Are Americans Overdramatic? (9/11 reactions)

[FreakMonster]

As yesterday seemed to be the "big day" for the country, I'm stuck wondering if our country is full of a bunch of overdramatic, self-involved people.

On ABCnews World Report with Peter Jennings tonight a study was released that found that 12% (+/-3%) of Americans are depressed about terrorism. I mean come on people, 12%? That's like waking up tomorrow and saying that all black people or hispanic people in the country are depressed about terrorism. That's a lot of freaking people. Are Americans so ill equipped to face adversity that they would become depressed over something that they had no control over?

And then all the "memorial" services. Why are these "memorial" services called "memorials for those that lost their lives". To me it just seems like all these things are really for all the people that are still alive. And its really about nationally attaching ourselves to the pain and tragedy that truly fell upon the dead people. These services have nothing to do with the dead, but everything to do with us, and OUR emotions, OUR feelings. And to me that seems plain selfish. The people that felt the pain are the victims, and of course the family and friends of the victims, but I refuse to believe that all 300 million Americans had a personal connection to someone that died 1 year ago.

I guess the way I see it, is like this. If I should die in combat, give me a funeral befitting a Marine, give the American flag to my next of kin, and then move on. I wouldn't want some memorial a year later or anything like that. For goodness sake, you are alive, move on and live life as a country, don't get stuck remembering the past or feeling pain for the past.

Like I said, I can understand and sympathize with the family and friends of those that died on 9/11, but for the rest of the country, move on.

 

[WODIN]

I'm deppressed because the company cafe ran out of the creamer I like this morning. Damn Peter Jennings back to the hell he came from....Canada!

 

[dballer]

I am depressed cause I can't read.

 

[manny78]

I wasn't depressed at all. I had a party and got drunk. Why should I be depressed ?

 

[Robert Jan]

I dont know if they are overdramatic. bringing it up at the us open prize ceremony was totally out of place imo tho

 

[Doktor Bollix]

I saw a lot of emotional masturbation going on, it's hard not to be cynical in a country where everyone can cry on demand.

 

[Y_lifter]

I not depressed, but I am concerned about what the world will be like when my Daugher is 40..

 

[dballer]

I saw a lot of emotional masturbation going on, it's hard not to be cynical in a country where everyone can cry on demand.

yeah.. and the ones in power get paid the more believable those tears are!!

They can see your asshole from outerspace.. they can grow a human ear out of a mouse.. but yet we were all shocked at 9-11? It works out too good.. and if you put all of the pieces together.. it makes a pretty intresting puzzle.

 

[HappyScrappy]

I didn't lose anyone close to me in the event. I knew two people that were in it, but other than that, it was largely just the impact of the concept that we aren't SUPER AMERICA but instead just "America" and vulnerable.
I felt bad when I was watching various coverage and saw that a woman was talking to a man on the phone up until he died in the collapse. At first I figured that he must have been on a cell phone, but then she said that he would put the phone down, go away, and then come back - which seems to imply that it was his desk phone. which left me really impressed that as the building was on fire and collapsing around him - his desk phone still worked.

I ended up watching the TLC specials on the engineering stuff behind it all - why things failed, how they should have worked/not worked, and how they are going to fix them.
I like that stuff.
Hearing the sad stuff just makes me feel like a dick in the end.

 

[dballer]

I just lie in bed all day eating pizza. I getting reallly fat. Its weird. I know I'm fat bc I eat, but I eat bc I am fat. Its a vicious cycle really.

I feel the same way.

Do you want to have a 3 way with me and Happy Scrappy?

 

[starfish]

I don't see anything wrong with the memorials. It was an attack on our country, not just the people killed. You can move on and remember the past.

What went on yesterday was a lot about respect and tribute.


There are still Memorials for Pearl Harbor and such.. nothing wrong with it.

 

[Robert Jan]

nothing really ever happens in the usa does it?
i mean im surprised people even remember pearl harbor

 

[FreakMonster]

I don't see anything wrong with the memorials. It was an attack on our country, not just the people killed. You can move on and remember the past.

What went on yesterday was a lot about respect and tribute.


There are still Memorials for Pearl Harbor and such.. nothing wrong with it.

These TV memorials aren't about the dead...or about terrorism or Patriotism.

They are about ratings. The media in its sick degenerate way is going to bank off of this just like it does off of the suffering of someone every other day of the year.

How many stranger abductions were there this year?
How many of those were on tv?

Freakin' all of em!! Tragedy = ratings.

I think that its good for people to take a moment alone to reflect, and to even get together as a group and discuss how they feel. Because regardless of what else is going on around us THIS event changed all of our lives.

 

[dballer]

These TV memorials aren't about the dead...or about terrorism or Patriotism.

They are about ratings. The media in its sick degenerate way is going to bank off of this just like it does off of the suffering of someone every other day of the year.

How many stranger abductions were there this year?
How many of those were on tv?

Freakin' all of em!! Tragedy = ratings.

I think that its good for people to take a moment alone to reflect, and to even get together as a group and discuss how they feel. Because regardless of what else is going on around us THIS event changed all of our lives.

I owe you a shot of karma too!!!

 

[starfish]

These TV memorials aren't about the dead...or about terrorism or Patriotism.

They are about ratings. The media in its sick degenerate way is going to bank off of this just like it does off of the suffering of someone every other day of the year.

How many stranger abductions were there this year?
How many of those were on tv?

Freakin' all of em!! Tragedy = ratings.

I think that its good for people to take a moment alone to reflect, and to even get together as a group and discuss how they feel. Because regardless of what else is going on around us THIS event changed all of our lives.

