewer deaths, but didn't get this much news coverage ten years on.

IMO.....anything that happens in NYC (Hub of broadcast television) gets more coverage.

Very true. Horrible heatwave in the south for weeks, hardly a mention on the nightly news. Then, when NY hits 95 for three days in a row, it's a horrible crisis.

Same with that hurricane, Katrina didn't get the coverage that the storm that hit NY did.

[Scarlett]

Same with that hurricane, Katrina didn't get the coverage that the storm that hit NY did.

Really? When Katrina happened I remember it being covered for what seemed like weeks at a time.

[Sid Fairgate]

Yeah, coverage of Hurricane Katrina seemed to be pretty extensive.

[Tessie]

I thought Katrina coverage was extensive before the hurricane actually hit, which is why I couldn't figure out why the government didn't seem to know about it. The reporters were there in advance.

[fireweaver]

I thought Katrina coverage was extensive before the hurricane actually hit, which is why I couldn't figure out why the government didn't seem to know about it. The reporters were there in advance.

Keep in mind who was president at the time and it will all become clear.

[tarquinia]

I'm sure somebody got Holocaust fatigue too, and Pearl Harbor fatigue, and everything else out there. But tragedies like these needs to be kept alive in the memory and consciousness of mankind. Just count yourself lucky - in the past it's epics that's being passed down by oral tradition. I'm sure that wasn't much fun either.

[Sid Fairgate]

I'm sure somebody got Holocaust fatigue too, and Pearl Harbor fatigue, and everything else out there. But tragedies like these needs to be kept alive in the memory and consciousness of mankind. Just count yourself lucky - in the past it's epics that's being passed down by oral tradition. I'm sure that wasn't much fun either.

What should be kept alive is the memories of the victims, as opposed to the actual carnage. We know what happened that day without seeing it replayed on our televisions ten years later. I do believe the anniversary of such tragedies is a great opportunity for reflection and to remember those that lost their lives, but not to dwell on the actual horror that caused their deaths.

There's a video of World War 2 circulating now that shows footage never seen in years. It's obvious from the commercial that it's simply exploiting a tragedy for profit. The footage of the war was shot to document what happened for posterity, but it's being marketed like it's some Hollywood action film. IMO, people that exploit acts of war and terroism for their own personal gain don't have clean hands either.