Where were you on 9/11, when two planes exploded into the World Trade Center and a third breached the Pentagon? I was in New York City, heading downtown from the Upper West Side on the subway to teach. It was a perfect sunny fall morning. The mood in the subway car was chill. When we stopped suddenly, and the car went dark, it seemed like a routine event. Then someone across from me told us there had been an accident: a plane had hit a skyscraper.
I forgot her awful comment! How could I have forgotten? Bc there were so many moments and comments and we (are) like frogs being lowered into that pot. Thank you as always for your important work.
I have never completely believed that the US wasn’t complicit in the attack in someway , it sure became an excuse to spend TRILLIONS in defense with nothing but destruction, death, and despair to show for it …..
Remember when Clinton started a dialogue on the Peace dividend ? Then terrorism magically appeared in the form of the first World Trade Center attack, suddenly we needed to ramp up our massive spending on defense again, at the cost of a decent social safety net, schools, etc, War pays…..
One of my favorites, Ruth. There is a power and depth in your first person prose that is searing. The brief description of the buildings’ collapse, your running 6 miles to your baby ... finding your baby safe and your babysitter waiting there for you, enduring the horrendous uncertainty of her own baby’s safety .... so few words ... truly breath-taking and heart-stopping .... such a rich picture of the tragedy and glory of humanity. Another favorite is your article on play ... which I recommend reading while listening to Yusuf sing “where do the children play?”
Ruth’s astute historical insight expressed with acute eloquence is an newly opened window letting in a bracing worldly reality.
I, too, was in NY on that ever increasingly fateful day, and her cognizance of its exploitation into profound manifestations of ancient oppressive paradigms is a story that, like so many other historically undeniable ones, is in dire need of chronic reiteration.
Hey, Ruth, am I ever slow? You publish on 9/11/22 the piece you wrote 9/11/21. I would not know what day it is without my devices: alarm clock, phone, computer!
Brilliant Ruth. A reminder for how much has changed since 9.11.01, and how those changes seem to have made a Trump inevitable/possible. “What will happen is a development of what is already happening” wrote Doris Lessing. I am worried...and I will fight.
Imagine a SCOTUS revision of their Al Gore/Bush decision. Would any of the $ made, or senseless murders, needless deaths of so many have happened? I think not!
"Plunder and lawlessness in contrast with courage and selflessness of so many Americans that day." I find a parnell also in that September11, 2017: 'U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans -- U.S. foreign service information management officer Sean Smith and former Navy SEAL commandos Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were killed during a terrorist attacks on U.S. compounds in Benghazi, Libya.' (source: Chicago Tribune 9/11/2022).
So let me get this straight ... the GOP attempted to criminalize Benghazi, but it's okay to have massive, months long intelligence leaks (Trump) -- that could result in other American intel tragedies, similar to Benghazi ? The two events don't square for the GOP. Aren't American or allies lives what we protect? ' Leave no man behind. It all doesn't square with their (GOP) values.
[I'm thinking of some issues Anne Nelson had discussed] In the Michigan Governor’s race, polls now have Governor Gretchen Whitmer (Democrat) at a more than 12 percentage point lead over the Trump and DeVos family of West Michigan backed Tudor Dixon (Republican) among likely voters. A major driving force appears to be abortion and women’s rights. Since the overturning of Roe, Whitmer now leads over Dixon among non-college educated voters by 29.8 percentage points. Dixon is an unwavering supporter of the Michigan fundamental abortion ban of 1931, which was suspended by a temporary court injunction. If the abortion ban would be fully restored, it would criminalize abortion with no exceptions and Dixon is against all exceptions to abortion.
Now today Senator Lindsey Graham has just proposed a 15 week “nationwide abortion ban.” The proposal appears to be dividing the Republicans, and Graham is saying, “If we take back the House and the Senate, I can assure you we’ll have a vote on our bill” [….] “If the Democrats are in charge, I don’t know if we’ll ever have a vote on our bill.”
Any thoughts as to possible influences in the mid-term elections in November and possible down ticket races/issues?
I just got home from my late class tonight and checked my email one last time and there was something from the one and only Carole King for the first time ever!!!! She was asking me for more support for the Democrats...........of course I will Carole as I have been doing and will continue to do!!!!
Now will you play your "Been to Canaan" for me? Thank you thank you!