Maybe you watch too much tv

 

[Y_lifter]

The best special I watched was STRANDED YANKS on PBS Tues
About how all the flights were diverted on 9/11 to Canada and Newfoundland.

I did not know the people were not allowed to exit the planes sitting on the tarmac for up to 24 or more hours.
They were not allowed to take their luggage, only carry on bags

The way the local people in these small towns came out and for 3 days provided a place for them all (tens of thousands) to sleep and food and clothes in churches, schools and such was amazing...

 

[cure]

The best special I watched was STRANDED YANKS on PBS Tues
About how all the flights were diverted on 9/11 to Canada and Newfoundland.

I did not know the people were not allowed to exit the planes sitting on the tarmac for up to 24 or more hours.
They were not allowed to take their luggage, only carry on bags

The way the local people in these small towns came out and for 3 days provided a place for them all (tens of thousands) to sleep and food and clothes in churches, schools and such was amazing...

Now that is human nature at it's best. I bet you the city of Gander doesn't even have a pop. of 10000 yet 6000 passengers were stranded.

 

[alien amp pharm]

I agree that most of the drive behind all these 9-11 tv specials are for rating.

I also agree that tribute to the fallen should be shown and remembered, but last night was way overboard. We were watching baseball when they stopped all games at 9:11pm ET for a moment of silence. Why 9:11 ET????? I understand the date, but the 9:11 time? I mean what the hell does that have to do with anything. The attacks all happened in the A.M. If they're gonna do that then why not have another moment of silence at 20:01 military time for the year this happened? -Stupid I think.

Also, the moment of silence was appropriate, but then they proceeded to show 5 minutes of a movie type clip - DURING A BASEBALL GAME!. Enough is enough. remember/pay tribute, but move on people!

 

[Y_lifter]

Many of the passengers have gone back and taken their families to visit the people.
Or collected thousands of $ to donate to the town or School where they stayed.

One Canadian woman that was guiding 12 Sr Citizen tourists on 9/11 drove them back in her own Van all the way to Iowa.
4 days to get them there...

 

[aurelius]

What does "remember" mean here? "We have to remember, we will never forget" and all that. What does that mean operationally. That is, what are you supposed to DO?

There must be some anthropological sociological explanation for this behaviour.

p.s. I think a lot of this remembering is remembering what the media tells you to remember. Anyone remember Operation Cyclone or Casey's CIA involvement in putting Islamic radicals (formerly known as freedom fighters) in Afghanistan? Down the memory hole.

 

[tsarleon]

news, media is a business, they want ratings and money, they want to sell their "product". Tragedies are paydays to them. Shitty how it works, but it is what it is. yesterday is more of respect for those who lost their lives. Then again, according to one of my classes there are like 30 t imes that amoutn that died on 9-11 that die of starvation EVERYDAY, die of starving and here I am trying to stuff my body to i explode so i can hit 200 lbs, haha, funny how shit works in this world. I honestly dont think twice about it. Just the hyprocytical people that are out there these days piss me off, unfortuantely i think I am one of them.

-Leon

 

[Lao Tzu]

I was watching Donahue last night, and someone who lost someone in the terror war basically said

'if you want to help us, don't buy any trinkets or t-shirts, help us understand why this happened and why they did this so that it never happens to anyone again'.

i think that is opposite of how we are handling it now, we are calling any attempt to understand the situation 'terrorist sympathizing' or 'anti-american' and passing off bureaucratic/official recognition, which is done either on cue or as a televised event as mourning.

I still don't see it as a 'giant' event as far as life goes. Cardiovascular disease kills more americans in a week than died in 9/11.

 

[aurelius]

I still don't see it as a 'giant' event as far as life goes. Cardiovascular disease kills more americans in a week than died in 9/11.

Yes, but "innocent" civilians died that day whereas heart disease and the like only strike the guilty.

 

[TheStromba]

My wife and I visited ground zero last friday afternoon. She worked in one of the towers in the late 80's and I worked 1/2 a block away. We both looked at the sight for about 10 seconds and started to cry. I don't want to be "overdramatic", but we felt the suffering that went on there.

I realize that the TV news shows are going for ratings, but we must keep this day fresh in our collective memory, or we will let it happen again.

Off Soap Box

 

[Code]

I didn't lose anyone close to me in the event. I knew two people that were in it, but other than that, it was largely just the impact of the concept that we aren't SUPER AMERICA but instead just "America" and vulnerable.
I felt bad when I was watching various coverage and saw that a woman was talking to a man on the phone up until he died in the collapse. At first I figured that he must have been on a cell phone, but then she said that he would put the phone down, go away, and then come back - which seems to imply that it was his desk phone. which left me really impressed that as the building was on fire and collapsing around him - his desk phone still worked.

I ended up watching the TLC specials on the engineering stuff behind it all - why things failed, how they should have worked/not worked, and how they are going to fix them.
I like that stuff.
Hearing the sad stuff just makes me feel like a dick in the end.

At least we aren't America Jr.

 

[DownUnder23]

No not over something as big and important as the anniversary of 2900 people dying from terrorism!

 

[aurelius]

I realize that the TV news shows are going for ratings, but we must keep this day fresh in our collective memory, or we will let it happen again.

I think this is the attitude a lot of people like me have a problem with. What do you mean "keep it fresh in your memory?" Watching the footage over and over again? Feeling bad about it? How will this keep it from happening again?

 

[manny78]

I realize that the TV news shows are going for ratings, but we must keep this day fresh in our collective memory, or we will let it happen again.

Off Soap Box

damn it was done evry fucking day since 9-11. I heard about it everyday on the radio, TV, everywhere.