Uncle Jeff Hollers

This morning, the sound of pipes and drums echoed through the canyons of Manhattan. The names of the dead were read. A bell tolled the fatal hour. High Mass at Ground Zero: another September 11 anniversary was observed as America fetishizes a tragedy. The professional 9/11 widows and orphans were in attendance. A cousin of one of the dead resurrected the notion to turn this date into a national holiday. Are we to get the day off? For remembrance or celebration? Would a BBQ seem tacky? Will Gordy from ABC Warehouse have a special 9/11 appliance sale?

A golf course owner found himself enmeshed in a grim sectarian clash between usually amiable American cults: the free enterprise system and patriotism. Marc Watts, owner and general manager of Tumbledown Golf Course near Madison WI offered a 9/11 special in memory of the day: 9 holes for $9.11. The response was swift and overwhelmingly negative including phoned-in death threats.

How American. How typically, hypocritically, American.

Evidently, it is fine for Hollywood to churn out movies about 9/11 and make money. It is fine for everybody and their brother with whatever tenuous connection to the event (or none at all) to write a book about that day and make money. But for some schmuck out in Podunk to run a special on HIS golf course, with what I am sure was the best patriotic intention, this is considered a paragon of bad taste and craven exploitation of people’s death. Yeah, the guy is an idiot and rather clueless, but death threats? C’mon.

I’m afraid what isn’t remembered by so many is that the 9/11 attacks were the consequence of decades of American and European foreign policy. And the result of the attacks brought forth our latest boogieman: The Terrorist. So, we launched our “War on Terror” and twelve years later what have to show for our efforts? Invasions of two sovereign nations beginning fruitless wars, the reasoning for one based entirely on lies told to us by our leaders. Thousands of our sons and daughters killed, tens of thousands maimed and hundreds of thousands of civilians dead. Both countries are in shambles, a trillion dollars was spent with borrowed funds which who knows how many generations it will take to pay off. And like most wars, research and development resulted in astonishing technological innovations leading to egregious intrusions into our privacy with the threat of further violations of by future leaders. All in the name of security.

After all this, nothing has been gained. Nothing.

And I fear nothing will be learned either. Not until we as a people begin a serious conversation about what our leaders have done and are doing at present. But judging from today's spectacle in New York City and the raw emotions unleashed upon a foolish business owner, I don't foresee this happening for many years. Meanwhile, the same mistakes will be made, the same messes will be created. Many more people will die. It never ends. And that's the true tragedy here.

Photo credit: National Park Service