What can men do against such reckless hate?

THIS POSTING MAY CONTAIN CONTENT THAT MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME READERS

My perky and innocent 13-year old granddaughter is learning about the 9-11 terrorist attacks in school. She is asking questions of her grandparents about the worst attack by a foreign enemy on American soil in our nation's history- the worst terrorist attack of all time that killed nearly 3,000 people, which occurred several years before she was even born. Its hard for her to wrap her mind around such an event. Its hard for those of us who remember that day to wrap our minds around that day which changed the world forever, little less explain it to someone else.

Since 9/11, Esquire Magazine (which I generally do not read and do NOT endorse) has been one of the few publications that has been willing to do in-depth articles with photographs about the people who "fell" from the twin towers before the buildings imploded. This topic and associated photos have been taboo for many journalists. Esquire has published another such story dated 9/9/16 entitled "The Falling Man", which you can search for and read if you are so inclined. This article is raw, not because the photos are gory, but because it is so detailed and experiential, including such chilling details as heart wrenching quotes of eye witnesses or the sound that echoed between the buildings as each of the hundreds of people impacted the ground. The article also attempts to analyze why our society and media choose to look away and not be reminded of that intensity of that day. Here is a link to a brief Wikipedia article about one of the more famous photographs taken of people falling to their deaths from the twin towers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Falling_Man

In my opinion, the photographs and videos of planes being flown into these skyscrapers and of people making the horrific choice to escape from the inferno on top floors of these buildings by jumping is at the heart of remembering the gut punch that collectively hit our country that horrible day. It is uncomfortable and PAINFUL, especially for anyone who lost a family member or friend in any of the 9/11 attacks. For some, even after 15 years, it is still too soon and the wounds are still too raw to be reminded of the AWFUL events of that day.

The Esquire article accurately points out the similarities between such 9/11 "witnessing" videos and historical photographs and the photographs of piled up corpses, clothing, and reading glasses from Nazi World War II death camps in which millions of people deemed undesirable to Nazi leaders were exterminated.

Probably in the years immediately after WWII, some of the relatives and friends of those who were murdered in death camps would not have wanted to see such photographs. However, as time has elapsed, the desire to not be reminded of the pain of such events has evolved into an intense desire to remember those who died and to remind ourselves and others of the end result of such extreme hatred and depravity. Many friends, relatives, and even survivors themselves now save their money and make plans for a once-in-a-lifetime pilgramage to personally visit these historical sites with infamous names to ensure that neither they nor their posterity nor the world forgets what was done there.

In the years immediately following WWII, when grass had not yet grown over the fresh graves of hundreds of thousands of US military men and women who forfeited their lives for the freedom of Europe, many may have been alarmed and offended by the graphic depiction of fighting portrayed in a movie like "Saving Private Ryan". Yet many years after WWII, when those who yet remain alive from this era are referred to as "the greatest generation", the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated the film for 11 Academy Awards and Steven Spielberg's won a second Academy Award for Best Director, with four more Academy Awards going to the film.

In the movie "The Lord of the Rings- The Two Towers", as his garrisoned people are about to be overrun and annihilated by Saurman's army of 10,000 Uruk-hai orks, King Theoden says to himself and Aragorn (the future king), "So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?" 

If I may be so bold as to hazard an unoriginal answer: REMEMBER! HONOR the lives and memories of those who were murdered by people who were inculcated as children to HATE those who are different. REVERE the heroism of first responders who chose to enter the twin towers to help others and the "Let's Roll" passengers on Flight 93 who saved the lives of many others. Do NOT fight hatred with hatred. Be proactive in protecting ourselves against an enemy whose extreme ideology teaches that is not only permissible, but praiseworthy to massacre innocent men, women, and children.  Teach the children what they are prepared to receive about the scary realities of the world in which we live, but teach them as early as possible to be grateful for the foundational principles of liberty, limited government restrained by checks and balances, and the right to pursue happiness that our forefathers bequeathed to us. It is up to us to build upon their work and sacrifices and make a once good nation better.

A variation on a famous speech given by President Abraham Lincoln more than 150 years ago seems a fitting end to this blog entry.


Twelve score years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. 

Now we are engaged in a great war of ideologies, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can endure. We are physically and virtually met this September 11th to remember a terrible atrocity against the people of this nation and of the world. We have come to commemorate those awful events and celebrate the lives and hallow the memory of those who died. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, WE can not hallow their memories. The brave men and women who, served, struggled, and died here have hallowed this day far above our poor power to add or detract. The world may little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for US the living, rather, to BE DEDICATED TO THE UNFINISHED WORK which they who served and died here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for US to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we TAKE INCREASED DEVOTION to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- THAT WE HERE HIGHLY RESOLVE that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.