Musings on world affairs. Not really very deep
Thu, Sep. 11th, 2003 10:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oyceterI mostly forgot it was the anniversary of 9/11 today, and I'm not sure if I feel guilty about that or what. I don't know. I just didn't really think about it much except this morning driving to work and listening to the radio. I got really mad at the radio guy because he was talking about stuff like how it was the start of this holy war against the US and how it was World War III and whatnot. I felt he was rather silly, although I guess intentions are in the right place? Not sure, really. I don't know, mostly. I mean, I still feel horrible that 9/11 happened, but almost in the same way one feels horrible that people are still killing each other all over the place, everywhere. Scope-wise, 9/11 was bigger, but... And I don't mean to demean it. I feel the opposite actually (read ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
anniesj's post, she says it better. But I feel that making it out into this giant memorial event to stir up patriotism/nationalism and to remind the US of all the grand injustices done to it carries a sort of feeling that the US's national tragedies are grander than everyone else's. And that's not right either. And I'm quite sure all people feel the same way about bad things that happen in their own country, but to blow up the events into an almost propaganda like proportion tends to wipe out the fact that I was thinking about watching the TV and listening to the radio two years ago. There were people on those planes and in those buildings. People like me who were flying home or flying for business or to see someone, or just going to work in the morning like usual. And it just sucks beyond all telling that they died because of this incredibly stupid thing, just like it sucks that innocent bystanders are killed all the time and that there are suicide bombers in the Middle East who kill kids. Whenever people talk about how it's changed America irrevocably or how it means America is the target of these horrible fanatic people, it makes me feel not a part of it... not that I am a part of it. But it makes me feel distant, like it's not something that really affects me, because in the end, I don't feel American. Matter of fact, I don't really feel Chinese either. I think if I had to declare a nationality I would be a citizen of the internet. Anyway, I digress. But making it into this giant political event to me seems like it alienates people (imho). But if I really think about what happened that day, just how scared all those people must have been (I have an especial phobia of what the people on the airplane must have felt, knowing that their airplanes had been hijacked and desperately trying to call home on their cells), that freaks me out because it could be me or my mom or my sister or the boy or anyone I know up there. And to me, that makes it more real and more like something that happened and affected people instead of all the stuff George Bush says on TV.
So that was my politicizing...
In musings on my own affairs, learned kind of how to research prices online, which was fun. Doesn't require that much more brainwork than shelving, but so far I am less bored with it. I think it has something to do with the fact that I am in front of a computer typing meaningless things (yes, this probably includes LJ ^_~). For some reason, this comforts me... I think because I do stuff like HTML all hand coded. Plus, I like typing. Something about the sound of the keys.... yes I'm dorky. Buying day tomorrow so I'll be back at the shelves...
anniesj's post, she says it better. But I feel that making it out into this giant memorial event to stir up patriotism/nationalism and to remind the US of all the grand injustices done to it carries a sort of feeling that the US's national tragedies are grander than everyone else's. And that's not right either. And I'm quite sure all people feel the same way about bad things that happen in their own country, but to blow up the events into an almost propaganda like proportion tends to wipe out the fact that I was thinking about watching the TV and listening to the radio two years ago. There were people on those planes and in those buildings. People like me who were flying home or flying for business or to see someone, or just going to work in the morning like usual. And it just sucks beyond all telling that they died because of this incredibly stupid thing, just like it sucks that innocent bystanders are killed all the time and that there are suicide bombers in the Middle East who kill kids. Whenever people talk about how it's changed America irrevocably or how it means America is the target of these horrible fanatic people, it makes me feel not a part of it... not that I am a part of it. But it makes me feel distant, like it's not something that really affects me, because in the end, I don't feel American. Matter of fact, I don't really feel Chinese either. I think if I had to declare a nationality I would be a citizen of the internet. Anyway, I digress. But making it into this giant political event to me seems like it alienates people (imho). But if I really think about what happened that day, just how scared all those people must have been (I have an especial phobia of what the people on the airplane must have felt, knowing that their airplanes had been hijacked and desperately trying to call home on their cells), that freaks me out because it could be me or my mom or my sister or the boy or anyone I know up there. And to me, that makes it more real and more like something that happened and affected people instead of all the stuff George Bush says on TV. So that was my politicizing...
In musings on my own affairs, learned kind of how to research prices online, which was fun. Doesn't require that much more brainwork than shelving, but so far I am less bored with it. I think it has something to do with the fact that I am in front of a computer typing meaningless things (yes, this probably includes LJ ^_~). For some reason, this comforts me... I think because I do stuff like HTML all hand coded. Plus, I like typing. Something about the sound of the keys.... yes I'm dorky. Buying day tomorrow so I'll be back at the shelves...