Anniversary

"In a Sentimental Mood," Duke Ellington and John Coltrane

mp3

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Here's the thing: Ultimately, we all have to choose.

No, America is not perfect. Certainly, our government and the men who run it are not perfect. There are instances in which a direct line can be drawn from failed American governmental policies to attacks on Americans worldwide.

After the 9/11 attacks, there was so much anger. Clearly we were at war, but with whom? We wanted to lash out, to bomb the ass out of someone, but who? Five years later, we at least have an answer. Al-Qaeda's mission is to formulate a worldwide army of radical Muslims who consider it a religious duty -- a privilege -- to kill Americans. Our enemies are all around us.

Being an American is akin to being part of a family: There are parts of it you wish you could hide away so no one will ever see them. It can by turns embarrass you, disgust you, and fill you with joy. Most of the time you're not even aware of its unseen presence in your day-to-day life -- it's just part of you, carried silently in your mind and heart.

But ultimately, in your mind and heart, you have to choose it. You have to make the choice to be an American, the way you have to choose to unconditionally love your family members. We are bonded by birth or by citizenship, but there is a conscious choice to be made, to never turn our backs on a loved one. Otherwise, your family members are just folks who kind of look like you. Otherwise, your fellow Americans are just people who live in the same country as you.

Comments

[Mark]

I'm not sure exactly what you are going for here. What is "being an American"? Not questioning your government?

I'm not trying to start trouble, but I don't quite get what's being said here. I'm not sure I completely agree with the "one big family" analogy, but I try not to allow my family members to walk all over me, take advantage of me, or take me for a fool, and I'm certainly not going to keep quiet while my government does the same.

[MamaQ]

Mark, you ought to know me well enough by now to understand that urging anyone to NOT question the government is literally the exact opposite of what I mean.

By "being an American," I mean nothing political, and I don't mean blind acceptance of the evils along with the good. I mean identifying yourself as an American IN SPITE OF those things. Perhaps because of those things.

By "being American" I mean understanding that we question our government in order to improve it, to make it a better version of itself, not to destroy it. By "being American" I mean allowing yourself to feel the shame of our freedom's failings, as much as the joy of its successes.

I mean that if the moment comes that the knife is at your throat, are you willing to identify yourself as "an American" or not?
I'd say that was an overdramatic hypothetical, but I've seen Nick Berg's head being chopped off one too many times. It's not hypothetical.

That's what I'm saying.

[Mark]

I apologize for ever doubting you.

After all the crap that has happened since 9-11, I'm finding it hard not to decode what all these "never forgets" I keep seeing today mean. Of course I'll never forget, but what does "never forget,” mean? If I'm being asked to never forget that a lot of innocent people died 5 years ago, than fine, I'm with you on that. If I'm being asked to never forget so that we can continue justifying blind hatred, foolish actions, and fearmongering, than count me out.

Now that it's been explained to my dense brain, I very much like your message. I can get pretty angry at times, and I'm not always proud to say it, but, yes, I am an American.

[Mark]

That should say that "I'm finding it hard to decode," not "I'm finding it hard not to decode." Like I said, dense brain.

[Mike]

I would argue that we've known about al-Qaeda's violent mission for most of the last five years. The problem is that neither diplomatic negotiation nor political correctness will defeat radical Islam. I would never condone blind hatred toward all Muslims, but we can "never forget" who we're up against, either.

For example, if random airport screening is such an effective policy, then how did I, a third-generation American of mostly Irish descent, wind up on a TSA watch list?

[Wook]

I'm trying to take a lighter approach to today's anniversary. For instance, I've spent the last hour googling "what the hell ever happened to Ashleigh Banfield?" with no firm answers to be had.

[MamaQ]

Mike, your name probably turned up on the TSA list the same way my husband's did: Because it sounds Irish, and the IRA is identified as a terrorist group. So there's probably some 85-year-old Sinn Fein dude with your name.

[The Splitter]

Nice post, Mama. Never throw the baby out with the bathwater. (Unless the baby is the Notre Dame football program. Then feel free to launch that baby.)

[Mike]

That was my guess, too, MamaQ. But the scarlet letter on my record would make much more sense if the 9/11 hijackers were pale Irish guys like me. And I don't remember the IRA taking down American planes, either.

Then again, air travel wasn't exactly easy or convenient on Sept. 10, 2001, either.