I forgot her awful comment! How could I have forgotten? Bc there were so many moments and comments and we (are) like frogs being lowered into that pot. Thank you as always for your important work.
Thanks for reposting Ruth and sharing your personal impact as well as the larger country impacts
I have never completely believed that the US wasn’t complicit in the attack in someway , it sure became an excuse to spend TRILLIONS in defense with nothing but destruction, death, and despair to show for it …..
Remember when Clinton started a dialogue on the Peace dividend ? Then terrorism magically appeared in the form of the first World Trade Center attack, suddenly we needed to ramp up our massive spending on defense again, at the cost of a decent social safety net, schools, etc, War pays…..
One of my favorites, Ruth. There is a power and depth in your first person prose that is searing. The brief description of the buildings’ collapse, your running 6 miles to your baby ... finding your baby safe and your babysitter waiting there for you, enduring the horrendous uncertainty of her own baby’s safety .... so few words ... truly breath-taking and heart-stopping .... such a rich picture of the tragedy and glory of humanity. Another favorite is your article on play ... which I recommend reading while listening to Yusuf sing “where do the children play?”
Ruth’s astute historical insight expressed with acute eloquence is an newly opened window letting in a bracing worldly reality.
I, too, was in NY on that ever increasingly fateful day, and her cognizance of its exploitation into profound manifestations of ancient oppressive paradigms is a story that, like so many other historically undeniable ones, is in dire need of chronic reiteration.
Hey, Ruth, am I ever slow? You publish on 9/11/22 the piece you wrote 9/11/21. I would not know what day it is without my devices: alarm clock, phone, computer!
Brilliant Ruth. A reminder for how much has changed since 9.11.01, and how those changes seem to have made a Trump inevitable/possible. “What will happen is a development of what is already happening” wrote Doris Lessing. I am worried...and I will fight.
Imagine a SCOTUS revision of their Al Gore/Bush decision. Would any of the $ made, or senseless murders, needless deaths of so many have happened? I think not!
Excellent piece Ruth, thank you!
"Plunder and lawlessness in contrast with courage and selflessness of so many Americans that day." I find a parnell also in that September11, 2017: 'U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans -- U.S. foreign service information management officer Sean Smith and former Navy SEAL commandos Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were killed during a terrorist attacks on U.S. compounds in Benghazi, Libya.' (source: Chicago Tribune 9/11/2022).
So let me get this straight ... the GOP attempted to criminalize Benghazi, but it's okay to have massive, months long intelligence leaks (Trump) -- that could result in other American intel tragedies, similar to Benghazi ? The two events don't square for the GOP. Aren't American or allies lives what we protect? ' Leave no man behind. It all doesn't square with their (GOP) values.
Please be nice all, we are on the same side for democracy. Stressful times and thoughts for sure, myself included.
[I'm thinking of some issues Anne Nelson had discussed] In the Michigan Governor’s race, polls now have Governor Gretchen Whitmer (Democrat) at a more than 12 percentage point lead over the Trump and DeVos family of West Michigan backed Tudor Dixon (Republican) among likely voters. A major driving force appears to be abortion and women’s rights. Since the overturning of Roe, Whitmer now leads over Dixon among non-college educated voters by 29.8 percentage points. Dixon is an unwavering supporter of the Michigan fundamental abortion ban of 1931, which was suspended by a temporary court injunction. If the abortion ban would be fully restored, it would criminalize abortion with no exceptions and Dixon is against all exceptions to abortion.
Now today Senator Lindsey Graham has just proposed a 15 week “nationwide abortion ban.” The proposal appears to be dividing the Republicans, and Graham is saying, “If we take back the House and the Senate, I can assure you we’ll have a vote on our bill” [….] “If the Democrats are in charge, I don’t know if we’ll ever have a vote on our bill.”
Any thoughts as to possible influences in the mid-term elections in November and possible down ticket races/issues?
I just got home from my late class tonight and checked my email one last time and there was something from the one and only Carole King for the first time ever!!!! She was asking me for more support for the Democrats...........of course I will Carole as I have been doing and will continue to do!!!!
Now will you play your "Been to Canaan" for me? Thank you thank you!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxSmsGJ1b28&list=RDdxSmsGJ1b28&start_radio=1&rv=dxSmsGJ1b28&t=2