cookiepuss
01-26-2005, 02:59 AM
you can tell me what you think of it....
keep in mind it was written only 6 days after 9/11, before any of the facts were in...
“For What It's Worth"
On a quiet Sunday, five days after the World Trade Center and Pentagon
terrorist attacks, I am traveling on California's interstate 80 headed back
to San Francisco. My car zips along the highway awash in the golden glow of
afternoon. In a flaxen field next to the interstate, a proud, oversized
flag sways softly, beckoning patriotism to passers by. In the shadow of the
flag, perched top his dusty three-wheel motorcycle, a man waves dutifully to
the passing cars. The image is so surreal I have to stick my hand out the
window and feel the physicality of the wind whipping by. Further down the
road, I see an overpass adorn with stripes and stars. Out of the corner of
my eye, I just barely catch the frantic waving of more proud Americans to
the monotonous drone of traffic that scarcely notices their efforts. I crush
out my cigarette in mild disgust.
There is something going on around this country and I'm not sure I like it.
We're standing on the threshold of a war, and though I agree something must
be done, I'm not quite sure I like how we've gotten here. What is it that
has me so suspicious and spitting out a gritty bitter taste, like a half
chewed coffee bean from my mouth? It's Nationalism. First of all, let’s
take a closer look at what it means:
"loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially: a sense of national
consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary
emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of
other nations or supranational groups," (Merriam-Webster online)
Nationalism pits one nation against another, promoting self-righteousness
above justice and individual nations against humanity as a whole. Americans
are more united right now than they have been in years, but there is also an
underlying lynch mob mentality, supported by a president whose daily
comments sound more and more like the commentary of a bitter sheriff in a
old movie western. "I want him - I want justice," Bush said when asked by
a reporter if he wanted bin Laden dead. "There's an old poster out West, as
I recall, that said, 'Wanted, Dead or Alive,'"(MSNBC).
Although the blame for attacks clearly lies with terrorists who own no
nation, there seems to be overwhelming support among Americans to go to war,
using whatever force necessary. As a recent article in The Observer pointed
out, the decision to use the term "war " so freely is a monumental one. "Mr.
Bush is now talking of America being 'at war' against all international
terrorism. This (WTC attacks) was not an act of war against democracy, as the
Bush administration characterizes it. This was a supreme terrorist crime…The
distinction is vital. War is undertaken between identifiable states with clear territorial boundaries and the possibility of a clear resolution.” So, how did Americans so readily go from fighting terrorism to waging war? What happened after the attacks to make America so willing to offer up more American lives for the ones already lost?
September 11th's attacks left America devastated, angry, frightened and
looking for an enemy. In true American fashion, the media served us one on a
silver platter. Within two hours of the attacks on the WTC and Pentagon,
news stations were airing footage that depicted young Palestinians
apparently celebrating. We were told that this was the Palestinian reaction
to news of the attacks on America. At first, like many Americans, I was
outraged at this apparent celebration of such a brutal slaughter in our
homeland. However, having a background in Communications I was suddenly
taken back to the media criticism class I had taken in college. The class
had almost destroyed my faith in my would-be degree. There were things
about this footage that didn't sit right with me.
The speed with which that footage found the airwaves, left me
scratching my head. If the attacks happened in the morning in the United
States, and the footage was being shown several hours after the attack, it
would have been nightfall in Palestine. The footage being shown was clearly
taken during bright daylight and not dusk. Could the footage of the celebrations be stock
footage, the kind every TV station has miles of and makes use of when
they lack images to accompany their fast breaking stories? A independent
news website, www.indymedia.org, only confirmed my suspicions, reporting that the footage actually dated back to 1991. The report by indymedia.com was later retracted, leaving even more questions about accountability among the media.
