th anniversary of 9/11 passes in the Backroom with nary a mention

[Divinus Arma]

For shame.

I was at work the whole day, and come back to see that not a single comment has been made in recognition of 9/11. No prayers for families, no compassion for U.S. Citizens, not even an American-originated tribute. Sure, the day is in the minds of those who remember the victims and what America lost on that day. But still, an anniversary discussion is in order.

Remembering September 11th, 2001

Five years have passed since the single largest terrorist attack in the history of the world. On that day, the national consciousness of the United States changed. It may have been for a few years or America may have been changed forever- only history can tell. But instead of reflecting on what has occurred since 9/11, or discuss American policy abroad, or speculate on the future, it would serve best to simply discuss the lives of the people who died on that day.

We honor the brave public servants, who risked their lives running into the world trade center. We think of the courage of those citizens who sacrificed their own lives on flight 93, rather than allow other Americans to perish in an additional attack. And we mourn the loss of mothers, fathers, children, sisters, brothers, and grandparents; innocent freedom-loving people who's only crime was being an American.

On that day, 3,030 people perished between Flight 93, Flight 11, Flight 77, Flight 175, the Pentagon, and the World Trade Center.

It was a day of national tragedy. It was a day of pain. And it was a day of awakening.

Let us never forget all of those victims. Cherish the memory of those towers, honor the sacrifice of flight 93 and our public servants, and mourn the loss of our freedom-loving countrymen.

[Vladimir]

We talk about terrorism all the time. Should we start a thread on the anniversary of every major terrorist attack? As a former Marine, have you started any anniversary threads about the bombing of the Beirut barracks?

Besides, if a third of Americans don't know what year 9/11 happened how do you expect the world to care?

[Samurai Waki]

I remembered, I just thought it pretty much went without having to say anything. Everyone knows that it sucked when that happened, and we do see the sacrifices that were made. But I don't like dwelling on it, makes me depressed.

[Pannonian]

For shame.

I was at work the whole day, and come back to see that not a single comment has been made in recognition of 9/11. No prayers for families, no compassion for U.S. Citizens, not even an American-originated tribute.

How many people were aware of the significance of 1st September 1999? Yet that day commemorated an event immeasurably more significant than 9/11.

[drone]

Tribute:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=69106

Rant:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=68983

Take your pick.

[Scurvy]

It was sad, but hardly worth a remembrance post....or 3 :P

[Sasaki Kojiro]

It's just an anniversary.

[Ser Clegane]

It was sad, but hardly worth a remembrance post

Hmm ... while I do not share DA's view that not having a dedicated thread would have been (would as we had threads) shameful or that a discussion here is "in order", the casualness of statements like the one I quoted strikes me as slightly obscene...

[professorspatula]

And don't forget, there's still those that think it's the 9th of November. Most of those have their brain surgeon exams to revise for.

[Dâriûsh]

By God, people don't have to pay their respect if they don't want do, but why show scorn?

[Leet Eriksson]

I don't want to sound like a hypocrit by offering condelences becuase what i will say might be contradictory.

9/11 is a real sad and dark day for america, but people should get over it already, you guys should look forward for a brighter future rather than dwell on the past.

[yesdachi]

9/11 is a real sad and dark day for america, but people should get over it already, you guys should look forward for a brighter future rather than dwell on the past.

It is difficult to stop dwelling on the past when we haven’t dealt with the past yet. There is no bright future until the threats are eliminated.

[AntiochusIII]

Well, I've heard enough teachers' speeches and watched enough movies and documentaries in the classes at school to not be interested in yet another remembrance of the event.

Okay, it was tragic, and a very significant event in modern world history. But to establish a thread to call people to shame?

That and how the politicians go their merry ways wrapping themselves with the flags. Haven't the Bush Administration been trying to push another round of "Iraq is the Focus of War on Terror! Remember the Ground Zero!" to commemorate the anniversary?

No disrespect meant, by the way; I know how important it is to some people, especially those with personal connections to the event.

[Kanamori]

A social form of remembrance is uncessary. People can grieve w/o grieving next to you.

[edyzmedieval]

I remember 11th of September. I watched all day CNN, with nice documentaries about it.

R.I.P. and compassion for every one who died in this tragic event.

[Lemur]

I was in New York. I experienced the attacks of 9/11 pretty immediately and personally. I lost friends.

I don't see how it's appropriate for DA to instruct us to experience shame for not starting a thread about the attacks in the backroom of a videogame forum. There's something really, really wrong with that picture.

Incidentally, my son's birthday is 9/11/03, so I've got three things to remember on that day: The battle of Marathon, the attacks, and my boy's birth.

DA, you know I love you, but please stick your shame where a toxic sex toy ought to be.

[Rex_Pelasgorum]

9/11 was a great shock to the Americans...
It was the first time when they where attacked at home by the enemyes....

I agree that for the Americans the event is very sad. All events which envolve deaths of civilians are sad. And i pray for the souls of those man and women who died there.

But for me, speaking frankly, 9/11 is a bloody day like any other in the history. No special significance at all. Absolutely at all. There where much more bloody days in the history of my nation , much more invasions, much, much more suffering which i should remember whith respect, and many other nations met during the course of the history whith much greater tragedies.Just because those nations never became superpowers, nobody in the world will ever care to remember theyr losses.

[Kralizec]

9/11 is also the date of the Chilean coup that put Pinochet into power, a fascist autocrat that killed thousends of people.

