Ahh 9/11, it's shame you only come around once a year. It used to be a day where we took time to remember the dead and what happened on that day. We called that "the 1st 9/11 Anniversary". Now we just "remember" and try hard not to understand. Since 2001 9/11 has just been an excuse to either justify anything horrid and criminal you've done or want to do politically, is used as a cheap weapon or shameless shield by soulless politicians, used asan excuse to dust off every trite phase about how "we're all New Yorkers" or "it's the day that changed everything", and is in general an embarrassing, partisan, jingoistic shitshow of a "holiday." Not that all of this was any different than what happened in the aftermath of 9/11, but we at least used to pretend better.
Perhaps my favorite example of "remembering but not understanding" 9/11 came last night at the Steelers/Titans NFL Kickoff game. In it the Steelers and the NFL brought out surviving family members of those who died on United Flight 93. And what were they wearing? #93 Steelers jerseys. Aside from the disrespect shown to Nick Eason, it was a jersey foul. I'm sure they got those jerseys for free and got to take them home, my question is: do you think any of them wears it a second time? I'm not sure I wear a personalized jersey commemorating a loved one's death in a terrorist attack a second time. At least they didn't hand out jerseys with NINE on the nameplate and a #11. Seriously, #93 jerseys?
So enjoy the rest of your holiday, try not to be too offended by crass political gamesmanship coached in the language of "honoring" someone. Me? I've got to go price DECEMBER #7 personalized jerseys on NFLShop.com. Sorry Big Ben, that's just how I remember national tragedies.
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