[caption id="attachment_13621" align="alignleft" width="300"] Leeward Oahu, where many local residents live who remember both 9/11 and 12/16.[/caption]
Carol Forsloff---It was 4 a.m. on September 11, 2001 when people were awakened by friends on the mainland and told about the bombing of the World Trade Towers, a reminder of a December 7, 1941 event, both days "that will live in infamy", as the latter was described by President Roosevelt.
Hawaii is the land mass most distant from any other in the world. So in many ways it is isolated from what goes on in those other places; but the attack on Pearl Harbor was a wake-up call to the US mainland and the local people of Hawaii that the future of the islands remains one intimately linked with that mainland.
The fear that came from those reminiscing earlier times was shown in the faces of the people of Hawaii, as this journalist observed the shops closed and people clustered around television sets in public places and in homes.
No planes flew in or out, as people wondered when they would fly again and if they would be safe to fly at all. This journalist was scheduled to attend a class in California the following day, boldly assuming all would be well despite what had happened on the East Coast. But the realization that indeed the planes had grounded and might not be flying for some time brought a sense of worry, and no little alarm, for being in a place so isolated that no one knew what other problems might otherwise arise.
The military bases were closed where the company I managed had offices and work counseling returning veterans. MP's stood at the gates and turned around the cars lined up to enter the base, then told the passengers no one knew when they would be allowed back in as the nation was on high alert at the prospect of more terrorist attacks and the need for readiness of the troops.
The beaches were empty. The tourists remaining, unable to return home because of the closing of the airport, huddled in hotels, wondering how long they would have to stay in the islands. Some hotels graciously provided a few extras to make the wait more pleasant than it otherwise might have been. And islanders worried about the loss of business and the potential loss of goods transported from the mainland, often basic necessities not available in sufficient quantities to sustain a place so far away from the mainland source.
It was a reminder to people of Hawaii of that other time when no one knew what might happen next. For some it meant a wider war would come, as that prediction came to pass, although in wars fought far away without the international involvement as had happened during World War II. It also reminded everyone that even those who seem to be protected in some isolated fashion can feel the impact of terrorism unexpectedly, as 9/11 and December 16, two days that live in infamy in Hawaii.
Carol Forsloff — "I'm here to tell you, 1776 will commence again if you try to take our firearms! Doesn't matter how many lemmings you get out there on the street, begging for 'em to have their guns taken. We will not relinquish them. Do you understand?! That's why you're going to fail, and the establishment knows, no matter how much propaganda, the republic will rise again!" The rant reveals the pent-up fury of gun owners that often comes from the mere mention of gun control.
Alex Jones, the controversial radio host, who said the United States government was involved in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Towers, offered a heated argument about guns and the fact he is against any form of gun control. His tirade with Piers Morgan revealed a deep anger that often develops in his programs and his arguments. On the Piers Morgan show, however, Jones continued his barrage of verbal attacks on any institution or individual in favor of gun control.
But the anger generated toward Morgan and gun control appears only to be a reflection of Jones' rage against government rules or regulations, even the request to remove his shoes at the airport during screening, as is required by the TSA. He was detained by TSA security officials for his removal to remove his shoes. His publication claims, however, that Jones refused because he had allegedly got athlete's foot from the process a few years ago.
While the National Rifle Association, politicians, and ordinary citizens debate the matter of gun control, many people argue that mental health issues need to be addressed as part of the problem with guns. On the other hand, anger and arguments that become out of control often create an atmosphere where some of those who own guns turn to violence.
Andy and Kate Grosmaires are parents of a daughter who was killed by her boyfriend, Conor McBride, who had admitted to police that he had shot Ann Grosmaire on March 28, 2010, following a two-day argument with her. The Grosmaires met with Conor to forgive him, a process they told viewers on the Today Show on January 7, 2013, allowed them to work through their own grief. Both the Grosmaires and the McBrides joined Savannah Guthrie in a discussion of restorative justice, a process that allows victims of violence to come to terms with their emotions. The Grosmaires also explained that they felt Conor would not be an ongoing threat and that the incident had been an aberration of his personality. It is one of those incidents, however, that illustrates how guns are used during violent quarrels when the anger becomes overwhelming.
