9.11 a decade later "what have you done for me lately?"

Newsweek cover

September 11 will be filled with remembrance ceremonies, flags, pictures and exhibits commemorating the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States. People will recount where they were when the heard the news, saw the second plane hit the second Tower, and express anguish when the World Trade Center towers collapsed.

Many will use the phrase "Never Forget" in their speeches. Perhaps the news clips of the plane hitting the tower, the explosions and eventual collapse of the towers will be shown on television again. Perhaps not. Many have decided the video images of the Pentagon and WTC are too graphic, too upsetting. We certainly won't see the clips of civilians, trapped in the inferno of the towers jumping to their deaths. Too graphic? Maybe. A reminder of intensity and brutality of the attacks and suffering inflicted on a civilian location...absolutely.

In our race to "Never Forget" we wouldn't want to insult any group or label anyone as extremist. Maybe we don't really want to remember how we felt in the days directly following the attacks. Maybe we'd rather pretend the aftermath of September 11, 2001 is not as bad as we remember and get back to work being a cog in the one global nation farce.

The flag will seem a bit empty without EMS and Fire

Maybe we'll see the clips of New York City streets lined with civilians holding signs that read "hero" and "thank you" as emergency services roll into the World Trade Center site; a reminder of attitude towards emergency medical service and the fire department on September 12, 2001. A period before public safety budgets, salaries, and retirements became the target of municipal shortfalls and pubic outcry. Never Forget  is an interesting concept as today we look to eliminate responders, cut benefits, dismantle public health services in the name of balancing budgets.

Never Forget is an interesting concept as ten-years later, first responders will not be welcome at the 9/11 memorial service in NYC.

Ten-years later "Never Forget" reads more like "what have you done for me lately?"