This year I just wanted to get through the 10th anniversary of 9/11... There was a fatigue in me that I think the entire country is sharing that made me want to turn away and move on. Days like this are days of reflection. And given the state of the world and our country, the environment and the economy perhaps I thought it was best not to reflect too carefully. After all, we know what we are going to see and it isn't pretty. It is perhaps best that we pass this one by quickly and not stare at the reflection too carefully.But I was up late last night and happened by a special on CNN with Sanjay Gupta regarding the "dust" of 9/11 and it brought home to roost many things that I find very disturbing about America.
The special started off innocuously enough. With researchers in s cold room bringing out dust samples of the site. It progressed to showing how so many firefighters were struggling with various rare and aggressive cancers and lung disease and with researchers attempts at unraveling the medical mysteries our first responders have been fighting.
This, in turn, brought to mind the fight over taking care of the first responders. This fight was championed by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. That was when I realized why I didn't want to look too closely. After the towers fell we had a unique opportunity to come together as a nation. We squandered that opportunity and since that time we have devolved into a nation that I fail to recognize and worse still - a nation I am losing respect for. That these brave first responders are having to fight for medical care, and that it took a famous comic to shame our government into action is a travesty.
I grew up in a country where we took care of our own. What happened to us that we would throw those who ran into a burning building off a cliff? There shouldn't have been any fight regarding the care of these first responders. How in the hell did this become an issue at all? The fact that it became a political football is a total disgrace. We wave the flag, play the bagpipes and are ready for the pomp and circumstance of a memorial - but we fail utterly and miserably at the basics.
The same holds true for the unemployed and the working poor as well as the homeowner in dire straits who is underwater and out of work. These hard-working Americans are treated with disdain. Instead of being supported they are vilified.
When I look back at what we were and then see what we have become - I'm not proud. I'm horrified. Our nation has been taken over by business interests that could care less about "we the people". 9/11 became an excuse that accelerated that process. So that's why I don't want to look to closely at 9/11 and it aftermath.
© 2011 - RMG Hicks - http://www.therobberbaroneconomy.com - All rights reserved.
Ruth Marie, I am putting up one of your posts after midnight. I would love to live where we could be friends. You are very perceptive and I have great respect for you. I will also put up this post (broke my heart)as well. Really, you are special. Cletis
ReplyDeleteThis is not what I was expecting. I was lol at most of the ieritvnew. Robert was flawless and Jon what a guy, I need to watch his show more now that I have seen this ieritvnew. One of Rob's best ieritvnews. From what I have read, maybe this was during down time, I don't know but it did not look depressing at all. Stewart was lovely and Rob was such a gentleman.
ReplyDelete