Not every angry person would turn to using a gun to resolve a dispute, as experts underline; however, the availability of guns and without restrictions, can lead to these incidents, in groups or with individuals. Alex Jones' anger is mirrored by gun owners, most of whom would not use weapons to make a point, but as conspiracy theories continue to develop around gun control and the government, the toxicity of the atmosphere can generate conditions where even the mentally healthy can do things they might not otherwise in the heat of anger. Then there are the adolescents, some of whom use guns to settle "scores" in gang violence. But there are also those ordinary teens who, in a flash of anger like Conor's example, can turn to that available gun.
It is not just the mentally ill, therefore, who kill but people who lose control and judgment during stressful situations, which is a good justification for the examination of gun laws. People can kill with their bare hands, with knives and with other weapons, but the availability of the gun presents the victim with far less time for defense. That's why the gun creates the greatest widespread threat to the safety of the community. Experts tell us that verbal violence, sarcasm, blaming and name-calling are often the behavioral characteristics that can be predictive of people who can become problems for themselves or others. The anonymity of the Internet fosters these behaviors, which experts remind us can create a toxic environment where anger can be acted out in other social situations.
Anger and conspiracy theories help to fuel the potential for violence.
[caption id="attachment_9023" align="alignleft" width="283" caption="North Tower and 6 World Trade Center from WTC Plaza"][/caption]
Carol Forsloff---That night I had the strangest dream. I wish I had that dream again as solace on this day. For in my dream I saw America unspoiled and radiant, its Towers straight and tall and standing firm as citadels. I saw us still united in our wish to be the best.
In my dream those Towers loomed over a skyline in a city filled with hope. I heard the sounds of busy people going on about their day. The sun was shining as the children found their way to school, and the stores were filled with crowds of shoppers and people on their way to work, feeling fine and filled with hope, just like most every day in that town that never sleeps.
A policeman on the corner smiled. The sky was clear that day. A bird flew overhead and just behind it as if in magic mimicry a silver slip of light from planes slipped silently across the blue horizon, as they had so many times before.
Wall Street lords and lassies in their suits came dashing by to grab that morning coffee before going on to work.
I heard the chatter of the busy and the songs of those in love. I felt the clear, soft wind across my face and smelled the air so fresh and pure. And I felt proud to live in freedom and in a world at peace.
The dream was interrupted in the way it surely was for you, with memories of screaming planes that beat the skies to ashes from the falling citadels and cries from stricken crowds of folks in fear and pain. The dream was interrupted by the anger and the hate.
But dreams are not just shadows passing but the echoes of our hope that we can gather once again to build our world anew. For we can build on dreams again with me, that dream and you.
Jane Fazackarley - I find it difficult to believe it has been ten years since the terrorist attacks of 9/11. It is one of those events that has never left the news, nor should it.
It was approximately 8:46 AM US time when the news first broke. I remember the moment well. I was working for the Press Association at the time and one of my roles was to type up the news as it came in.
I remember it was a beautiful day so I thought I’d record the afternoon session and type it up later since there was rarely much demand for the afternoon transcriptions as usually they could wait until later unless we were expecting a big news story.
While working freelance for the Press Association, I soon realized the biggest news stories were the ones we didn't expect; and no one in the media had seen 9/11 coming.
I was just on my way out of the door when I first heard the news of the first plane hitting the first tower. I paused for a moment, looking over my shoulder, thinking I ought to cover it because it was obviously an important story although I had no idea at the time just how big the story would become.
When I first heard the news I thought it must have been a freak accident. I typed up the information I had then decided to wait a while in case there was any more news. It must have been 10 minutes later when news of a second plane hitting the second tower came in. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing at first so I put the radio on to see if it was being confirmed. I switched it on just in time to hear the presenter announcing that it was a terrorist attack.
Some of the earliest reports that I had stated that six were dead and that fifty plus were injured so that is what I typed up. Stories like these are fast moving and the information is correct at the moment. Those figures were soon revised upwards, the final death toll was announced at nearly 3000 and countless more injured.
The TV coverage was some of the most striking I’ve ever seen. It’s one of those times when you look at the screen and can’t believe what you’re seeing. You know it’s bad when you see grown men standing in the streets in tears, knowing what they’ve just witnessed yet unable to comprehend it.