If the footage is legitimate, do we really understand the actions of those on camera? Are the actions of 20 people on camera representative of an entire nation? If so, then according to the Rodney King footage, all American cops practice brutality. I came across an article by a Palestinian-American, Omar Fayez, which explained that the footage depicted mostly children whose celebratory reaction to cameras in their war-torn cities differs little regardless of the occasion. The article further points out that if Palestinians found reason celebrate it was likely due to the living nightmare they experienced from the Israeli occupation backed by US dollars. This is where the plot thickens. Anyone who has kept an eye on international affairs over the past ten years knows the US conflict with the Middle East runs much deeper than terrorists and Bin Laden.
If there is anything we as humans should have learned by the 21st century,
it's that history repeats itself. So why aren't more people suffering from
Déjê vu? This conflict fits all the same old patterns of our other wars.
But wars are a tricky business. Innocent lives have to be lost, which could
leave civilians bitter. So how does one gain support for a war, and convince
thousands that their deaths will be justified? Simple. Incite nationalism.
Today's media is the perfect distribution tool for nationalism. It appeals to people's emotions with the mingling of sight and sound. If seeing is believing, then the television must be God. But most people don't realize the flip side to one of their most trusted sources of information. Long plagued by the bias of nations, gatekeepers and reporters, it is an EASY medium to manipulate. The damage done by the decision to air the questionable footage of the Palestinians during a time when the American psyche was so fragile is probably irreparable. Reports of hate crimes against people of Middle Eastern decent since the attacks have been have been rampant. Although we cannot blame the media for the actions of those who commit hate crimes, it is reasonable to say that the media does have an influence. A more socially conscious television news producer might have considered this before airing highly emotional footage at a time when facts were still being sorted out and suspects still being investigated. Instead it seems the footage was aired solely in the interest of fingering an enemy.
Even though most of the world has recognized our suffering, offered their collective condolences and support, Americans aren't looking much beyond their own flag. In windows, cars, over passes and buildings, the US drapes itself in red white and blue, a patriotic bandage for a nation that up until now has never faced such hideous violence in their homeland. But the flag is not what is going to heal us. If we are truly to over come terrorism and these tragedies, we have to do away with the idea of nations, and realize that we are all one species. Perhaps the only species that has the ability to destroy itself.
---------------
I'm not really sure why I'm posting this...just looking for some feed back about my writing.
keep in mind it was written only 6 days after 9/11, before any of the facts were in...
“For What It's Worth"
On a quiet Sunday, five days after the World Trade Center and Pentagon
terrorist attacks, I am traveling on California's interstate 80 headed back
to San Francisco. My car zips along the highway awash in the golden glow of
afternoon. In a flaxen field next to the interstate, a proud, oversized
flag sways softly, beckoning patriotism to passers by. In the shadow of the
flag, perched top his dusty three-wheel motorcycle, a man waves dutifully to
the passing cars. The image is so surreal I have to stick my hand out the
window and feel the physicality of the wind whipping by. Further down the
road, I see an overpass adorn with stripes and stars. Out of the corner of
my eye, I just barely catch the frantic waving of more proud Americans to
the monotonous drone of traffic that scarcely notices their efforts. I crush
out my cigarette in mild disgust.
There is something going on around this country and I'm not sure I like it.
We're standing on the threshold of a war, and though I agree something must
be done, I'm not quite sure I like how we've gotten here. What is it that
has me so suspicious and spitting out a gritty bitter taste, like a half
chewed coffee bean from my mouth? It's Nationalism. First of all, let’s
take a closer look at what it means:
"loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially: a sense of national
consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary
emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of
other nations or supranational groups," (Merriam-Webster online)
Nationalism pits one nation against another, promoting self-righteousness
above justice and individual nations against humanity as a whole. Americans
are more united right now than they have been in years, but there is also an
underlying lynch mob mentality, supported by a president whose daily
comments sound more and more like the commentary of a bitter sheriff in a
old movie western. "I want him - I want justice," Bush said when asked by
a reporter if he wanted bin Laden dead. "There's an old poster out West, as
I recall, that said, 'Wanted, Dead or Alive,'"(MSNBC).
Although the blame for attacks clearly lies with terrorists who own no
nation, there seems to be overwhelming support among Americans to go to war,
using whatever force necessary. As a recent article in The Observer pointed
out, the decision to use the term "war " so freely is a monumental one. "Mr.
