Should 9/11 be a national day of volunteerism, charity and good deeds?

Definitely wouldn't advertise it as "watch our prices come crashing down"

 

As much as I take little veiled shots at Fen and his ultra-hate of Fredo, he did get me thinking about our national holidays in general. It's evident that nearly all of our national holidays are commericalized to no end. That's not a surprise. Places like Macy's and others see it as a way to get bored and exhausted housewives out of the house to shop back in the old days.

Most of us here know the meaning and the reasons that these national holidays are established. Ultimately down the road, will anyone after us (kids, grandkids, etc.) are going to know why we have Presidents Day, MLK Birthday, Christmas, Labor Day, and others? It bothers the shit out of me and I'm a young 31 years old.

As far as tomorrow is concerned, I don't feel comfortable about making this a holiday. We don't need another disaster to be made a holiday. Pearl Harbor was the first and I hope the last. The WWII generation still remember what that day was like and the same will be for those who were involved with it six years ago. We're going to be reminded of it every year since it's still fresh in our minds. But, on the flipside, how many of those in my generation understand the impact that Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg, or Easter has?

It's a great topic to discuss.

 

Nope, a decent sized chunk of the country thinks that 9/11 was a government conspiracy.
Making it a holiday just reinforces that.
As for me, 9/11 can become a holiday when 4/19 becomes one or have we already forgotten that one?

 

We have.

Sadly, it took me two seconds to remember what happened on 4/19.

 

Jay, that's what a decent size chunk of the country said about Pearl Harbor being a conspiracy to get into WWII.

I wonder, sadly, what's next on the agenda besides people saying the Holocaust was faked? The Civil War was staged as a way to grab more land to plant cotton? Sometimes I think people watch too much "Conspriacy Theory" and really think Mel Gibson was right.

 

In Atlantic Canada, 9/11 is marked in this way because many flights were diverted to airports in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and other places. On this date every year, the acknowledgement of the kindness of the people in these areas is remembered.

If my memory serves me right, George Bush came here to personally thank people five years after the incident and he took a lot of criticism for the fact he was late in showing his appreciation to Canada.
His speech at Pier 21 was a little too late and the media ridiculed him for it.

 

Of course, there are other reasons to not like him:
(Thanks. WaPo, for this oldie but a goodie).

"[A]n unnamed CIA briefer who flew to Bush’s Texas ranch during the scary summer of 2001, amid a flurry of reports of a pending al-Qaeda attack, to call the president’s attention personally to the now-famous Aug. 6, 2001, memo titled “Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US.” Bush reportedly heard the briefer out and replied: “All right. You’ve covered your ass, now.”

 

I seriously will probably be getting drunk off my ass, but not because it's Pearl Harbour Day, but because it's my birthday – which also be a national holiday. Or maybe I just have an inflated view of my self worth.

 

Why would we need to remember the debut of The Simpsons with a holiday?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_19

I kid, I kid. I'm ashamed to admit I had to look up what happened 4/19.

 

In the meantime, we have public school systems in Utah who don't think 9-11 should be discussed in any way:

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6850019?source=rss

Love the one "educator" who doesn't think there should be any discussion, let alone commemortion, because "we don't want to dwell on the violence."

Just because you don't want to dwell on the violence (violence, by the way, perpetrated on the U.S. without provacation or warning) doesn't mean it didn't happen, nor won't happen again.

 

Hondo, I don't believe in ignoring it by all means. My contention is on how the importance of these designated holidays not get the attention of many. If people want to talk about it, I'm not going to stop them from doing it.

There is no doubt that we could get attacked again. That fear is out there. How can anyone ignore it, unless if it's the Mormons teaching that in the Utah schools.[/blue]

 

If he had made the speech five days after the incident, the media would have ridiculed him for it.