The faces that filled the TV screen that day had a mix of disbelief, fear and shock on them. The footage of people covered in dust and fleeing for their lives is something I hope no one has to witness again.
Of the many unbelievable images from 9/11 the one that will always stay with me is the couple holding hands as they jumped from one of the burning towers. I have a newspaper from the next day with the image on the front of it. I can’t look at the picture without wondering what they were thinking as they jumped to their deaths.
My Mum came in part way into the news being reported. I had the TV switched on by then; this was a breaking story that I had to see in order to be able to believe it. My Mum hadn't heard about the attack at the time, so she asked me what the film was all about. I explained to her this wasn't a film; this was the news.
Nationally, airports were shut down and pretty much everywhere in the UK was on high alert. People had watched as America, one of the most powerful nations in the world, had come under attack and that left people thinking that just about anywhere could be next. Locally, the government spy base GCHQ was put on alert. The spy base monitor terrorist chatter and it was feared that the building could become a target. Thankfully, the day finished without incident but it really hits home when it’s that close to you, it stops becoming something you see unfolding in front of you on the TV and you start thinking how it could affect people you know.
Many groups claimed responsibility for the attack, and quite why anyone would want to claim responsibility for that amount of carnage is beyond me. It was soon to become apparent that this was an attack carried out by Al- Qaeda, the terrorist group which was headed up by Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden was already the FBI’s most wanted man after an earlier attack on the U.S Embassy in East Africa. Bin Laden was killed in an operation which was carried out by the Navy Seals earlier in 2011 bringing closure for some but not for many others.
As America -and the rest of the world- began to try and comprehend what happening in New York news came in of an attack on the Pentagon. A plane which had been hijacked by terrorists had crashed into the building leaving 125 dead and many injured.
Then news began to break that flight United Airlines Flight 93 was missing. It isn’t known for sure where the plane was headed although there was speculation at the time that its planned target was the White House or then President George W. Bush. Some now think it’s likely that the fourth hijacked plane was destined for Capitol Hill.
The terrorists were prevented from carrying out the last part of their plan after some of the passengers aboard the flight intervened. With a cry of “Let’s roll”, a group on the plane tackled the terrorists forcing Flight 93 to crash near to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and killing everyone on board. The heroic actions of the passengers doubtless saved many lives that day and those men aboard the plane must have known by then that they’d be unable to save their own. Their actions that day were a stark contrast to those of the terrorists who hijacked the plane and they are a reminder that while there is plenty of evil in this world there is still plenty of good.
On 9/11, thousands of people were each going about their business and each of them fully expected to return home afterwards. 9/11 should be a reminder to all of us that life is fragile, fleeting and far too short.
By the time the day had come to an end the Manhattan Skyline, New York, America and perhaps the world and the way we see it had been changed forever. The dust from 9/11 is still to settle in many ways.
I remember seeing footage from 9/11 minutes before the disaster began to unfold. Just moments before it was a beautiful day and there was a perfect clear blue sky which was soon to become obscured by the thick grey smoke that was billowing from the burning towers and I thought at the time, maybe it’s a good thing that we can’t see what is going to happen next.
Carol Forsloff - In eighteen days the nation will honor the victims of 9/11 and recall those terrible events, as across the country memorials big and small will be happening as a reminder of those days, including a campaign of awareness on post traumatic stress disorder in the wake of the wars that followed the World Trade Center bombings.
This tenth anniversary is bringing an awareness through a Country Music presentation from Artist Mark Willis with his Crazy Being Home campaign. The campaign is dedicated to raising awareness and support for our servicemen and women with PTSD. The show will air on Thursday, September 8th at 7 pm EST on Seaview radio 95.5AM/106FM and streams www.healmyptsd.com/your-life-after-trauma. Call in with your questions: 877.960.9960.
Michele Rosenthal, host of 'Your Life After Trauma', tells us, "As a New Yorker 9/11 has enormous resonance for me. This year, I want to pay tribute to the victims of 9/11 and also the survivors and our military who carry on the memory of those whose lives were ended with such courage, bravery, and commitment. There are many who are working to turn tragedy into community spirit. My goal with this show is to highlight the meaning and healing that comes through such efforts."
