Friday, Aug. 2, 2002 | 3:59 a.m.
MAJOR TELEVISION networks preparing programs to commemorate Sept. 11 should just air tapes of their coverage of the events as they unfolded that day.
We need to remember the horror, the stunned silence, the destruction, the massive loss of life and our feelings of disbelief. In the days and weeks that followed Sept. 11, we were told -- and we felt -- "life will never be the same."
Other than a few inconveniences at airports, though, life is the same. It's business as usual. It's politics as usual.
On Sept. 11, Americans were jolted out of our complacency. As we head into the first anniversary of Sept. 11, we are cloaked in complacency once again. Can a sleeping giant be awakened twice?
The families and friends of those innocent people killed in the terrorist attacks feel their losses every day. Rescue workers, police and firefighters have been forever affected. Lower Manhattan and other New York City residents may still feel a sense of uneasiness. But the rest of the country -- particularly politicians -- seems to have moved on. Only it's not necessarily in a forward direction.
It's not that we should remain stuck in a Sept. 11 emotional mode. We should be moving on. But do we know where we're going? What did we learn from it all?
For a brief historic moment, America was "united." We put aside egos and politics. We thought more of our families and friends. We gave our children extra hugs. We were more courteous to strangers and more thoughtful on the highways. We were united in our desire to eradicate an enemy -- terrorism -- that other parts of the world were more familiar with than we. We have since learned that this enemy is not so easily identified or defeated.
We sent young men and women off to another side of a world we hardly knew existed before Sept. 11. Now we hardly even think about them or what they are undergoing. During the Gulf War we watched on TV the missile strikes as they were being launched. Today we see little on TV except news of errant bombs and regrettable civilian casualties. We don't get a sense of the danger our troops are experiencing.
What happened to the images of Democrats and Republicans arm in arm on the steps of the Capitol? Those links have been torn apart by political wheeling and dealing and finger-pointing. Business as usual. When all is said and done, there is little difference between a Republican and Democrat. Each uses the other as a whipping boy for the country's problems when both are at fault and neither can come up with solutions that last beyond its own term in office.
Many memorials are being planned to commemorate Sept. 11. There will be emotional speeches. No doubt many will be used to boost some political ratings. After all, the November elections are just around the corner. Business as usual.
Political rhetoric cannot steady a shaky world. Terrorists continue to kill innocent people, especially in the Middle East. The body count mounts. There is no peaceful end in sight.
Missiles and bullets aren't the only weapons of destruction. The terrorists knew that. America is seeing an economic fallout -- partly because of Sept. 11 -- that may be more destructive in the long run than any bomb. However, we cannot blame terrorism alone for our economic woes. The way we do business -- both in corporate boardrooms and political backrooms -- is catching up with us.
The most meaningful tribute to the victims of Sept. 11 won't be found in speeches and songs in solemn ceremonies. Rather, the best we can do is distribute the millions of dollars raised in the days, weeks and months after the attacks to benefit the victims' families so they can try to rebuild their lives.
For the most part, the way the rest of us have gone about our business and everyday lives hasn't changed. We were naive to think that it would.
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