Originally posted by PA 3L SVT:
Here's an example of Antonio's point:
Of course, everybody is flying a flag today - it's a national day of remembrance and every channel on TV has been reminding people for weeks. And everyone at sporting events today will remove their caps and pay the proper respect to the national anthem and the flag.
Back up to August 2001. The Star Spangled Banner at a game was accompanied by many people leaving their hats on and chit chatting during the song. Just another part of the game, like the announcement of starting lineups. Nothing to see here; let's get to the game we paid for.
Fall 2001 (post Sept 11) - nothing but solemnity (and some tears) during the national anthem (or God Bless America) at the start of the game. I'll admit that I cried during the anthem at the first sporting event I attended (in November).
I went to two baseball games this summer (Baltimore and Philly). What did I see? The same lack of respect that was the norm before Sept 11, 2001. Not to the same degree as before, but significantly worse than just following the attacks last fall. And this is from people who can't be more than 4 or 5 degrees of seperation from somebody that died in the WTC, the Pentagon, or United 93.
It seems to me that everybody is a patriot when it is convienient or expected. People with true pride in our country behave the same way all of the time - August 2001, September 2001, June 2002, or 9/11/02.
I agree whole heartedly here. Most people have just gone back to normal. It's great on one hand to be able to say that we are so great a country, we can keep moving without skipping a beat but it does seem a bit wrong if you ask me. But then again, if you could talk to the dead, I don't think any dead person would want you to mourn them, they would all probably tell you to be strong and go on with your life because eventually you will have to, so why not make it today. Sept 11th 2001 was a great thing to happen to us. America needed to have it's eyes opened to the entire globe and stop living just in our little world. It is an absolute tragedy for all of those families to suffer through but on the grand scheme of things they, killed 4000 out of a country of 275,000,000 and all it did was make us stronger. That is a small price to pay
