I was very unhappy today to pick up the newspaper and see WE REMEMBER and a huge picture of the World Trade Center buildings. Thanks, Inquirer for telling me that and how I'm supposed to remember.
Part of what makes this day powerful is the collective memory but I think what makes it significant is that everyone had their own memories and their own reactions. The media frenzy has unduly influenced the first part and all impeded the second part. My strongest memories are intensely personal. Of course they are a piece of the national consciousness because I live in America, but they're my own feelings and I'm finding it difficult to focus on them with everyone shouting WE REMEMBER.
There's not really anything to be done about it. Considering that the national holiday called Memorial Day has been reduced to a barbecue opportunity, it's good for people to stop and remember that they're part of something larger. I'm just sorry to have the experience diluted because people want to sell newspapers and ads on their TV shows.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment