9/12

I did not want to write about 9/11 on 9/11.

I was in Christopher Columbus High School. Teaching Math. My AP showed me the news, but I assumed that it was a puff of smoke, and not much damage. I remembered the 1993 attack.

In the wake of 9/11 the United States launched two wars – leading to death and suffering – and leading to big profits for Lockheed and Blackwater and their ilk. And those wars? They were not waged against people who had attacked the Trade Towers.

This is MY city. I wasn’t born here, but I’ve lived here almost 40 years. The attacks on the Twin Towers were personal; they hurt.

Tourist on the E Train asks – “is this the right way to 9/11?” – A New Yorker responds “This train goes to the World Trade Center – that’s where you want to go” – “No,” says the tourist, ” I want to go to 9/11!” – and continues “You New Yorkers are so rude!”

Every time I have to take off my frigging shoes at the airport – I’m reminded of 9/11.

Everyone treats first responders like heroes when they are responding. And we sanctify the names of those who perished. But after? Firefighters and others – digging through that disaster zone – breathing that poison – developing serious illness down the road? Why don’t we think of them FIRST on the anniversary?

Not to make too much of it – but those towers were pretty ugly.

Our elections are not the fairest in the world. They are rigged against regular people. Corporations and the rich, and in NYC especially, big real estate, wield crazy influence. But at least we have elections, and count on them. Except that one time Rudy Giuliani almost got away with canceling ours – because of 9/11.

That stink, it crept over all of New York City. I was at the grad center, 34th Street, weeks later, and it hung in the air.

In this morning’s The Morning, the Times discusses separating the coup in Chile that overturned the elected government from the terror and torture that came after. The neutral statement of the possibility is disgusting. There’s no mention of CIA involvement, nor any of war criminal Henry Kissinger. Those of you who read the Times and call it “news” – you should really think about that a little more. Oh, and the Times doesn’t bother mentioning the date of the coup – It was in September 1973 – the 11th.

I didn’t know the little electronic shops that the WTC wiped out – but we had “redevelopment” in New Haven where I’m from – and no one I knew ever said anything good about wiping out small businesses. Why did city governments do that? Here’s “Radio Row”, left, and after it was razed, right.

“A noun, a verb, and 9/11” – I’m no Joe Biden fan. And he’s not much of a speaker. But gotta give it to him on that one. Summed up Giuliani pretty completely.

I’m not much for patriotism. It’s usually a screen for the government to build support for war, or corporate profits, or both. But in the fall of 2001, regular folks looking for survivors, helping us dig out, recover – I don’t know what to call it, but I felt pride in my city and in my fellow New Yorkers.

There used to be limits on government surveillance. We lost a lot of those limits in the aftermath of 9/11. The terrorists scared us, attacked us in our home. But it was our government, the US government, and Homeland Security, not the hijackers, that stole our liberty.