'Your Life After Trauma' brings weekly support and information to trauma survivors, plus their caregivers and healing professionals on Thursday nights from 7-8pm EST, on Seaview Radio (95.9AM/106.9FM/960AM) in southeast Florida (and streaming live online). The program again focuses on help for people in planning for recovery and how to apply one’s personal strengths to post-trauma recovery.
But while the civilian world acknowledges the impact of PTSD with these special events, the military has yet to come to full realization on how to deal with PTSD of those on active duty or in that period prior to military discharge. Many men face great difficulty getting medical support for a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder because of the machismo culture of the military. The consequence is increased domestic disputes and even suicide.
Salon.com relates the example of a Sergeant X who recorded a psychologist’s difficulties in diagnosing PTSD and the pressure the medical community within the military has had in rejecting the label even for those individuals clearly in need of help. Psychologist Douglas MacNinch was secretly taped during a session where he admitted to the problems he has had giving a diagnosis of PTSD. When appraised he had been taped, MacNinch said, "Unfortunately," McNinch told Sgt. X, "yours has not been the only case ... I and other [doctors] are under a lot of pressure to not diagnose PTSD. It's not fair. I think it's a horrible way to treat soldiers, but unfortunately, you know, now the V.A. is jumping on board, saying, 'Well, these people don't have PTSD,' and stuff like that."
For a number of months the wife of a returning military man has tried to get help for her husband who has been diagnosed with PTSD but nevertheless received an Article 15 and the threat of a demotion following the man’s attempts to get mental illness support and to be properly evaluated so that a reasoned discharge and support for family members could occur. Instead there were threats of reprisal, according to the wife, who prefers to remain anonymous as she and her husband seek help from inside and outside the military. The fear has to do with additional reprisals before the husband’s formal discharge.
The National Institutes for Mental Health has underlined the problem involving mental health disorders following war and the risks involved in combat situations which are unpredictable and where the military has been required to serve several tours in combat zones. The NIMH quotes a 2008 study by the Rand Corporation which found 19 percent of OEF/OIF veterans suffered from brain injury, 14 percent had major depression, and 14 percent met criteria for PTSD.
Carol Forsloff - While some victims’ families long for justice with the severest punishment at times, others approach their grief with forgiveness as a Muslim man has done for a man scheduled to be executed today.
After 9/11 Mark Anthony Stroman, 41, a Dallas stonecutter, became enraged about the terrorism he believed would spread so he shot three people, killing two of them: Vasudev Patel, a Hindu immigrant, and Waqar Hasan, a Pakistani-born Muslim. The third victim, Rais Bhuiyan, a former Bangladesh Air Force pilot, was shot in the face at close range, but survived.
Stroman is to be executed July 20 at 7 pm EST for the shooting deaths, while Bhiuyan has pleaded for the life of the man who is scheduled to die for the hate crime committed after the terrorist bombing incident in New York on 9/11/2011.
A third shooting victim, Rais Bhuiyan, 37, a former Air Force pilot from Bangladesh, survived after Mr. Stroman shot him in the face at close range. Mr. Stroman admitted to the shootings.
Bhuiyan was blinded in his left ey in order to plead the case of the main who shot him. He has also personally met with officials in Texas to prevent the election.
During an interview with the Death Penalty Organization, Bhuiyan discussed his concerns and what happened the day he was shot. He said when Stroman came into the store where Bhuiyan was working as a clerk. Stroman had asked, “Where are you from” before shooting Bhuiyan with a double barrel gun. After describing the pain of the shooting and his fear before being shot, Bhuiyan continued, “Then he left the store. I could not believe he shot me. I thought I was dreaming, going through a hallucination. I didn’t do anything wrong. I was not a threat to him. I couldn’t believe someone would just shoot you like that.” Even then Bhuiyan said he felt himself praying, realizing he was still alive and said, “ I was asking God, asking for forgiveness, saying I would do my best. Reciting verses from the Koran. I said I would dedicate my life to the poor. I felt my eyes were closing and it felt like my brain was shutting down slowly.
Before the execution Bhuiyan implored people to give Stroman a second chance and said he has trouble sleeping knowing that the killer of two other men will die for the crime before being able to make some sort of recompense.
