You may think that because I haven't posted anything here this week that I have no opinions on the various things that have been happening. Oh no, that isn't true. It's just that whenever an opinion struck me about some topic, it was not the right time to be blogging. And by the time I had time to blog, the will to blog had become weak.
So I thought I'd spend today catching up with the various things that I've wanted to post about all week.
Let's go backwards in time starting with the most recent news first.
In regard to the decision to try the 9/11 masterminds in civil court in Manhattan:
I'm totally in favor of this decision. It shows that the our country will stand up for its principles of justice and try these men fairly in a court of law. Of course, not everyone is in favor of this decision. According to the NY Times, opponents included members of Congress, some 9/11 victim's families, and neighbors near the courthouse.
"They argued that Qaeda suspects did not deserve the protections afforded by the American criminal justice system, that bringing them into the United States would heighten the risk of another terrorist attack, that civilian trials increase the risk of disclosing classified information, and that if the detainees were acquitted they could be released into the population."
TomCat over at Politics Plus has a good post about this. As he says,
"While it is true that these terrorists do not deserve the protections afforded by the US criminal justice system, look at the statement that giving them these protections anyway makes about the US before the world. Dispensing justice in full transparency can go a long way toward undoing some of the damage that eight years of torture and abuse of prisoners under Bush and the GOP did to our world prestige."
He also points out how the GOP, represented by Boehner, is once again showing no support for the American principles of justice. Sure, these people aren't citizens. But their crimes were committed on our soil and they should face our type of justice.
And if anyone is worried they may just get off and be released into the United States? Think about it - if you let them go in downtown Manhattan, how far do you really think they'd get? No worries there. (Yes, I know that is not a nice way to think about it. But I can't help it).
Onward to the health care debate.
I am glad the health care bill passed in the House. I know there are many progressives who feel as if this is a Pyrrhic victory, given Nancy Pelosi was forced to allow the Stupak Amendment that will effectively eliminate the possibility of coverage for abortion for a large number of women.
I understand and agree with the disappointment and outrage on the part of progressives and women. But I am practical, and believe that "the best is the enemy of the good." Sometimes it's better to get part of what you want even if it's not perfect. Opposing the bill and refusing to pass it is probably not the right answer.
First of all, this is not the final bill. The Senate needs to pass their version, and then the two versions have to be made into one. A lot can happen during that process.
Secondly, even if the final version includes these abortion restrictions, providing all Americans with health care will still do more for the greater good than if the abortion amendment were left out, but the legislation didn't pass. Having health care coverage will save money for poor or currently uninsured families if someone in the family became ill and incurred large medical bills. Ongoing well care will also ultimately help them stay in better health overall.
Third, whatever passes is not set in stone. When Medicare originally passed, it wasn't the same program as we have today. Later legislation can amend the terms if we have the will to force this to happen.
That said, I have grave concerns about the way the right wing and religious groups are slowly but surely chipping away at a woman's right to choose. Please, go over to Utah Savage's place and read what she has to say on the subject. She has forcefully reminded me of what it was like in those dark days before Roe v. Wade and also made an impassioned plea to the current generation to take up the cause and not take women's rights for granted. Please, read her most recent three posts (starting with the one entitled "My Abortion in 1968"), as she tells it better than I ever could.
The last issue I'd like to talk about today is the defeat of gay marriage in Maine on Election Day. Naturally, I was very disappointed that the voters of Maine voted for this miscarriage of justice. To me, it is ridiculous that basic human rights for our citizens are being put to a majority vote. If this had been done in the past, there would still be a number of states that would have had miscegenation laws on the books - and be enforcing them. Heck, there might even still be slavery!
Why should the majority get to rule on the rights of a minority? It doesn't even make sense. This is a constitutional issue and rightly should be decided by the courts. This is not activist judges at work - this is exactly what the courts are meant for - to enforce civil rights even when it's not something the majority may want.
Of course, the real solution would be for the government to get out of the marriage business altogether. Civil unions for all - let your religion dictate whether it's called marriage. That way religious groups that didn't want to marry gay couples wouldn't have to, and those that do, could. Either way, you could be married, whether you were gay or straight.
This evenhandedness should extend to benefit designations as well. If a person has medical or other coverage from their company or organization, they should be allowed to designate anyone as their beneficiary: spouse, domestic partner (male or female), relative, even friend. We pay extra to add spouses/families to our benefits anyway - why should the company care who you designate? It's all ridiculous to keep basing everything on whether someone is married or not, in this day and age when there are so many different types of households. It is time to move past this antiquated way of judging everything.
