Toronto’s National Post had this week-long series on the 10th anniversary of the event. The question was, “Who won this war on terrorism?”
We knew that Bin Laden was killed. We knew that Al-Qaeda has effectively been destroyed. We also knew that America spent several recessions’ worth on wars for reasons we have forgotten (yes, test this on your random sample of colleagues and friends). American’s way of life was forever changed. Not only we have the Patriot Act and Homeland Security, Americans also have been living in fear. Jack Bauer, an agent fighting terrorism with a fervent and righteous belief, has become a house-hold name.
But what is American’s Way of Life? George W. Bush said, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.†What does it mean? To this immigrant, Hollywood answered definitively.
It is the Thanksgiving, that pilgrims pursued religious freedom, overcome great harshness and established lives for their descendents. It is John Wayne’s wild, wild west and Bruce Willis’s Die Hard that glorify heroism. It is Will Smith’s The Pursuit of Happyness that anything is possible if you “put your heart to it.” It is Anne Hathaway’s insistence on independence in Love and Other Drugs.
Has any of those changed since 9/11?
If the complaint is on the fact that Americans are now living in fear, wouldn’t those complaints themselves the self-fulling prophecy? Isn’t it not enough that we are reminded every time we go to the airport? Why do we keep on reminding ourselves of Bin Laden’s achievements? All those media coverages has guaranteed him a spot in the history book as the one who “successfully terrorized America?”
Honestly, everyone. The best way to get back to our American Way is to stop talking about 9/11. Doing so is to honor Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda.
And I will stop now.