The interviewer followed his telephone meeting with Bhuiyan than called STrroman and asked, “What do you think of Rais Bhuiyan’s efforts to keep you from being executed?”
Mr Stroman answered this: “Yes, Mr Rais Bhuiyan, what an inspiring soul...for him to come forward after what ive done speaks Volume’s...and has really Touched My heart and the heart of Many others World Wide...Especially since for the last 10 years all we have heard about is How Evil the Islamic faith Can be...its proof that all are Not bad nor Evil.”
“Not only do I have all My friends and supporters trying to Save my Life, but now i have The Islamic Community Joining in...Spearheaded by one Very Remarkable man Named Rais Bhuiyan, Who is a Survivor of My Hate. His deep Islamic Beliefs Have gave him the strength to Forgive the Un-forgiveable...that is truly Inspiring to me, and should be an Example for us all.
Rais Bhuiyan has made the following video that is being shown on websites asking for a moratorium of the scheduled execution. In it he relates his story, how he was shot and what happened to him at the time and afterwards, as he pleads for Stroman’s life.
The Dallas News has joined others in asking that Stroman be spared execution. “Retribution, in fact, is one element of the death penalty that the Supreme Court has cited in allowing its use. With the victims of the Stroman spree now dropping the demand for retribution — vengeance, essentially — the state is left alone in seeking it. Moral authority, though, has fallen away.”
At the same time, people continue to ask for some sort of punishment for Casey Anthony, in the wake of the not guilty verdict in the trial where she had been accused of killing her tot, Caylee. Many people hope for some sort of retribution for Caylee's death, and a penalty for the mother despite the jury verdict, blaming the members of the jury and People and looking at how the law can be changed in some way to prevent what they consider an unjust decision.
But those who support the peaceful way of managing feelings about hate and violence have been asked by the Texas Moratorium Network to join Bhuiyan and others in stopping the execution of Stroman by calling Governor Perry at 512 463 2000 or writing the governor using a form on his website. People were also told they could join a Facebook event page for a silent vigil with Bhuiyan.
One of the most famous examples of forgiveness occurred following the killing of six Amish girls by Charles Carl Roberts in a one-room school in Pennsylvania in October 2006. After authorities approached the area after being alerted that Roberts was holding ten girls at the school, intending to rape and potentially kill them, Roberts asked the girls to pray with him. They did, and yet were still shot dead before Roberts shot himself with the same gun he used on the children.
The Amish community responded with public forgiveness, to the extent that they attended Roberts’ funeral and allowed the wife of the man who had killed their children to attend the funerals of some of the girls. Among many of the reports of Amish forgiving response was this statement by one of them, "Even though there has been this terrible thing [that has] happened, [we] don't need to think about judgment, [we] need to think about forgiveness and going on."
The Friends Journal points out how some of the media wondered in print and on television, in shock and amazement as many were at the level of forgiveness of the Amish, whether in fact replicating that in the rest of society might be foolhardy. Others said it offered a unique opportunity for people to examine their hearts and consciences and see if there might be a better way than to seek death for death as retribution.
The Journal quotes the essay by Joan Chittister about applying that same forgiveness after 9/ll and perhaps it might be appropriate in the light of a pending execution to look at the level of forgiveness of Bhuiyan and the Amish in the way we manage our feelings and behaviors following such terrible crimes as child murders and 9/11. As Chittister has said, deep down we have a chance to do the same.
Yet even as the Amish asked forgiveness and Bhuiyan pleaded for clemency from Governor Perry, Stroman was put to death at 9:53 pm, ET, according to a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Samantha Torrence--It almost feels like the day after 9/11 when America huddled together for comfort, and for just one small week we were one nation. We were not liberals and conservatives, or Republicans or Democrats, we were just Americans. That time has happened again, to help us all remember that.
It has been a harrowing ride from then until now. Our nation has seen bitterness and hatred as we have become polarized. Our relationship as a nation has been strained because of the economy, and we all know that money problems are the number one cause of fighting and divorce. Hopefully the death of Osama Bin Laden has brought us back from that brink.
