h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's September 8th, and America is gearing up for what is likely to become its annual mawkfest. I'm talking about the anniversary of the attacks which happened on September 11th 2001.

Those attacks were a ghastly crime and I have buckets full of sympathy for the families of the people who were killed and for the people who were injured and whose lives were put on a whole nother track as result. What I don't have any more time for are the people who are letting their emotions get in the way of reason - people who are letting their heart rule their head (I'm sure, for instance, many of us recall the online petition to have the second film of the Lord of the Rings trilogy renamed because a number of people claimed to be offended by the title - The Two Towers).

I feel that many of the people who were directly or indirectly involved with this attack are wallowing in self pity to an extent which is not merited, and the rest of the country is going along with it because they're too scared to say anything to the contrary for fear of angering a '9-11 survivor'. Yes, I've heard more than one person describe themselves as such, as if it was a badge or a medal to be worn for everyone to see.

That won't garner them any special treatment from me. In all the years of IRA atrocities against the people of Northen Ireland and to a leser extent, the UK mainland, I don't ever recall anyone saying something like 'I'm an Omagh survivor'.

Death is inevitable. The moment a being is born, the only thing which can be said about it with any certainty is that it will die - maybe sooner, maybe later. Maybe from natural causes, maybe from a disease, maybe violently. Some forms of death are harder to bear than others, but the death of oneself and of ones friends and family must be mentally and spiritually prepared for and accepted if one is to live a fruitful and content life. To drag out interminably the pain and anguish is not a Good Thing.

In Dallas this weekend there was a commemoration (did I get all those 'm's right?) of 9-11 which involved a flag for each person who died - an American flag, conveniently forgetting that many of the people who died were not American. Then there's the couple whose son - a fireman - died in the WTC collapse. They recently found out that being a bone marrow doner, a lab had a vial of his blood 'on file', which they have (or plan to, I'm not sure which) buried in a grave, thus giving them 'a place to go to be with him'. And 'closure'.

Closure. I think that is becoming one of the most misused, and frankly dangerous concepts of today. And it all comes back to the fact that in our protected, cotton wool world with all kinds of medicine to keeps us healthy and alive for longer than ever before, so many of us (particularly urban-dwellers like myself it must be said), are seperated from death and all kinds of unpleasantness. Even to the ridiculous extent of police officers and soldiers suing their employers because of on-the-job stress. If you can't stand the heat...

Sometimes there will be no closure. One has to be strong enough in onesself to move on with ones life and let it pass. Not to dwell upon it. If a person should feel that some kind of commemoration is necessary, remember - less is more. Something subdued and dignified.

I've never been a violent person - as a schoolboy I was a wimp and a weed who would rather run than fight. I still prefer negotiation to fisticuffs, but these days I'll stand my ground and I always stand up to bullies. The idea of being a soldier is not one that has ever appealed to me, and the concept of war is quite unfathomable to me. All things military are not a part of my life or thinking. However, I've always been moved by the Festival of Remembrance from the Albert Hall on the evening before Remembrance Day each year, and by the gathering at The Cenotaph in Whitehall. I used to watch (or listen to) both of them each and every year - something I can't do so easily now I'm in Texas, and the words spoken during the service always bring a tear to my eye:

They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Simple, dignified, solemn.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The second item is a result of the American government's reaction to the attacks. A hacker called Adrian Lamo currently has a federal warrant out for his arrest.

Adrian is a grey hat hacker - he finds security holes in the systems of comapnies and organisations, then breaks in and leaves some kind of 'calling card' letting them know that they're vulnerable. He doesn't steal any information, he doesn't alter any settings. I believe that he also often lets them know what should be done to make their system secure. A benefit, you'd think.

In this instance he got into the computers of the New York Times and found that he was able to view for instance, the social security numbers of all their contributors, and the NYT has some pretty big name people writing for it.

Apparently they didn't care for this and have used the measures put in since the 9-11 attacks to press federal charges against him.

I'm glad to say that he's a very level-headed man and is not going to let the might and the injustice of a frenzied, bullying government roll over him without a fight. The FBI tried to intimidate his parents and sent agents to their house with his arrest warrant - he doesn't even live there! They wanted to search the house, and his mother quite rightly told them to come back with a search warrant.

Here's a link to his story so far, which includes a link to the phone interview he gave to the presenters of this show. Unfortunately, some of you (myself included) won't be able to watch it since we've banished Windows Media Player from our system (or you never had it there because you use a Mac ).

Hi, Gosho.

