I had hoped by this date to have reached the point of September 11, 2001 in the telling of my own story, but I haven’t yet managed to set aside enough time for that project to make it happen. I’ll save the untangling of that painful knot for a future date. For now I just want to join others in solemnly marking the day and the passage of another year.
In past years, I’ve looked without much success for 9/11 memorial services to attend in the Bay Area. Maybe we’re just too far removed from the sites of the attacks out here. (Maybe, I often think, we’re also too far removed from the reality of that day.) Last year I ended up spending the day alone in quiet remembrance, watching and reading as memorial posts unfolded across the “blogosphere” with which I had only recently become acquainted. In hindsight, I did attend a memorial service of sorts that year, with a far-flung extended family that shared my grief. I expect I’ll be checking in again with many of the same folks as today wears on.
Yesterday I finished watching the remarkable two-part National Geographic documentary “Inside 9/11” that Bill Whittle mentioned in his recent essay and that has been waiting for me on the TiVo all week. It was difficult stuff to get through, to be sure, but a journey I had to take. We must remember and clearly understand what happened on that day and in the decade-plus of malicious planning that led up to it, and I think the creators of the National Geographic documentary have helped facilitate that by producing an exemplary piece of journalism — one that presents us with the known facts, and leaves us to weigh them.
My watching of “Inside 9/11” prompted many thoughts, but I will leave it at one for now. In our grief, we must not forget this was not merely a “tragedy” or misfortune (though it was certainly the former), but an act of war by violent extremists who mean to destroy us by dividing us against one another. I often fear they may be succeeding. If we care anything for our culture and way of life, we must not allow them to prevail.
UPDATE:
One of the most moving and memorable reflections I read this year was this 2003 article about the search for the identity of the famously photographed “Falling Man”. (Thanks to Michelle Malkin for the pointer!)
Also recommended: a 9/11 photo-essay at Pajamas Media.
Web-essayist extraordinaire Bill Whittle is back and in top form, with a new piece entitled “Tribes”!** Bill’s is some of the best work I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of reading this past year (and quite possibly ever). If you haven’t experienced a Bill Whittle tour de force before, I highly recommend you pay a visit to his site.
Bill’s latest piece has left me reflecting on how fortunate I am to have lived most of my life within the artificial sanctuary of the flock. The attacks of 9/11 awakened the sleeping sheep dog in me, and I humbly hope to make myself useful in that capacity.
* UPDATE 2009-09-08: Sadly, “Tribes” appears to have been a casualty of Bill’s move to pajamasmedia.com. I’ve updated the above link to point to where the essay should be — and, I hold out hope, will be someday — but for now the text of it is missing in action, and can only be found in the Second (print) Edition of Bill’s excellent “Silent America” essay collection (which I can’t possibly recommend highly enough).
** UPDATE 2009-10-13: “Tribes” is back online!
I was driving in to work this morning when the news of today’s bombings in London came in. Thankfully they appear to have been an utter failure casualty-wise, due to faulty detonators. Investigators seem hopeful at this point that the undetonated bombs may yield significant forensic evidence that could identify the perpetrators of the attack, and apparently two suspects are now in custody in connection with the explosions.
Instapundit had the day’s news roundup here, here, here, and here. John Howard’s remarks seemed spot on to me.
Hold fast, London. We’re with you.
A section of the exterior walls of London’s Victoria & Albert Museum still bears damage from the Blitz, which has been preserved as a reminder of a time when Londoners lived under constant threat of attack.
I snapped these pictures during a visit last year, not imagining that I would soon revisit them with new eyes.
I wish to express my deepest sympathy to our valued friends, allies, and fellow human beings in the U.K., who on Thursday, July 7th endured a terribly vicious set of attacks on their home soil — attacks that were clearly premeditated to kill, maim, terrorize, and intimidate as many as possible. Know that I and many others around the world and in the U.S. stand with you, in firm resolve that we shall not capitulate to such contemptible, apparently anti-civilizational acts.
I was traveling outside the U.S. on the 7th, and received the news of the bombings in a frustratingly slow trickle via CNN and BBC World beginning Thursday morning. Having limited Internet access during such an event made me appreciate just how valuable the blogosphere has become to me as a source of news, analysis, and commentary; during a too-brief opportunity I managed to quickly check in with Instapundit and read a few posts and comments on neo-neocon’s blog and a few others. Back at home now, I’m frantically catching up with these and all the other sites I regularly read…
I tend to agree with others who’ve asserted that whomever was responsible has probably just made a very bad strategic mistake. They have underestimated the strength of our resolve and of our love for what we hold dear. We will not be intimidated. We’re not afraid.
It would certainly be good to see a widely supported anti-terrorism protest in London. I hope there will be one.