In 2001 we had a President that was not well liked, but after our shock and horror at being attacked and his speech to comfort us his approval ratings shot through the roof. Now nearly ten years later we have another President who has given us another speech to inspire our patriotism. If liberals and Democrats could put aside their misgivings for President Bush then I do not think it is a stretch for Republicans and Conservatives to do the same for President Obama.
I am grateful that President Obama delivered to us the finality to our mourning and the justice we have been craving. The good he did for our country by allowing these operations to happen can hopefully help us clean this wound of the salt festering in it and begin to allow healing. Am I naïve to think this is all we will need to come together as a nation? No.
As a Conservative I still do not support many of the initiatives that President Obama, his administration, and his party are presenting or enacting. And despite the enormity of respect I have for what he has done I still have my principles. And I think that President Obama can respect that.
So while I thank President Obama with all of my heart for bringing finality and close the cycle that had begun on 9/11 there are still some things that I plan on voicing opposition to. I plan on continuing my opposition to the healthcare bill as I see it as being far too punitive on the average citizen, and not proactive enough in really providing healthcare of fixing our healthcare system. I do not plan to support raising the debt ceiling, gas taxes, and estate taxes. I am still against bail outs for any big companies especially the banks. I will continue to demand that he get tough on the out of control spending in America. I certainly plan on asking him to reign in his green initiatives till we are stable enough to proceed.
But today, I will put aside my differences and focus on the one thing he and I can agree on. I will be happy that we have seen the last of this mad man who has brought so much pain and hurt to the world, and this action happened on the watch of President Barack Obama.
While the nation waited anxiously, President Barack Obama was reported to be preparing his historical announcement that Osama bin Laden was killed in Islamabad and that the body is in the hands of America, bringing to a close a dark chapter in history that was hammered into the memories of the world on September 11, 2001.
[caption id="attachment_4010" align="alignleft" width="237" caption="FBI poster of Osama bin Laden"][/caption]
Osama bin Laden had orchestrated the bombing of the World Trade Towers that killed 3,000 people in Washington DC, a field in Pennsylvania and the Towers in New York City. Then President Bush vowed to capture bin Laden "dead or alive." On President Obama's watch, bin Laden was killed, as the particulars of what happened began to filter in from media sources in the Middle East and the United States.
Tonight hundreds of people have gathered on the White House lawn singing patriotic songs in celebration of the announcement of bin Laden's death. In the meantime, CNN reported that there is heightened security in anticipation of the possibility of retaliation by members of Al Qaida.
President Obama, media sources close to the White House said, had been busy most of the day, interacting with top administration officials. The press was notified to be ready for the announcement originally scheduled for 10:30 p.m. Sunday, EST. The announcement was made one hour later.
In his remarks Obama thanked President al Zadari and Pakistan for assistance in the US locating and killing bin Laden.
The announcement comes after whispers fanned by right wing conspiracy theorists that Obama was in league with foreign sources and because his father was Muslim that he would be soft on terrorism. It is, however, during Obama Presidency that the historic announcement was made Sunday night that the body of bin Laden is in US hands and that the terrorist sought for ten years is dead.
Carol Forsloff -It was a different time, but a time that keeps going, those days when people worried about what might happen next, as Dylan's anthem described a turbulent period, just as music has done during events like war and targeted attacks.
"The Times They Are A-Changin' "shared a message, through words and music assembled in Bob Dylan's presentation of America in protest and war. It was used as a theme for "The Watchmen" trailer and is sometimes played during overviews of protest in America. But the message is forgotten at the same time, because it is a summary of something that is within man's history, endogenous within it, of a condition that never seems to end.
It was the 1960's. Dylan was the folk song hero of masses of young people, with his dark scowl, lanky frame and sombre clothing. Jeans had not yet become fashion for the every folk, so Dylan's attire spoke of defiance of traditions. His image and his song spoke of changing ways, changing attitudes and a brave new world ahead.
The unexpected in the 1960's had come in torrents that kept folks wondering always about tomorrow. Tomorrow would come and bring some other event that would bring media response that the country had been changed in some significant way. But the country kept marching on past the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, integration and the violence that came with it, the assassination of Martin Luther King, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, the Vietnamese War, the Watergate break-in during the Nixon Presidency and the resulting impeachment proceedings and more.
