WSJ: September 11 and the Collapse of National Unity

Wall Street Journal ^ | July 1, 2005 | Daniel Henninger

[OESY]

...We've watched September 11 drift from unity of purpose to unhinged vituperation. The partisanship is easy to dismiss, but I believe the Bush team's deep disdain of a hostile opposition media has caused it to miss -- until now -- the need to organize a homefront to support the remarkable sacrifice in Iraq. This failure may prove to be the one unforgivable thing.

As to September 11's stern symbol -- Ground Zero -- its place is secure no matter what New York's politics dumps into the Port Authority's 16 acres. The only true memorial that will ever be -- that huge hole in the ground, that zero, a filthy, ripped and awesome aftermath -- has been there to see for more than three-and-a-half years.

This is what it means to visit the memorial there now. A steel fence is on all four sides. On two of them, the Port Authority has hung simple descriptions and pictures of what happened there, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. You can read a short history of the two towers. You can read the names of each person who died there that day. After people absorb these things, they get very close to the fence and stare into the open space. Then they take some pictures, and then they go somewhere else.

By now anyone with sufficient desire or need has come to Ground Zero. By now unfathomable numbers have seen that hole in its barest form. They have taken the experience home with them. I think September 11 is going to be properly remembered, no matter what happens in lower Manhattan now. It remains for this administration to do the same for the commitments already made to Iraq and in Iraq.

[Peach]

IF, and that's a big if, our Republican majority would start acting like the majority and actually hold press conferences the MSM was required to cover, they could turn bring the country together a little bit.

For instance, after the president's speech, the Rats took to the airwaves to say that the war in Iraq has drawn Al Qaeda to that region and complain that the terrorists weren't in Iraq before the war.

What absolutely BS. The Democrats insisted that an Iraqi war resolution be drafted in 2002. They wrote it and signed it. The War Resolution specifically states that Al Qaeda is KNOWN to be in Iraq.

But where were our Republicans to counter the Democrat's lies? Nowhere. I didn't hear one single Republican come forward to counter the lies. Not one.

That's outrageous. And disappointing.

[LS]

I'll say again: I have a 9/11 novel with an agent who is having trouble getting a publisher, even though we can pretty much "promise" a built-in audience of people who bought "Patriot's History of the United States," or about 50,000 sales. The reason the pubs are twitchy? "The subject matter. They like the writing, but they are skittish about a 9/11 novel."

Like Rush says, we should show those pictures constantly, and my book was written not only to be a novel, but really to be a MOVIE. It's time for that, too.

[JimRed]

I didn't hear one single Republican come forward to counter the lies. Not one.

Agreed; we need the guts to itemize each lie and to call them liars out loud and to their faces.

[1Old Pro]

a MOVIE. It's time for that, too.

You're not kidding. A professionally done 2.5 hour documentary with real footage, photos, interviews, and what exactly happened to those people in those offices.

WHERE THE HELL IS THAT FILM???? Long overdue.

[Roccus]

BUMP

[Milligan]

Coincidence?

1st WTC Bombing Feburary 26th, 1993 = First Gulf War Victory Day Feburary 26th, 1990.

September 11, 2001 = GHW Bush's September 11, 1990 Speech.

[Bombay Bloke]

"What absolutely BS. The Democrats insisted that an Iraqi war resolution be drafted in 2002. They wrote it and signed it. The War Resolution specifically states that Al Qaeda is KNOWN to be in Iraq."

Maybe they were lying when they wrote the resolution? They are democrats, after all.

[cwb]

And this is one of the biggest reasons I can't stand the media. These people say that they don't want to show 9/11 because it may inflame irrational hatred towards Mulims. Yet, these are the same people who printed the Koran story, knowing it would inflame emotions, even leading to deaths. The NYTs intentionally ran 50+ front page stories on Abu Ghraib, specifically to inflame the emotions of Muslims against America.

These are the same people who complained about the broadcasting of photos of Saddam and his sons...actually claiming Geneva violations, then turned around and showed as many pictures they could get their hands on of the abuse at Abu Ghraib. They violated their own rules by showing prisoners in humiliating positions...something they rediculed the president for. These people are deadly, dangerous.

[cwb]

Sorry...this was directed at LS...post #3.