I think I'm more willing to put up with the 9/11
surivivors' lamentations than you are, though I'd
prefer not to watch. The thing is, these events
will be with many of them for the rest of their lives.
Maybe most of them will be able to come to terms with
9/11 by 2026 or even sooner, but an event that traumatic
usually takes many years to get over. Sorry, but that's
just how it is.

The survivors of the Warwick, Rhode island nightclub
fire are going to be dealing with it for many years
into the future, too. Likewise the survivors of the
Oklahoma City bombing. And I don't even need to mention
the Holocaust.

"Here's a link"

Erm... where?

Nevermind, I'm on a Mac.

And you've never forgotten to put a link in post have you

http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/showtell/story/0,24330,3517538,00.html

Gosho,

I am on the same wavelength regarding the 9-11 anniversary(ies).

Last year, on a chat I frequent, one person who rarely visits except to drop bombs and then complain that nobody "likes" her came in. She sat there for a few minutes and then said.... "Why do "we" not have a condolence announcement on the top of our chat screen?"

What we did have on top was a note recognising the birthday of a regular and condolences for the death of one of our freinds' mother. We said that everyone is aware of 9-11, only two of the hundred or so people who are members of the chat are American (most are Canadian with some Brits, Aussies and NZers thrown in), and we felt that it was someolace were people could come in and forget the woes of the world.

"I guess I thought there were some "caring" people in here...." said she.

We made the point that just because we didn't post a notice didn't mean we didn't care. We care also about our friend whose mother died and the fact that our other friend had not had her birthday celebrated last year because of the events, so we felt it was more appropriate to have those announcements than to remove them to remind people about something they will likely not forget, anyway.

It the same with the ubiquitous "red ribbon" for AIDS. Hollywood stars wear them at every major event. If they don't wear them, people accuse them of hating gay people or AIDS sufferers.... As though wearing a red ribbon shows you to be a caring individual.

It is the same with the American flag. If someone doesn't wear their flag on their clothes or plant one in their yard, or, in some cases cry when they see one, they are accused of being "unpatriotic", as though it is more important to SHOW everyone you are patriotic than to actually BE patriotic.

If someone says "I do not support the war in Iraq", they are unpatriotic.

If they question their government, they are being unpatriotic.

The list goes on.

Partiotism is more than being proud of your country, whatever it does, or crying when the National Anthem is played, or waving a flag.... It is standing up and speaking out when something is wrong. It is changing things for the better in your country, it is supporting someone's right to dissent even when you don't agree with them..... The Civil Rights marchers were patriots. The Suffragettes were patriots. The students killed at Kent State were patriots. Robert Kennedy was a patriot. George W. Bush is not a patriot.

LITTLE OLD LADY IN TENNIS SHOES: Let the hackers fry!

AGING HIPPY WHO THINKS THE 1960s ARE STILL HERE: Lamo can
stay in my commune if he doesn't mind the psychedelic colors.

ZSA ZSA GABOR: Be nice to him, dahling, he's really just
a boy, und you know boys vill be boys.

Bravo Mudhooks
"Partiotism is more than being proud of your country, whatever it does, or crying when the National Anthem is played, or waving a flag.... It is standing up and speaking out when something is wrong. It is changing things for the better in your country, it is supporting someone's right to dissent even when you don't agree with them..... The Civil Rights marchers were patriots. The Suffragettes were patriots. The students killed at Kent State were patriots. Robert Kennedy was a patriot. George W. Bush is not a patriot."

Thank you Gosho for this rememberance of 9-11:
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them


I do not want to watch the memorials because I have many Sept memorials of my own. I do not want to see the current political machines at work in this grieving process. I am grieving the death of our political process,the ideals of my government. I said early on *they (whoever they are) will not have to do another Terrorist act to the US because the Americas Leaders will set out to destroy our ideals all on their own "for our own good" in the name of National Security.

I have had the worst things done to me and around me thoughout my life "for my own good"
Always it was in the interest of someone elses undeserved security not anything to do with mine.

Indeed. Any Bush supporter should ask a Chilean what Tuesday September 11th means in the history of that country...

http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2002/9/11/04853/8317

http://www.santiagotimes.cl/derechos/history_eng.html

http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/

1649 - Oliver Cromwell seizes Drogheda, Ireland, 3,000 inhabitants massacred and all Catholic Churches are blown up by cannon
http://twotrees.www.50megs.com/attic/history/09/11.html

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/2002-09/11/Columns/In%20History.htm

Intersting Sept 11 through History in your last link.

I think this one sums up the Chile thing pretty well - thanks, Mudhooks.

http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/today/0911.html