This date (Sept 11) is a hard one for me, but not for the reasons you might think.
I've told the story many times that on 9-11-01, I never saw any tv footage of that day til years later. I lived out in the country and my roommate and I listened to the radio, not the tv that day. We couldn't get cable or even a decent signal out there anyway. My instant reaction after he told me what was going on, about the attack? It was this:
--Man, I know this is going to turn us into idiots, expose our nationalism and racism and the lessons we 'learn' from this tragedy will be turned into movies of the week, box office grosses and be warped into a rallying cry to kill innocent people not involved.--
And I was right. Not long after, there were oscar nominated flicks, tv movies, songs written for money, $100 American flag sales, if you didn't wear a small flag pin you were supporting the terrorists... and suddenly, anyone who didn't look "American" were being shit on. I Was working at a video store and there was a group of guys who came from India who shopped there all the time. They used to come in and we'd talk about movies we loved and everything. I remember around Sept. 14th that week, only one of the guys came in and shopped. We talked about movies and he rented some action flick and we just talked. Finally after ringing him up he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said something like "Hey, thanks for just being nice to me. People have yelled at me and spat at me all week. I'm not even Muslum or even from that damn country. I'm from India!" It was a powerful moment and I shook the dude's hand. It never occurred to me to judge him differently or think that he could potentially harm me in any way.
Does that make me a saint? No, thats not what I am saying. I'm just saying that sometimes we need to not judge books by covers. There is so much racial tension in the world and it really drives me crazy. I hate comedians that do the "blacks do this and whites do this" routines. It just helps reinforce those old stereotypes and themes that we need to get away from. And I know, I'm a part of podcasts where certain jokes are said. But I consider the source. I know that the person saying it doesn't mean it. Its entertainment shock value. Its making fun of the obsurdity of such a thought that we are laughing at the obsurdity, not the actual joke itself. To me, there's a difference.
But as much as I was warmed by the concept of this poor kid's experience, I was bummed out cause the next day my video store boss was going through other middle eastern customer's rental history and pointed out that this person only rents action movies and wanted to call the police to turn them in. And my boss at the part time job at a gas station I was working at was selling the station. And there were several interested people. A co-worker there said to me "I hope no sand n---er wants to buy this place and start some shit!" Oh sure. Al Qauida wants to buy a shitty gas station in Beal City, Michigan to take us out. Sure. (sigh)
All this week I've seen people post on twitter and FB about how "Obama is supporting the people who did 9-11." To a couple of them I posted, "You saying he's supporting Al Quaida? Give me a news link please so I can read it." And the replies were "No, its everyone over there. We need to bomb them all." It just depressed and angered me. So the little kid growing up in the region over there is going to grow up and do that same shit? Not try to better themselves by effecting change in their country or the world? No one is born with racism. Racism is taught. Plain and simple.
So this day depresses me to no end. It is a reminder that yes, we should stand together as a nation and mourn those who lost their lives in this senseless tragedy. But also, we should as one race, be united and not bring racism into our lives. We'll never heal. Not in my lifetime anyway.
I saw THIS VIDEO today and it made me smile. There are people out there who can change things for themselves and for others. Its that world I want to live in. I don't want to use tragedies as rallying cries to kill innocent people, just those responsible. And the great majority of those involved have been caught and dealt with. Hopefully that continues. I hope we do get those INVOLVED. And find a way to improve ourselves and the rest of the world so that this never happens again. We can't do that with bombs or bullets. We do that with compassion and change.
We'll never get there in my lifetime. But sometimes I can dream it.
My thoughts go out to those who lost someone or was effected by this day in history. Its not fair. It never will be. And we will have the hardest time living with change. Don't judge a book by its cover, and the story never ends. It can be a happy ending, it we can change it for ourselves. One world. One race. Wounds of the past, healed for all time. Dream it. I hope for it.
Someday.
T
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