That said, the interesting thing is that we are even having these conversations today about gay marriage. A decade ago the idea of domestic partnerships or civil unions was what was setting off the right wing nutjobs. Now even they are hedging and saying that civil unions are OK, but marriage is another story. Change is happening - too slowly, yes - but happening nevertheless.
So, I think I'm all caught up on being opinionated. Baxter will be back next with his own thoughts on the latest news. In the meantime, I'll start trying to catch up with all the blogs I'm behind on reading!
Showing posts with label September 11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label September 11. Show all posts
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
An Eventful Week
There is certainly a lot going on this week. I just heard the news that Arlen Specter has switched parties - becoming the 59th Democratic seat in the Senate. He is facing re-election in Pennsylvania this year and decided to run as a Democrat.
On one hand, this is good news for the Democrats, because if Al Franken finally wins in Minnesota, the Democrats could have a filibuster-proof majority of 60. (Assuming all 60 agree on the issue at hand, of course, which isn't always the case).
On the other hand, it is a sad day for the so-called Grand Old Party. That leaves even fewer moderate Republicans in the party, concentrating it even more into the hands of the far right. If anyone was hoping for less partisan rancor, it just isn't going to happen.
Of course the other big news right now is the swine flu, which may become a pandemic. Fears that it might be as bad as the 1918 pandemic that killed so many people are probably exaggerated. However, any time there is a new strain of flu that the vaccines can't prevent, it is a big concern. If you want to check out how many cases are in your area, here is a link to an interactive map.
President Obama is about to hit his first 100 days in office so be prepared for yet more analysis of "How's he doin'?" (as NY Mayor Ed Koch used to ask people about himself). As the linked article points out, most of the time the first 100 days don't really serve as a real indicator of the mettle of the President in question. Only Roosevelt accomplished a huge amount in his first 100 days - which would probably not be possible in modern times, since our modern Congress just doesn't do things that fast.
In a stunt of remarkable stupidity and insensitivity, one of the planes used as Air Force One made some low circles over the Statue of Liberty with an F-16 escorting it on Monday - just to provide a photo of the plane juxtaposed with the statue. Governor Corzine said that New Jersey was not notified of the plans and that it was "unacceptable."
Mayor Bloomberg's office was supposedly notified - but the word had not gotten out even to the Mayor, so he was furious about the incident, which caused workers in high-rise buildings to flee them in panic, thinking it was a reprise of September 11.
President Obama had nothing to do with the incident and was reportedly "furious" also.
But it isn't even a matter of notification - it's more like, "WTF WERE THEY THINKING?" How could anyone think this was a good idea given that New York's memories of 9/11 are like a raw wound that is just barely scabbing over? How could they even consider doing such a thing? I hope someone gets fired over this.
On one hand, this is good news for the Democrats, because if Al Franken finally wins in Minnesota, the Democrats could have a filibuster-proof majority of 60. (Assuming all 60 agree on the issue at hand, of course, which isn't always the case).
On the other hand, it is a sad day for the so-called Grand Old Party. That leaves even fewer moderate Republicans in the party, concentrating it even more into the hands of the far right. If anyone was hoping for less partisan rancor, it just isn't going to happen.
Of course the other big news right now is the swine flu, which may become a pandemic. Fears that it might be as bad as the 1918 pandemic that killed so many people are probably exaggerated. However, any time there is a new strain of flu that the vaccines can't prevent, it is a big concern. If you want to check out how many cases are in your area, here is a link to an interactive map.
President Obama is about to hit his first 100 days in office so be prepared for yet more analysis of "How's he doin'?" (as NY Mayor Ed Koch used to ask people about himself). As the linked article points out, most of the time the first 100 days don't really serve as a real indicator of the mettle of the President in question. Only Roosevelt accomplished a huge amount in his first 100 days - which would probably not be possible in modern times, since our modern Congress just doesn't do things that fast.
In a stunt of remarkable stupidity and insensitivity, one of the planes used as Air Force One made some low circles over the Statue of Liberty with an F-16 escorting it on Monday - just to provide a photo of the plane juxtaposed with the statue. Governor Corzine said that New Jersey was not notified of the plans and that it was "unacceptable."
Mayor Bloomberg's office was supposedly notified - but the word had not gotten out even to the Mayor, so he was furious about the incident, which caused workers in high-rise buildings to flee them in panic, thinking it was a reprise of September 11.
