911 Musings

I remember tiring of the media blitz and walking the bike path along the river with two friends and a frisbee.

The uninterrupted sky—devoid of air traffic—cast a layer of serene peacefulness over the urban greenspace below.

And over us as well.

The wanderers who made their way through tree shadows and sunny grass fields.

Alive.

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A little while ago a friend posted [on facebook]...
"i just saw "let's start a new kids game, cowboys n muslims" ugh. please take 3 steps back mankind."[sic]
...on another thread.

hmm, ...
"let's start a new kids game, cowboys n muslims"
...is a doozy.
Multifaceted in its reflections upon the American zeitgeist.
As it brings to mind the range of xenophobia, self interest, and generally warped impressions that shaped the conflicts leading to that which it references. i.e. 'Cowboys-n-Indians'.

I've heard it said that those who are aware of history are doomed to watch those who aren't repeat it.

It's interesting, to me, how despite regularly tacking on rational qualifiers what carries through to most—through the jingoism that's been swirling around for over a decade—is 'cowboys-n-MUSLIMS'. Not 'cowboys-n-Al Queda' or any such more specific version. Details and fine distinctions seem to be a challenge for mass minds. The original 'Cowboys-n-Indians' lumped a quite diverse range of peoples into one convenient target as well. [Funny that I don't recall ever hearing any major news outlets refer to "the SAUDIS who attacked the World Trade Center..."]

It's so much easier to avoid introspection when an amorphous 'them' lurks in the shadowed corners.

I'm imagining a movie scene in which a despot's regime hires caricature artists to draw life size paper images which are then placed in front of people as they are brought before a firing squad. Defendants made to wear masks throughout a trial. And so on. [hmm, could be a blank mask and then have the competing attorneys take turns drawing features upon it... but I digress...]

Sigh...

It's sad that many lives were intentionally destroyed simultaneously September 11, 2001. It's sad that many lives have been intentionally destroyed before and after.

It's encouraging that there are heroes willing to rise to the occasion—often risking life and limb—to pull survivors through the aftermath of tragedy.

Would heroes exist without tragedy and villainy? Or are they two sides of a single coin. Inexorably bound?

Sigh...

I don't know...

I don't know...

Do you?

Peace y'all.

-Kev-