measi's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thoughts and Anger This entry is the extent of my marking of September 11th. Not because I don't feel sadness for what happened. Not because I am ashamed of being an American. (I'm not ashamed... most of the time). Not because I don't care. It's because I hate what my country has become since that horrible day. I hate how our government turned that day into a rallying cry for "fighting terrorism," but in reality has made the situation much worse around the world-- making those who were our allies and friends also begin to hate us. Because of the justifiable strong emotional pull, our government has used it as far as possible to convince us that all of these battles have been just and right. I, and many others, remain unconvinced of the reasons for these actions. I listen to my friends who are teachers who cannot supply all of their kids with the items needed for Bush's "Leave No Child Behind" act, that was passed into law with no funding behind it-- in an economy where most states have to cut back on education budgets. This war is Leaving All Children Behind. How can America be a great nation while its government strangleholds the education system with a horrid new requirement and no backbone to implement it? How can we be a great nation as our senior veterans-- who fought a hell of a lot longer for our freedoms against a *real* risk to the survival of freedom (Hitler) -- cannot afford and are given no help for medical treatments for their long-standing injuries from war and age? How many Vietnam vets are disrespected by the government, their health issues ignored, when they fought for their country? How can we be a great nation when we're thankful for all of the men and women fighting in Iraq... while we completely ignore the ones who went over to Afghanistan in the first place? (and are still there, I might add-- and losing ground). How many people who are celebrating September 11th have gone SINCE that tragedy to donate blood? To donate money to the Red Cross? To donate time or money to a veteran's hospital? How many of them are driving around with tattered flags on their cars-- disrespecting the flag of our country? How many of them have conemned those who question Bush's behavior as "Anti-American"? I listened to WAAF this morning as I drove to work, and a firefighter from the Methuen firestation who sang the national anthem in a beautiful tenor voice. I quickly turned it off as he began "God Bless America," because that song will forever remind me of how unwelcome and ostracized I felt after September 11th for being a non-JudeoChristian in this nation. LGM and Erich were surprised at my anger earlier this week when we discussed Sept. 11th, and how I don't want to see it anymore on TV. How I'm sick of the media coverage and the constant pressure to continue grieving over what happened two years ago. Forgive me, but I grieve for America as a whole. For its hypocrisy, for its attitude towards the rest of the world, and for the grave it is digging for itself. I feel as if the innocent people who lost their lives on September 11th died in vain. The America that has emerged from the ashes is not a stronger nation. It's more fiercely divided than ever before. September 11th to me is a reminder of what could have come to pass. But it didn't. 10:28 a.m. - 11 September 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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