The Tragedy Continues

It is like an episode of the television series 24.
There's terrorist attacks, intelligence failures and a bumbling president. They've all led to chaos, mass casualties, a catastrophic attack on humanity and destruction of horrific proportions.
Unfortunately, it isn't just another show filled with so many casualties that you lose count or a Jack Bauer exclaiming "Damn it" with each roadblock he finds between him and heroism.
This is real. So real that a childhood friend was in one of those buildings and perished. His family received a portion of his remains, identified by DNA, years later. A former National Hockey League player and scout that I had shared many press boxes with was on one of the planes, heading for Los Angeles.
I've been watching the rebroadcast of the tragedy of September 11, 2001. It came on just before 9 a.m. and has been showing the minute-by-minute broadcast all morning. I happened to catch the beginning of it and have been hooked on reliving the drama and destruction all over again.
Many of these breaking news stories that get saturated with coverage by the cable news channels seem surreal. It's as if it is all just a TV drama and not true. Obviously 9/11 was something different. It was unbelievable to watch unfold, the breakdown in our leadership, our intelligence and our security. Our government failed us. It was evident not just on the TV screen but in the lives of people we knew.
As I've watched the rebroadcast of what happened that day, I'm reminded how horrific the whole thing was. We've settled back into our comfort zone and come to grips with the tragedy that happened that day. We've lost that feeling of horror, insecurity and mourning from sevens years ago. It has almost become like another bad day in history that our emotional attachment has left behind.
As I watch it all unfold again, I feel as though today should be a national holiday. It might actually be a holiday that doesn't get minimized by commercialization, car sales or a reason to party because we have the day off, but I never underestimate the callousness and stupidity in this country. Of course, a national holiday to honor what happened that day would bring out the flag waving, my country right or wrong, fanatics that sometimes blend idiotic with Patriotic. I've already started getting the propaganda emails telling us to "never forget".
Now seven years later, we haven't forgotten but as I look back on how 9/11 has shaped our country since it happened, it not only scares me but disgusts me.
Have we learned from that day? Are we better off since that tragedy? Are we more secure than we were back then?
Obviously, our travel has changed. Security is tighter. It has changed our mindset in this country. That is unfortunate but necessary. Maybe our intelligence has been shored up and security is better to prevent something like that. But I thought we were immune to that on 9/10/2001. We might be better prepared to handle an attack such as that, but maybe not an attack of a different nature - a nuclear bomb or a chemical weapon. I have no faith or trust in my government that things have improved. President Bush has been more intent on covering his own ass the last few years than protecting our shores. John McCain doesn't even known that Czechoslovakia doesn't exist anymore. That makes me feel secure. I have a little bit of faith in Barack Obama, but I'd be naive to believe government incompetence and bureaucracies would change so dramatically. I seriously believe that 9/11 taught us a lesson but one that we haven't learned from - at least enough to prevent a similar failure. We've actually spawned more terrorist and encouraged more hatred of our country in the last seven years. That doesn't make me feel more secure.
While the horrors of that day hasn't made us better equipped to thwart such an attack, the unity that was a result of the tragedy has all but evaporated. I remember the scene at the Super Bowl the following February, Bono, the lead singer of U2, was performing during the halftime show. The screen in the background rolled the names of those killed. He opened his jacket to reveal an American flag stitched inside. It was a great emotional moment.
There was feeling of unity not just nationally but all over the world. There was a sense that we could rise above such hatred and tragedy, especially if we rallied around each other. We did that - for a little while.
Since then, we've been inundated with partisan politics. We returned to a Divided States of America. Our politics promote and exploit that division while our electorate accepts it.
It is disgusting to think that yesterday the hot political story was about a "lipstick on a pig" comment that was taken out of context and used to smear and distort. Today, a truce has been called between campaigns. Tomorrow, they'll be back smearing each other and avoiding the facts that the country truly needs to address. With such a tragedy being recognized and so many lost lives being honored, you'd think our politicians could do better. Instead, they trivialize 9/11 and insult us and our concerns. And, again, the electorate doesn't demand better. But, if we don't expect civility in the world around us, why demand it in our political arena?
The worst has to be the politicization of 9/11. Bush declared that terrorism against the United States would not stand. Last I knew, the perpetrators of the attacks have not been brought to justice. Just like Bush hasn't found/fired the culprits the the CIA leak that he vowed to investigate. Instead, we've attacked a country that had little to do with 9/11. Meanwhile, the memory of the 9/11 victims were used and abused to justify such a war. Who's the religious zealot performing terrorist acts now? I could barely stand to what as Bush spoke at memorial services today. Here was the man who exploited 9/11 more than anyone and trounced on the memory of the murdered, standing their offering faint praise and platitudes.
Just last week at the Republican National Convention, the most graphic video footage of the 9/11 tragedy was shown. The drum beat continues. Playing on the fears of Americans, that awful day in 2001 is now used as a political tool. Scare tactics try to justify the current evils of past and potential future administrators while swaying a fearful electorate. It is sad, disgusting and offensive that the lives lost on that day are used in such a way. I can't help but wonder if the terrorists have actually won sometimes when I see how such a historic and tragic day has been tainted and martyred.
As I've watched the replayed coverage of 9/11 this morning, I've recalled the success and the failures that have arose from that day. Unfortunately, the latter is greater.
In our darkest hour, we had the chance to rise from the ashes and show the greatness that our country was founded upon. Instead, our leadership was as hapless post 9/11 as it was pre 9/11. We were told to shop. Instead of bringing out the best in our country, the tragedy has produced the worst.
I mourn the tragedy all over again today and feel sad that our country let us down seven years ago. I feel a greater sadness for the failings that I've seen since 9/11.