President Obama had nothing to do with the incident and was reportedly "furious" also.
But it isn't even a matter of notification - it's more like, "WTF WERE THEY THINKING?" How could anyone think this was a good idea given that New York's memories of 9/11 are like a raw wound that is just barely scabbing over? How could they even consider doing such a thing? I hope someone gets fired over this.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Another Year, Another Anniversary
Here it is again, September 11. It's been seven years. The memories are starting to fade a little, the world is moving on. Construction is finally starting on the Ground Zero Memorial. This may be the last year that the memorial service will be able to include a descent into the crater that the devastation left there.
This morning I almost forgot the date. Then when I turned on the radio I heard Mayor Bloomberg speaking about September 11, 2001, and I remembered. On my way in to work I heard part of the annual recitation of all of the names of those who were lost on that day. That always affects me, even if I think I'm going to be OK at first.
Seven years is a long time. Babies born to those who died that day have grown into children, children who don't remember the parent or parents that they lost. Teens who were young children when they lost a parent still remember their mother or father, but the memories are growing distant. Wives or husbands may have grieved, moved on and married again. Or not. Parents who lost a child may have started to accept it; but will never forget or be consoled.
Life has continued on for all of us. Even thinking back to where I was on that blue September morning, so much has changed in my own life. Since then, my father died, I lost three friends to cancer, my mother and aunt moved out of their homes into apartments, friends of mine have married, my mother-in-law entered a nursing home, I completed a certificate course in historic preservation, my job has changed in several important ways, my husband stopped working in New York and changed his career path as well. All of you can think back on your last seven years and see how far you've come down the road since that morning.
But once a year, on September 11, we all return to that day together. We all think back on what we were doing, how we heard about it, what we remember.
Suddenly it is all there; the panic, the fear, the foreboding. What if there are more of them? Will there be another attack? How many planes are actually missing? Do I know anyone who might have been there? What about my neighbor? Doesn't he work in the Towers?
The sudden shock when the Towers collapsed. The screams of the people in the videos shown, over and over, of the planes hitting the buidings.
The endless smoke from the ruin over the next months, with that image of the remaining pieces of the structure jutting into the smoke-filled sky, shown over and over on television while the news covered the massive cleanup.
The made-for-TV specials, the documentaries, the conspiracy theories then followed.
But in the end, it seemed that a bunch of low-tech terrorists just got lucky with a plan that included box cutters and exploding jets; they took advantage of our trust and our free society, and were able to inflict a terrible wound.
Could it happen again? Yes, of course. Nothing we have done in the past seven years would prevent another attack like this. Whatever precautions are taken now only prevent the same thing from happening again. Not something different.
Here is an example: Only three ounces of any one liquid are allowed on a plane. But there are plenty of ways to bring separate ingredients aboard that can then be combined into an explosive and detonated once aboard. See this Washington Post article for more details.
For the past seven years our government has wasted effort, time and treasure - not to mention uncounted thousands of lives - attacking Iraq, which had nothing to do with the September 11, 2001 horror. This debacle has actually made us less safe by strengthening Iran and provoking more people around the world into hating the U.S.
While we can never feel completely safe again, there are other ways we could be trying to track down terrorists who may attack us again. Going to war in a conventional manner is not one of them.
Today both Barack Obama and John McCain will go together to Ground Zero to pay their respects to the dead. Since they are putting aside politics for this day, so will I.
But tomorrow is another day.
This morning I almost forgot the date. Then when I turned on the radio I heard Mayor Bloomberg speaking about September 11, 2001, and I remembered. On my way in to work I heard part of the annual recitation of all of the names of those who were lost on that day. That always affects me, even if I think I'm going to be OK at first.
Seven years is a long time. Babies born to those who died that day have grown into children, children who don't remember the parent or parents that they lost. Teens who were young children when they lost a parent still remember their mother or father, but the memories are growing distant. Wives or husbands may have grieved, moved on and married again. Or not. Parents who lost a child may have started to accept it; but will never forget or be consoled.
Life has continued on for all of us. Even thinking back to where I was on that blue September morning, so much has changed in my own life. Since then, my father died, I lost three friends to cancer, my mother and aunt moved out of their homes into apartments, friends of mine have married, my mother-in-law entered a nursing home, I completed a certificate course in historic preservation, my job has changed in several important ways, my husband stopped working in New York and changed his career path as well. All of you can think back on your last seven years and see how far you've come down the road since that morning.
But once a year, on September 11, we all return to that day together. We all think back on what we were doing, how we heard about it, what we remember.
