September 07, 2006

Never Forget, Never Again

For several years now, as the tragedy of 9/11 has taken a seat further and further back in the American mind, I've been of the opinion that every September 11, the major networks should air their archival footage from that day, in real time, letting us recall the events in the same way they unfolded: with all of the the attendant fear and anger and confusion that occupied the mind of anyone with access to a television, a radio, or the internet.

Yes, we have other ways of remembering: stock footage of the planes impacting and of people choosing to leap to their deaths, made-for-TV movies and those of the big screen variety too. All well and good, but nothing can be more like 9/11 than 9/11 itself.

I disagree with the Bush administration on how they've handled various aspects of this war. I question their commitment to some of the universal ideals we're supposedly fighting to defend. That, however, doesn't change the fact that we are in a global war against flesh-and-blood enemies and memetic insanity in the form of fundamentalist Islam. This is something, it seems, of which we need a periodic reminder.

All of which is my roundabout way of mentioning that CNN's online Pipeline service will be airing the original footage online on September 11, from 8:30am until midnight, free of charge.

Watch it. Put aside whichever Bush syndrome you have - be it of the derangement or masturbatory kind - and remember what it felt like on that day to be scared, to be sad, to be angry, and to be - above all else - simply American.