For the record, I don't know anyone involved either bit I still feel sympathy!

quite honestly surely it is because it is the tenth anniversary of 9/11 that there has been a lot on the MEDIA.

I doubt that there will be much more until another anniversary.

Its not obsessive to be reminded once in ten years. Also-- those who do not want to watch or be reminded-- do not have to watch-- do they?

I get fed up with too much celebrity mania--------- One can always use the OFF switch after all.

I hate all the publicity of what is happening in IRAQ, LIBYA, Afghanistan etc.

So I do not watch. I was anti us getting involved in these countries-- joined the March before Britain joined in with BUSH-- Blair like a sycophant hanging on to Bush's coat,. we were told there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. We should not have invaded Iraq at that time.

I hate the way we get involved with other countries as we do.

I hate the way we join with UN attacking Libya. Its criminal how so many civilians get killed or injured.

why do we get involved so much?

shame it is so annoying Dragon-- my heart bleeds for you NOT!

It isn't quite that simple though . . . I mean if you log onto yahoo search it's on their homepage, if you walk past a newstand in town it'll be on the front page, if you go into a bar it'll be on the news in the corner . . . it's easy-ish to avoid it at home, but unless one lives in a shell it's hard to avoid it forever. The only way to avoid it is to avoid radio, web, television, conversation, newspapers . . . at the risk of sounding sarcastic one would literally have to be living like a monk to not hear it. There isn't much choice in the matter.

It's not just the annerversary either . . . remember the movies that came out? Then the books, then the documentaries, then the conspiracy theories that plague second-rate cable channels twenty-four seven . . . then the upped security, then the leaflets and questions and terrorist attacks that followed . . . it's always there intruding on our lives.

To me that's obssessive.

It's also detremental. If people are plagued by things to such an extent they'll lose the ability to sympathise as it becomes a nuissance, and they'll become desentised to the violence so that the next time something happens it's a 'so what', no different to someone watching that many horror films that the gore is no longer shocking. These things are tragedies, but there's also the fact that if we keep reliving them we do nothing but live in fear and demoralise ourselves. Can we really - as a society - live and prosper if we live in fear of the next attack, or constantly mourn those we lost? We need to look forward sometimes, not forever backward.

Your last few points are interesting, but I fear by responding to questions about involvements in other nations I might be going off-topic somewhat, plus I'm not really sure what to say in response . . . hopefully other members can respond though, I'll be interested in what they have to say.

Well that's great... but does that means we deserve being pissed of at because we're moving on?

I'm not saying we don't feel sympathy. I think what we mean is that we just don't make a huge deal out of it like we did when it recently happened. It was 10 years ago, and to many people (especially people not in the US) it's just like an old wound. It's still there, but it's no longer bleeding... if that makes sense ^^;

Look people, Americans celebrate losses as much as victories. Alamo, Little Big Horn, Pearl Harbor, BunkerHill. We memorialize everything, this whole country is dedicated to War, we are a modern day Sparta.

Arlington Cemetary explains the USA.

Came into this late, but here's a bit of my peanut wisdom:

In Japan, there's a huge gathering for peace every year on August 6th at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the anniversary of the bombing. Bad thing? I don't think so. So why not have a day of remembrance for 9/11?

Seriously, whenever I watch a movie filmed in NYC pre-aughts it's always a little shocking to see those towers still sanding there, only to be reminded of them falling down.

However, with the anniversary of 9/11 comes a slew of anti-muslim propaganda and protesters, and that is something I don't like about the anniversary.

I don't understand how anyone could argue against a moment of silence and remembering on 9/11. Should we not be reminded of the days the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? She we not be reminded of Pearl Harbor, V-E Day, or any other number of significant events in modern history?

It amazes me that most if not all of you are old enough to remember 9/11, but think that looking back and remembering is somehow not "moving on".


Is this exclusive to Americans? I don't think so.

In my opinion, no we should not. It isn't important or anything to commemorate it. If anything it comforts people. But that's all.
Everybody is free to do what he wants, as always. But for me, feeling that negative energy once is more than enough. I don't need all those events pushed down my throat every year to remember what happend.

But it's not pushed down your throat every year. You choose whether or not to participate or watch programs about it. And if it comforts some people I really don't see that as a problem. The only issue I have with some of these rememberance events is that they can be hijacked a little by nationalists and other extremists. But on the whole I see nothing wrong with remembering those who have lost their lives in events that have had major impacts on a nation. I would be suprised for instance if Japan doesn't have some memorial events on the anniversary of the earthquake.