Suddenly it is all there; the panic, the fear, the foreboding. What if there are more of them? Will there be another attack? How many planes are actually missing? Do I know anyone who might have been there? What about my neighbor? Doesn't he work in the Towers?
The sudden shock when the Towers collapsed. The screams of the people in the videos shown, over and over, of the planes hitting the buidings.
The endless smoke from the ruin over the next months, with that image of the remaining pieces of the structure jutting into the smoke-filled sky, shown over and over on television while the news covered the massive cleanup.
The made-for-TV specials, the documentaries, the conspiracy theories then followed.But in the end, it seemed that a bunch of low-tech terrorists just got lucky with a plan that included box cutters and exploding jets; they took advantage of our trust and our free society, and were able to inflict a terrible wound.
Could it happen again? Yes, of course. Nothing we have done in the past seven years would prevent another attack like this. Whatever precautions are taken now only prevent the same thing from happening again. Not something different.
Here is an example: Only three ounces of any one liquid are allowed on a plane. But there are plenty of ways to bring separate ingredients aboard that can then be combined into an explosive and detonated once aboard. See this Washington Post article for more details.
For the past seven years our government has wasted effort, time and treasure - not to mention uncounted thousands of lives - attacking Iraq, which had nothing to do with the September 11, 2001 horror. This debacle has actually made us less safe by strengthening Iran and provoking more people around the world into hating the U.S.
While we can never feel completely safe again, there are other ways we could be trying to track down terrorists who may attack us again. Going to war in a conventional manner is not one of them.
Today both Barack Obama and John McCain will go together to Ground Zero to pay their respects to the dead. Since they are putting aside politics for this day, so will I.
But tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
September 11
The date continues to haunt us. It's been six years. Yet when I hear the names being read on the radio, the recordings of the commentary from that day, I'm there again. It's as if no time has passed. I don't even need to see the replays on television; the views of the explosions and burning towers are imprinted permanently on my brain.
At least today wasn't a beautiful, crystal clear September day with a heartbreakingly beautiful blue sky. Clouds and rain are almost welcome today; instead of being depressing, as rainy days usually are, it's a relief. At least the day isn't a carbon copy of that day.
So...I picked a heck of a day for a blogoversary, didn't I? Yes, that's right - my first post was on September 11 of 2006. I didn't even know what a blogoversary was, or that they are celebrated in the Blogosphere.
I chose September 11 to post my very first blog entry because I had written a description of where I was on September 11 as a comment on our local town blog, Baristanet. so I decided to use that as my first post on my blog. (I had recently found out about blogging from my neighbor, and was curious to see what it was all about. So I randomly set up a blog, named it and posted my description of what happened on September 11, 2001).
The next day, I had to think of something else to say, and found it hard. But as time went on, I started to understand what worked and what didn't, and, to my excitement, I had my first comments. I installed Sitemeter and started looking to see how people got here. It's been fascinating to be connected in even a small way to people all over the world. It's been a long year already, and I've so enjoyed getting to know fellow bloggers and have been discovering so many excellent blogs.
Now it has been one year, and given the date, I will just commemorate it by reposting my first post, below:
Monday, September 11, 2006
It doesn't seem like five years ago.
I was at an early morning meeting in my company's other office in Tarrytown, New York listening to presentations by vendors. The first meeting had just ended and another vendor was setting up when the first group came back and said they didn't want to be the bearer of bad tidings, but that a plane had struck one of the World Trade Center towers. We all got up and went into a central area where people were watching the television. My first thought was "what a terrible mistake the air traffic controller must have made." But when the second plane hit we knew something was terribly wrong.
We tried to continue with the second presentation (this being corporate America) but shortly into it someone came in and said "They're gone. Both towers are gone." We didn't understand how that could be but then we all went to watch the TV and saw that it was true. No further presentations took place and we all just watched as the coverage continued.My husband worked in the city at that time, not far from lower Manhattan, but I couldn't reach him by cell phone because by then the cell phone circuits were all overwhelmed. I checked my voicemail at work, and found to my relief that he had left me a message that he was OK.
By noon those of us from New Jersey decided to head back home. I was nervous going over the Tappan Zee bridge - looking above me for any planes coming out of the sky. I'll never forget how beautiful the weather was that day - to this day any time there is a crystal clear blue sky and a certain feel to the air, I think of 9/11. I'll never view a day like that again without a sense of foreboding. Today, appropriately, was much like that day.
