BuzzFlash
presents Southern Style
by Rebecca Knight
September 11, 2002
Days of Infamy
by Rebecca Knight
Days of infamy are forever etched in our memory, days of such historical significance that America is changed forever. The spirit of the American people, founded in freedom and the belief that we live in the greatest nation on earth is always striving to turn the bad into good, always looking for the bright side, and always wanting to give the benefit of the doubt. On days of infamy our spirit takes an almost overwhelming blow, it bends, but is never broken.
Each generation experiences days of infamy, learns from them, and uses them for the betterment of this nation. That is the spirit of "never give up" that lives in the hearts of Americans. That is our heritage of determination instilled in us by the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Days of infamy should never be used as instruments to infringe upon those glorious actions of freedom taken by our founding fathers.
Current generations remember with clarity the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor; the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King; and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. On each of those days we lost a little more of our innocence. We wept and mourned for the loss of human lives, the grieving families, the pain inflicted on a nation that exists for the very right to live in peace and contentment. Each of those days forced lessons of violence upon the American people, lessons we did not want to learn.
They also tested the integrity and fortitude of the sitting presidents. We know that Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, while far less than perfect, led us through difficult times with graciousness and understanding. The Bush presidency, obtained under questionable circumstances and still in its infancy on September 11, 2001, would be severely tested.
On September 11, 2001, a day of unparalleled horror in America, over 3,000 people from more than eighty countries lost their lives. It was a devastating shock to the American psyche. It angered, hurt, saddened, and depressed us and it still does. We may never fully recover from that day because most Americans cannot imagine hatred so vile, so consuming, that it leads to acts of such monstrosity. Uncivilized acts of such magnitude truly test the resolve, moral strength, and courage of a nation. How would America face that test? How would our citizens respond? How would our leaders respond?
American citizens came together as one unified voice of outrage and unparalleled sympathy for the lost lives of innocents. Patriotic fervor reached a crescendo as we sought ways to show support for the fallen heroes, gone forever. Donations of time, energy, clothing, food, and money poured into New York City. Beautifully uplifting memorial services were held around the nation as we struggled to find just the right way to honor those who lost their lives and their families.
As the days, weeks, and months passed it became clear that the best way to honor fallen heroes is to not let their lives be lost in vain. We had to find the right balance for a response to the atrocities and we had to find the right way to move on with our lives. The souls lost on September 11, 2001, the heroes who gave their lives in efforts to save others, and the tireless efforts of those who worked in the recovery effort could best be honored by standing strong against the villains of the event. Standing strong and unified would be the true test of America, for if we allowed anything less the villains would have accomplished their goal.
In the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001, George W. Bush grew immeasurably as a public speaker, but how would he fair as a leader in a time of crisis? Yes, he struck the right notes of unification, raising his approval ratings astronomically more through sentiment than substance. Out of our anger and frustration, we wanted to hear Bush speak with an authoritative voice of plans to protect our safety and bring the responsible terrorists to justice. The true test of leadership comes not just in healing words. Rhetoric is easy. Striking the right balance of actions is the hard part.
Then Bush attempted to morph himself into a John Wayne persona by saying we would smoke the terrorists out of their caves and we would get Bin Laden "dead or alive." He seemed more foolish than fearless, more like Barney Fife than John Wayne. One wondered if Cheney had given Bush one bullet to keep in his shirt pocket. Some Americans had little confidence in Bush's ability to deal with a crisis of such tremendous proportion. His background did not bode well for such precarious times.
The Bush administration began taking questionable steps to protect against terrorism. With the acquiescence of a compliant Congress the Patriot Act was passed into law, restricting our civil liberties, and Bush was given unprecedented authority to militarily strike nations suspected of terrorism, at his discretion alone. Steps were taken to implement military tribunals. The justice department rounded up thousands suspected of terrorist involvement and limited their rights to counsel and the American judicial system. Bush declared that he alone had the right to declare a suspect an "enemy combatant."
These are the changes in our legal rights due to actions of the Bush administration and the Patriot Act:(1)
* FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION: Government may monitor religious and political institutions without suspecting criminal activity to assist terror investigation.
* FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: Government has closed once-public immigration hearings, has secretly detained hundreds of people without charges, and has encouraged bureaucrats to resist public records requests.
* FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Government may prosecute librarians or keepers of any other records if they tell anyone that the government subpoenaed information related to a terror investigation.
* RIGHT TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION: Government may monitor federal prison jailhouse conversations between attorneys and clients, and deny lawyers to Americans accused of crimes.
* FREEDOM FROM UNREASONABLE SEARCHES: Government may search and seize Americans' papers and effects without probable cause to assist terror investigation.
* RIGHT TO A SPEEDY AND PUBLIC TRIAL: Government may jail Americans indefinitely without a trial.
* RIGHT TO LIBERTY: Americans may be jailed without being charged or being able to confront witnesses against them.