Bush is now talking of America being 'at war' against all international
terrorism. This (WTC attacks) was not an act of war against democracy, as the
Bush administration characterizes it. This was a supreme terrorist crime…The
distinction is vital. War is undertaken between identifiable states with clear territorial boundaries and the possibility of a clear resolution.” So, how did Americans so readily go from fighting terrorism to waging war? What happened after the attacks to make America so willing to offer up more American lives for the ones already lost?
September 11th's attacks left America devastated, angry, frightened and
looking for an enemy. In true American fashion, the media served us one on a
silver platter. Within two hours of the attacks on the WTC and Pentagon,
news stations were airing footage that depicted young Palestinians
apparently celebrating. We were told that this was the Palestinian reaction
to news of the attacks on America. At first, like many Americans, I was
outraged at this apparent celebration of such a brutal slaughter in our
homeland. However, having a background in Communications I was suddenly
taken back to the media criticism class I had taken in college. The class
had almost destroyed my faith in my would-be degree. There were things
about this footage that didn't sit right with me.
The speed with which that footage found the airwaves, left me
scratching my head. If the attacks happened in the morning in the United
States, and the footage was being shown several hours after the attack, it
would have been nightfall in Palestine. The footage being shown was clearly
taken during bright daylight and not dusk. Could the footage of the celebrations be stock
footage, the kind every TV station has miles of and makes use of when
they lack images to accompany their fast breaking stories? A independent
news website, www.indymedia.org, only confirmed my suspicions, reporting that the footage actually dated back to 1991. The report by indymedia.com was later retracted, leaving even more questions about accountability among the media.
If the footage is legitimate, do we really understand the actions of those on camera? Are the actions of 20 people on camera representative of an entire nation? If so, then according to the Rodney King footage, all American cops practice brutality. I came across an article by a Palestinian-American, Omar Fayez, which explained that the footage depicted mostly children whose celebratory reaction to cameras in their war-torn cities differs little regardless of the occasion. The article further points out that if Palestinians found reason celebrate it was likely due to the living nightmare they experienced from the Israeli occupation backed by US dollars. This is where the plot thickens. Anyone who has kept an eye on international affairs over the past ten years knows the US conflict with the Middle East runs much deeper than terrorists and Bin Laden.
If there is anything we as humans should have learned by the 21st century,
it's that history repeats itself. So why aren't more people suffering from
Déjê vu? This conflict fits all the same old patterns of our other wars.
But wars are a tricky business. Innocent lives have to be lost, which could
leave civilians bitter. So how does one gain support for a war, and convince
thousands that their deaths will be justified? Simple. Incite nationalism.
Today's media is the perfect distribution tool for nationalism. It appeals to people's emotions with the mingling of sight and sound. If seeing is believing, then the television must be God. But most people don't realize the flip side to one of their most trusted sources of information. Long plagued by the bias of nations, gatekeepers and reporters, it is an EASY medium to manipulate. The damage done by the decision to air the questionable footage of the Palestinians during a time when the American psyche was so fragile is probably irreparable. Reports of hate crimes against people of Middle Eastern decent since the attacks have been have been rampant. Although we cannot blame the media for the actions of those who commit hate crimes, it is reasonable to say that the media does have an influence. A more socially conscious television news producer might have considered this before airing highly emotional footage at a time when facts were still being sorted out and suspects still being investigated. Instead it seems the footage was aired solely in the interest of fingering an enemy.
Even though most of the world has recognized our suffering, offered their collective condolences and support, Americans aren't looking much beyond their own flag. In windows, cars, over passes and buildings, the US drapes itself in red white and blue, a patriotic bandage for a nation that up until now has never faced such hideous violence in their homeland. But the flag is not what is going to heal us. If we are truly to over come terrorism and these tragedies, we have to do away with the idea of nations, and realize that we are all one species. Perhaps the only species that has the ability to destroy itself.
---------------
I'm not really sure why I'm posting this...just looking for some feed back about my writing.