Assholes Flying Planes Into Buildings.

"Never Forget"

Not to be heartless, but to me, that statement about 9/11 is stupid. Of course we're never going to forget. Twenty years from now I'm not going to have someone ask me, "Say, remember those two towers crumbling to the ground in New York?"

"Towers? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You know, those two tall buildings that got hit by planes. They fell...thousands of people died...you know."

"Hmmm, you know...I think I do remember something about that. Not so much the 'towers falling' you speak of, but everyone holding up these Hallmark-made signs reading "Never Forget". There were also ribbon stickers on people's cars, Facebook updates, headlines ten years later--all reading "Never Forget". So yea, I knew that I was supposed to remember something. I guess it was the tower thing you're talking about."

Who made up this slogan? Who is profiting from this? Who sat around at an office conference table and came up with this phrase that is on everything...everything?

It's the tenth anniversary of the attacks today. I've been jockeying back and forth between football, baseball, even a 9/11 special on NatGeo Network. And I've seen "Never Forget" or some variation of that phrase a good 300-400 times tonight. It's on backstops, end zones, State Farm commercials, jumbo-trons, public service announcements, t-shirts, hand-written signs, what have you.

And I get it. It's not a literal statement. It's a "Don't Tread On Me" type of thing. A banding-together-as-one type of thing. It's all about support and unity and remembering.

Once again though, how did this one phrase come to characterize the entire post-9/11 commercialization. And yes, that's exactly what it is--commercialization. Someone is profiting from this slogan being used constantly. And it kind of sickens me. But that's America.




As far as what happened on that day ten years ago, we all have our stories and memories and connections. After watching that special on 9/11 this evening, it brought back the horrific reality. That shit wasn't a movie.

I'm not a dramatic guy. I'm really not even that patriotic. But seeing those planes hit the buildings...seeing the buildings fall...seeing the horror and panic on people's faces...and then trying to put myself in their shoes...it's unfathomable.

I've never been to New York, but I still tear up every time I see that footage. So, I do have a sense of patriotism I guess.

I really hope that whomever came up with "Never Forget" or "We Shall Not Forget" or "These Colors Don't Run" or "Forgetting is For Losers and Colors are For Winners" or whatever is giving their money to the families of the victims. That would make me feel a little better about the whole thing.








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