I almost forgot that this was the third anniversary of the September 11 tragedy. Almost. Earlier this week, I caught myself wondering why there were so many specials on the collapse of the twin towers on television and then I realized why. The date still has power, though; unquestionably so. Earlier, when I thought that I was going to be able to print the :Trenchcoat Farewell Project: this weekend, I almost announced a to-print date of September 11 — oops! Nope, don’t think so. Not an auspicious date on which to debut my work. Nosiree.
I have nothing to add on this day, other than what I’ve posted before. In the meantime, I humbly suggest that people remember this day by reading Erin’s poem, The Sadness of Engineers
Why an Eye-for-an-Eye Leaves the Whole World Blind
I’m adding this at 9:00 p.m. the next day, but what I’ve found deserves to go here. Kevin at Northern Polemics is a truly compassionate conservative, and what he says on the nature of violence is a very appropriate thing to read on September 11:
If punitive action is the only tool used, entrenched grievances and escalation will always result. The de-contextualization (“that is, we must stop trying to understand the reasons that some groups turn to terrorism, and simply condemn and kill them” - link) of violence is exactly the wrong response and we no longer have the luxury of these simple-minded approaches.
A hundred years ago, even 50 years ago, the “context” of violence mattered because it lead to terrible local consequences. Today, it matters more. It matters more because the weapons available are much worse and the means of organizing are dramatically more sophisticated and accessible.
Bravo! Read all of it. I only wish I’d found this sooner.