9-11, Never Forget

9-11, Never Forget

When people say 'Never Forget' about 9-11, I wonder what things they specifically mean. You have your own thoughts about that day, as do I, as do anyone who might think about it at all. I think that perhaps it would not be terrible if we all found a few common thoughts in regards to that day, so in that spirit I am going to offer a short list to start this off, a few things I consider simple truths, and I invite others to add to it if you have something of merit. Don't be shy.

Never Forget that vengeance is not justice and that hate does not defeat hate.

Never Forget that there is no shame in not knowing. But it is a dark path in refusing to acknowledge those gaps in our knowledge to cling to the idea of being learned, or to avoid being corrected. Acknowledging our mistakes allows us to throw off the weight and burden of them and bring us toward a lighter path.

Never Forget that philosophies are tools, be they spiritual or political or purely mechanical sequences of orders. In the proper respective hands they become forces of creation or forces of destruction. It is up to us to foster the forces of creation and subdue the forces of destruction without becoming forces of destruction doing so. We can keep moving forward together or we can keep pushing each other back collectively. One benefits us. One costs us but benefits others. Decide.

Never Forget that the reasons for countries to go to war and the reasons that soldiers fight in wars do not overlap. They are worlds apart. If someone tells you they are the same reasons, they are despicable or misguided. Be wary of anything they tell you.

Never Forget that if a country or organization does something evil or illegal or in any way ethically dubious, it does not stop being any of those things because you belong to that country or organization. If you don't want another country to do something to your country, your country doing that something to another country is unforgivable. Do not abide by such things. Do not accept them quietly, however tempted you might be.

Never Forget that casualties occur on both sides of a war. If you'e going to remember the dead, remember to count all of them. If that number becomes large enough, close enough, personal enough, you'll doubtless never want to have to count those numbers again.

Never Forget that even if a symbol is destroyed, the things it symbolized survive it and another symbol can contain those ideas again. Do not mourn the loss of a symbol. A loss of life for a symbol is a waste of a life, regardless of when shills say otherwise, no matter how loud, how often or with how much mustered conviction.

Never Forget that anger and sorrow are gifts. Yours is unique to you. Yours has the singular purpose of making you uncomfortable enough to fix or change or cope with some wrong in the world. If utilized properly you emerge as a better person because of it. Do not squander these precious gifts on people who seek to draw them out of you solely for their gain. Do not allow them to prostitute you by eliciting rage or grief from you in order to sell you on a policy that doesn't benefit you, a politician that doesn't represent you or a war that costs us all. And never allow those gifts to use you; seize the opportunity whenever and wherever it arises.

Never Forget to communicate. If it ain't hurting anyone, including you, say or do whatever you are moved to. This is freedom. Always, always embrace it.