The Ugly Side Of 9-11

Fate has a either a cruel sense of humour, or an unparalleled appreciation for subtlety that only the most sophisticated observer might recognize. Travelling on the ferry from Hoboken to Manhattan, I conclude it can only be the former, as anyone who knows me knows I’m anything but a sophisticated observer. To my right, Lady Liberty’s gaze into the horizon falls at a perfect right angle to the direction of the gaping hole where the twin towers of the World Trade Center used to stand. It’s ironic, in a twisted way, that the attack struck in the exact location that the symbol of American freedom wasn’t looking.

In the streets of New York, a different kind of attack is striking a proverbial blind spot, transforming an act of aggression into America’s favorite pastime: making a quick buck. Everywhere I look, someone is looking to capitalize on the tragedy. There are hats adorned with the symbols of the FDNY and PDNY, pictures of the WTC, and even snow globes containing models of the Twin Towers. Nothing is too tacky to commemorate the event. Though the economy took a significant beating in the wake of the attacks, I have to wonder what shape the economy would be in without these scam-artists posing as patriots. God Bless America.

Where would we be without commercialism?

That’s not to say that Canada is above this hucksterism. At Vancouver airport, I noticed a pin at a local vendor proclaiming our unity with our American brethren: $5.00, with “a percentage of the profit” going to the victims of September 11th. Is zero a valid percentage? Who are these people? Innovative Trends, a firm in the Lower Mainland whose name suggests their business is to cash in on trends in “innovative” ways. Apparently, transacting business without a conscience is today’s idea of innovation.

Perhaps I’m being too harsh. Perhaps Innovative Trends, and companies like them, are working to help the victims of September 11th. However, I find it interesting to note the dearth of companies working to provide similar revenue streams to ease the suffering in other areas of the world. America is infatuated with melodramatic spectacles, benefit concerts, and stories of brave heroes. But all of this costs money. Watching smart bombs cream targets on CNN is a lot sexier and sells a lot more advertising minutes than giving condoms or vaccines to Third World countries without electricity or clean water.

So I guess the question I would ask the American public is: do you want to stop terrorism, or do you actually want to make a contribution to the world? Just how much money does a victim of the terrorist attack need? No amount of money or military action will bring back the sons and daughters lost that fateful day. Maybe it’s time we redirected our efforts from this distraction to something that will actually make the world a better place.

But, to quote Dennis Miller, “that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong.”

A Nice Quiet Vacation

We were in the middle of the rockies mountains, part of a heli-hiking vacation in the Canadian Rockies, when we got the news. The manager of the hiking lodge gathered everyone together, and I assumed that there was some problem with our departure. We had completed our stay and I could only assume, with a sinking feeling, that the helicopter had some problem which would delay our departure. I had never been so wrong.

“I’ve never had to do anything like this, but I’ve just received the following information: The United States is under attack. Two planes have crashed into the World Trade Center, and another has crashed into the Pentagon. At this time, North American airspace is closed to travel, and we are grounded. We’ll be trying to figure out ground transportation out of the lodge.”

At first, I thought it was a joke, and a bad one at that. My wife’s sisters both live in New York, one of them living not two buildings or so away from the World Trade Center. Several of her friends work at SIAC, which has several offices in the World Trade Center. All in all, not the greatest thing to say.

Some part of me refused to believe the news. It seemed all too convenient. After all, here we were in the middle of the wilderness without any real way to verify the claims. Was it a drill? Some kind of preparedness exercise?

To make matters worse, the majority of the people at the lodge were American. Nothing like an attack to make Americans talk of war. I could already see the wheels of major military campaign beginning to turn, and with it, a long year of pointless violence and political rhetoric.

Sigh.