Again, as commentators tell us, the times they are a-changin.' They point to 9/11 as having changed the country. They tell it was a watershed event that brought disbelief, shock and awe, bringing us out of complacency and a simpler time. The song by Dylan faded in the dust and flames of burning buildings as people watched the World Trade Towers bend and break, explode and fall.
Dylan's song speaks of the times they are a changin' but its message remains a narrative of man's condition of change and survival through and past them. It's message is remembered on 9/11, a day of remembrance and reflection.
Carol Forsloff - A sociologist at Iowa State University examines the events of 9/11 as a backdrop for current responses and discussions and tells us this is part of a public media drama that requires our caution.
The media attention on 9/11 encouraged, supported, and maintained consistent stories related to 9/11, so that it conjures up specific images and feelings associated with that date, according to Iowa State University Assistant Professor of Sociology Brian Monahan. Hear the numbers "9/11" and the burning World Trade Towers becomes one of those images, along with people screaming and running or standing in disbelief.
The way the media covered the events of 9/11 transformed the occasion to a public drama that keeps being fed by ongoing events, no matter when they occur. They relate back to the date within the setting of a scripted presentation, because the media provided the situation to develop the continuing drama.
Monahan maintains "9/11" is now a potent political symbol that continues to be used today. It is one of a number of public dramas that has been put together by the media from the events eventually forming its core, to the ongoing events that keeps it ever-present and unfolding.
"The Shock of the News: Media Coverage and the Making of 9/11" (March 2010, New York University Press), which went on sale earlier this year is a book Monahan wrote that details the narrative of 9/11 as assembled by the media.
Monahan looks at the current arguments about Ground Zero, the debates about the proposed mosque near the place where airplane bombs destroyed the World Trade Towers, and how discussions of memorials and what can or cannot be done is part of that media-impacted drama.
"'9/11' has become a kind of symbolic shorthand," said Monahan, who also serves on the faculty of Iowa State's criminal justice program."If someone says '9/11' in relation to matters of domestic policy, social control or foreign affairs, the audience can immediately draw on our shared understanding of 9/11 and we know what they are talking about is serious and demands our attention and concern. This obviously makes 9/11 a valuable resource for elected officials and other public figures who look to gain support for a particular policy or agenda by creating a linkage to 9/11."
Monahan defines a "public drama" is the construction of an event presented in a specific format the media uses to present news of a highly dramatic nature and sustains its emotional impact
According to Monahan's book the media format has special characters, a plot, uniquely described settings, dramatic and story elements. It becomes more a story than a news piece.
."Making a public drama requires more than just grizzly details or human interest," he said. "It's got to be a story with suspense and intrigue and plot developments and characters fully developed.
"The audience has to care about what is being presented; they need to feel an emotional or psychological connection with the plot or the characters," he continued. "So it's not quite just as voyeuristic as simple human interest would imply. It's more immersive."
Monahan examined the media coverage carefully in order to form his conclusions about how 9/11 became a public drama for political uses.
"I'd say the two challenges [in writing the book] were one, making sense of history as it was unfolding; and two, digging in to the most covered event in the media age and finding a representative way to go through that," Monahan said. "And essentially, I turned to previous research on most major events and found that people turn to television first. Eventually, television can only offer so much depth to the coverage -- whether it be for time, narrative or format constraints -- and so people turn to other sources; in this case, print and online news articles."
The objective news story became a morality-based play, capturing events the way a story with the recitation of events in the sort of narrative that holds the reader's interest, has heroes and villains and patriotism as its theme. People lose the facts as they are caught up in the story instead.
"The emphasis on creating an entertaining story with a titillating plot requires an unfortunate trade-off in which a balanced assessment of the policy implications of an issue, or the causes or consequences of an event often gets cast aside in favor of a non-complex narrative that will appeal to the audience," he said. "As a result, the public ends up with an overly simplistic and often skewed understanding of what has happened, why it has happened and what should be done in response."
So what should people do to avoid being sold "tickets" for a drama as opposed to reading objective material that allows for mature thinking and decision-making? Since the media often uses the public drama format, Monahan suggests people know that and become more critical in their consumption of news so that the story doesn't have a life separate from what may be the facts.
Leeward Oahu, where many local residents live who remember both 9/11 and 12/16.[/caption]