My husband was one of the lucky ones - he got out of Manhattan by about 3 p.m. and was able to let me know that he'd be taking a train from Penn Station to South Orange. I went to pick him up and on the way back had my only view of the towers burning - from a bridge with a view of Manhattan. My husband, however, had seen the second plane hit, people falling from the towers, and saw the towers collapse. It was from a distance but seeing something live is very different from seeing it on television. He wasn't himself for a long time.
The days after that are a blur - all I remember is it being very very quiet as no planes flew over except for the occasional fighter jet; the sky continued to be that almost supernaturally clear blue. We read account after account of people's experiences in the newspapers, unable to stop reading about it.
It feels odd to be working on this day, and going about our usual business. But today is also the anniversary of a friend of mine; children's birthdays are being celebrated; and meetings are taking place that had to be scheduled because it was the only time people were available.
I suppose people felt like this on December 7th for a very long time but now we don't think about it that much anymore. I guess eventually that will happen for September 11. But not to anyone who lost someone or remembers it personally.
At least today wasn't a beautiful, crystal clear September day with a heartbreakingly beautiful blue sky. Clouds and rain are almost welcome today; instead of being depressing, as rainy days usually are, it's a relief. At least the day isn't a carbon copy of that day.
So...I picked a heck of a day for a blogoversary, didn't I? Yes, that's right - my first post was on September 11 of 2006. I didn't even know what a blogoversary was, or that they are celebrated in the Blogosphere.
I chose September 11 to post my very first blog entry because I had written a description of where I was on September 11 as a comment on our local town blog, Baristanet. so I decided to use that as my first post on my blog. (I had recently found out about blogging from my neighbor, and was curious to see what it was all about. So I randomly set up a blog, named it and posted my description of what happened on September 11, 2001).
The next day, I had to think of something else to say, and found it hard. But as time went on, I started to understand what worked and what didn't, and, to my excitement, I had my first comments. I installed Sitemeter and started looking to see how people got here. It's been fascinating to be connected in even a small way to people all over the world. It's been a long year already, and I've so enjoyed getting to know fellow bloggers and have been discovering so many excellent blogs.
Now it has been one year, and given the date, I will just commemorate it by reposting my first post, below:
Monday, September 11, 2006
It doesn't seem like five years ago.
I was at an early morning meeting in my company's other office in Tarrytown, New York listening to presentations by vendors. The first meeting had just ended and another vendor was setting up when the first group came back and said they didn't want to be the bearer of bad tidings, but that a plane had struck one of the World Trade Center towers. We all got up and went into a central area where people were watching the television. My first thought was "what a terrible mistake the air traffic controller must have made." But when the second plane hit we knew something was terribly wrong.
We tried to continue with the second presentation (this being corporate America) but shortly into it someone came in and said "They're gone. Both towers are gone." We didn't understand how that could be but then we all went to watch the TV and saw that it was true. No further presentations took place and we all just watched as the coverage continued.My husband worked in the city at that time, not far from lower Manhattan, but I couldn't reach him by cell phone because by then the cell phone circuits were all overwhelmed. I checked my voicemail at work, and found to my relief that he had left me a message that he was OK.
By noon those of us from New Jersey decided to head back home. I was nervous going over the Tappan Zee bridge - looking above me for any planes coming out of the sky. I'll never forget how beautiful the weather was that day - to this day any time there is a crystal clear blue sky and a certain feel to the air, I think of 9/11. I'll never view a day like that again without a sense of foreboding. Today, appropriately, was much like that day.
My husband was one of the lucky ones - he got out of Manhattan by about 3 p.m. and was able to let me know that he'd be taking a train from Penn Station to South Orange. I went to pick him up and on the way back had my only view of the towers burning - from a bridge with a view of Manhattan. My husband, however, had seen the second plane hit, people falling from the towers, and saw the towers collapse. It was from a distance but seeing something live is very different from seeing it on television. He wasn't himself for a long time.
The days after that are a blur - all I remember is it being very very quiet as no planes flew over except for the occasional fighter jet; the sky continued to be that almost supernaturally clear blue. We read account after account of people's experiences in the newspapers, unable to stop reading about it.
It feels odd to be working on this day, and going about our usual business. But today is also the anniversary of a friend of mine; children's birthdays are being celebrated; and meetings are taking place that had to be scheduled because it was the only time people were available.
I suppose people felt like this on December 7th for a very long time but now we don't think about it that much anymore. I guess eventually that will happen for September 11. But not to anyone who lost someone or remembers it personally.
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