TODAY I am angry.
I am angry becausetwo years ago, our country was viciously attacked by terrorists who hated us. I am angry because our world has changed forever as a result of these cowardly acts. But mostly, I am angry because critics of America cannot silence themselves for one day, just one day and let the country mourn the victims of the greatest tragedy in our history.
A commemorative vigil for September 11 was held on the Lawn last Thursday. The vigil was billed as "Remember September 11" and was sponsored by Embrace Diversity, a new CIO dedicated to increasing awareness of diversity on Grounds.
Many of the vigil's 13 speakers spoke of their own memories of that horrible day two years ago. Some offered prayers and songs, and others praised the way the country came together in the weeks following the attacks. Several speakers, however, deviated from "remembering" and instead took to condemning.
Many students complained that they or their family members were victims of racial profiling. Others negatively alluded to the military action in Iraq. Still others spoke of America's ignorance of the global community and other cultures.
Of course, these students are allowed to disagree with American policies or to criticize American actions. Embrace Diversity is free to discuss the post-September 11 issues we face. But September 11 is simply not the day to do so.
Likewise, at a September 11 commemoration event at Cornell University last week, main speaker Kenneth Clarke spoke of "the hazard of [American] supremacy" and the "racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-religious sentiment, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia" that we all apparently harbor. He urged everyone to consider the "sources of anger, hate, and dehumanization...that lead to acts of violence" and to "consider the current war with Iraq" and to "grow [out of our] us versus them" mentality.
I, for one, am sick and tired of all the America-hating. How do those students who lost friends or family feel when, on the anniversary of the tragedy, they hear about "understanding" terrorists and the "hazards of American supremacy"? People like Kenneth Clarke, it seems, are so eager to point out what's wrong with America that they cannot abstain from criticism even on the anniversary of the very day our country was attacked not because of what we do, but because of who we are.
The attack on our country did not begin on September 11, 2001. It was only then that we finally reacted. Terrorists bombed U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. Terrorists bombed the USS Cole in Yemen in 1998. The World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. President Clinton never visited the site, and even "discouraged Americans from overreacting" to the incident. Our lackluster reactions were interpreted as weaknesses, and our enemies became braver. And now 3,000 people are dead.
Whatever you think about military action in Iraq, about racial profiling, about the Patriot Act, about the supposed infringement of civil liberties, or about any action at all taken in response to September 11, this fact cannot be denied: On September 11, 2001, not one single person would have predicted that by September 11, 2003, there would not have been another major attack on U.S. soil by al Queda. For all of the criticism that's thrown around, we must be doing something right.
I am tired of hearing about what a horrible country we are and about what a horrible president we have. I am tired of hearing about American oppression and racism and aggressiveness. I tolerate this criticism every day because I appreciate that part of what makes America so great is the right to free speech. But I will not stand to hear about it on September 11.
September 11 should be a day of mourning. It should be a day to honor those innocent victims who lost their lives. It should be a day to console the family and friends left behind. It should be a day to commemorate the countless policemen, firemen and soldiers who risk their lives for our country. It should be a day to remember that 3,000 Americans were murdered for no good reason at all. To complain about America on this day, this one day, is incredibly disrespectful and utterly shameful.
And so my message to all the critics is this: Remember that there is such a thing as good taste. You are free to complain 364 days a year. But keep your mouths shut on September 11.
(Kristin Brown's column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at kbrown@cavalierdaily.com.)
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