One can argue that none of these actions struck the right balance. They were overreaching, restricting American liberties as never before. They certainly played right into the hands of the desires of terrorists whose goal was not only to kill Americans, but also to harm the very freedoms we possess.
And who can forget Bush's "Axis of Evil" speech in which he attempted to claim that Iraq, Iran, and North Korea were enemies of the United States because they were developing weapons of mass destruction. It shocked the world and it accomplished the exact opposite of his intended goal. Now, support of the U.S. has diminished to the point where apparently only one country, the United Kingdom, will align with America for Bush's desire to attack Iraq. Bush squandered the worldwide sympathy and support for the United States following the 9/11 attacks with his faulty rhetoric and his nonexistent foreign policy.
Questions regarding circumstances leading up to the events of 9/11 were handled with authoritative responses by the Bush administration. Unlike Roosevelt's call for an investigation immediately following Pearl Harbor, Bush and Cheney have been outraged by any questions. Revelations of warnings given by many foreign countries, unconnected dots by American intelligence agencies, a lack of anti-terrorism policy implementation, highly suspicious insider trading in the days prior to the attacks, the president's own actions on the day of the attacks, administration officials who stopped flying on commercial airlines, etc. naturally led to demands for an inquiry by Congress. Families of 9/11 victims united behind an openly thorough investigation. Bush and Cheney, rather than assure the American people by cooperating with or even requesting an investigation, stonewalled Congress.
The Bush administration first rejected the idea of a new Department of Homeland Security. Now they have proposed one and Congress is conducting hearings on how best to implement the new policy. However, the new department will not include the intelligence agencies, which appear to have failed in their duties.
The commercial airline industry suffered in the aftermath of the attacks. Our tax dollars were used to bail them out of financial hardships, but there were no qualifying standards imposed. This allowed the airlines to use the money as they saw fit, rather than use it for purposes of saving or securing jobs for the working class. Airport security was strengthened, but the Bush administration fought making security workers federal employees. Stories of continued security failures are still being reported, leading to doubts that this program is being administered correctly.
On the surface, the military response to the terrorist attacks seemed appropriate and the military is to be commended for its successful efforts, but what was really accomplished? Yes, we apparently dismantled the Taliban and a new government is in place, but how many of the terrorist leaders of Al Qaeda are in custody or killed? Where is Osama? And are U.S. forces to be used for nation building? What is our exit strategy? The fact that these questions go unanswered is in direct opposition to Bush's stated positions during campaign 2000.
A leader of true character would have never used the tragedy of 9/11 for political gain. Yet, we know that is precisely what the Bush administration has done. The Republican Party used a photo of Bush, purported to have been made aboard Air Force One on the day of the attacks, in a fundraising effort. The Bush administration admitted that some of the terrorist alerts announced were used as distractions from Democratic questioning. These actions dishonor the memory of the fallen heroes of 9/11.
Yes, much has changed in America since September 11, 2001. Some Americans are still leery of flying. Passenger traffic on domestic and international flights is down 11.4% this year through June. Since the attacks, Congress has approved more than $48 billion in defense and security spending, much of which is missing from the national treasury due to the ill-conceived Bush tax cut. Now the Social Security trust fund is depleted and we are again in deficit spending and accumulating a massive national debt that our children and grandchildren will be responsible for. The unemployment rated has climbed from 4.9% to 5.9%. Thirty-three states reported layoffs due to the attacks. Business insurance now costs an average of 25% more nationally. The attacks cost insurers $40.2 billion in claims, making it the largest single disaster in the industry's history.
So, the question remains on this, the first anniversary of September 11, 2001, how do we best honor the memory of our fallen heroes? We do so by demanding that Americans should not be required to lose one single liberty due to terrorist actions. We do so by demanding that the current administration take no action of military force without first consulting Congress and explaining the need for such action to the American people. We do so by showing our outrage concerning the commercialization of 9/11 and the use of it for political purposes. We do so by holding our elected officials accountable. For if we, the American people, allow fundamental change in America as a result of terrorist actions, the terrorists will have accomplished at least a part of their goals.
We best honor the heroes of September 11, 2001 by respecting, treasuring, and protecting the principles of liberty and fairness on which this nation was founded. Let us never forget the sacrifices made by fallen heroes of all generations establishing and maintaining our rights as citizens of the most glorious nation on earth!
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(1) http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-sept-11-legal-rights-glance0905sep05.story
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Rebecca Knight is a native Tennessean, who grew up in Nashville, and currently resides in a small town near Nashville. Ms. Knight's political awareness evolved through the civil rights movement, the Vietnam era, the Watergate era, and the cold war. The debacle of the 2000 election increased her sense of responsibility for political activism. You may contact Rebecca Knight via e-mail at tennessee_gal655@yahoo.com.
© 2002 by Rebecca Knight