Yet nobody has created a thread about it to remember this dark day. Disgusting




Seriously though, I don't expect people to make remembrance threads for every atrocity or disaster that occurred in history, or even the last century. Life has to go on, and you can't just stop and commemorate every tragedy every single year in a world that's replete with tragedies. We only give such regular honours to people who are somehow close to us. And both Chile and the USA are distant countries to me, both literally and figurative.

[Martok]

I remembered, I just thought it pretty much went without having to say anything. Everyone knows that it sucked when that happened, and we do see the sacrifices that were made.

That pretty much sums it up for me as well. With all the shows, articles, and other tributes the media has come out with in the last few days, it hardly seemed necessary to mention it yet again. Besides, I don't want to get involved in a discussion that I fear would turn into the "America--poor us" thread. A terrible and evil act was committed that day, but I don't think we should keep rehashing it over and over.

While I believe we should always remember what happened, I don't think we should be dwelling on it either. Every nation has suffered horrible tragedies like this one, and I see no reason why 9/11 should be treated any differently from other terrible events.

[Divinus Arma]

I specifically just mentioned a remembrance. Nothing political. I sought to avoid the why, the how, and the let's go kill everyone comments.

I only mentioned that it is an important event in America, and it is worth remembering the lives of the people lost.

Time to join Mount Suribachi. This is no different than if someone had mentioned: "let's remember the lives of the people on March 11th 2004 or July 7th 2005".

I really can't believe the level of callousness here. Some of you call yourself loyal to your respective countries- patriots all. Some of you claim to love your families. The community is an extension of your family. The nation is an extension of your community.

It is worth it to simply remember and to not allow the memory of those lost to slip into routine and inconsequence.

Time to join Mount Suribachi.

[lancelot]

Well, I didnt post because it (thankfully) didnt affect me personally, and as a non-american I certainly wouldnt have started a commemorative thread...thats not my place.

However I did watch the news coverage for about 3 hours as it happened... when relatives started to read the names was very sombre.

I recently returned from NYC (my first time there and thank you NYC for a wonderful visit). I of course went to GZ...the art from victims children was particularly heartbreaking...looking at those you could really feel those poor children's loss...I had to try hard to not shed tears in public...and Im not a crying kinda guy...that is how much it got to me.

[Papewaio]

Well the title of the thread is incorrect as pointed out.

The attack on the Two Towers was a massive terrorist attack and a massive shock. We should think about the dead, and we should also think about what our lives should be.

[Don Corleone]

I honored my friend the way he would have wanted me to. I went to Catholic Mass for the first time in 5 years (though I didn't take communion). I didn't see what posting here and having some wise alec talking about getting what we deserved or what's the big deal could possibly be productive, and Jim was all about focusing your energy where it might actually get you somewhere (a perspective he picked up as the pulling guard on our offensive line, a position I inherited when he graduated).

[Pannonian]

I honored my friend the way he would have wanted me to. I went to Catholic Mass for the first time in 5 years (though I didn't take communion). I didn't see what posting here and having some wise alec talking about getting what we deserved or what's the big deal could possibly be productive, and Jim was all about focusing your energy where it might actually get you somewhere (a perspective he picked up as the pulling guard on our offensive line, a position I inherited when he graduated).

As I implied in my post, there is no big deal about commemorating 9/11. We should instead be looking to stop any such further attacks, and we should be commemorating the date when al-Qaeda is no longer a threat. People don't commemorate the start of WW2. They commemorate the end of it.

[Divinus Arma]

People don't commemorate the start of WW2.

December 7th 1941 (for Americans).

[Geoffrey S]

Unfortunately, the emphasis in the media over here tended to be on the war on terror and Bush's growing unpopularity; whatever the views may be on such matters, I think it's important to think about where it started and what we should be aiming to prevent in the future without partisan tendencies.

[IrishArmenian]

We just do not share that we think about it. I feel it better to be quiet about solemn past events and have moments of silence. DA, we are not trying to belittle America, or its brave men and women. Rather, I feel we are giving them a hiyer respect by being silent on this issue.

[Kanamori]

To me, saying that everyone ought to grieve as a huge community smacks of a witch hunt. I can understand the tragedy of a real event w/o declaring it to everyone.

[Soulforged]

My respect to the victims and to the heroes, those who died and those who survived.

Note: You're wrong about two things DA: 1- KC posted something on this, as a rant, on another thread. And 2- This doesn't belong to the backroom.

Also I can understand your shock being an american citizen, but this disasters happen all the time and the public knowledge of their tributes is not as well spread as this one, but they're there and there's no post about it on the Backroom. In my country, for instance, we've the attack to the AMIA and the Israel Embassy.

[Gregoshi]

If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all

Your mother's words of wisdom do sometimes even apply here at the Org. Not all topics need to be debated. If someone is feeling bad about a subject - or even good about something - why do so many of us feel obligated to comment contrary when the result is going to hurt or at least annoy our fellow Orgahs? In this case, DA is emotionally affected by the events of September 11th 2001. Why would anyone wish to add to his anquish by basically expressing apathy towards his feelings? If the event has no meaning to you, then why say anything at all? We Orgahs do the same thing in lighter topics too. Why do Americans have to chime in that "football" is boring everytime the World Cup comes around when 90% of the world is so excited about it? Likewise, why do non-Americans feel obligated to mock the name "football" everytime Americans try to discuss the Super Bowl? Topic: "I love Pink Floyd"...a reply: "Pink Floyd sucks!" And the list of examples goes on. If we feel obligated to comment negatively, with just a little thought and consideration, there are ways of being respectful in expressing that view. And through such actions, the Frontroom and even the Backroom can become a little more pleasant.

There is a time and place of more "energetic" discussions. Other times require more sensitivity. And there are times when silence is the wisest choice to make.