We Said We’d Never Forget, Did We? (Opinion)

I was still in college at the time – history class, ironically, was the first class of the day. As I pulled into the parking lot of Mount Saint Mary’s in Emmitsburg, MD only a few miles away from Camp David, the Presidential retreat, another college student told me a plane had just hit one of the World Trade Center towers in New York, the event which occurred at 8:46 a.m. My mind immediately went to a small plane such as a Cessna, and I was expecting that somebody had tried to pull a stupid maneuver trying to fly a plane between the towers, perhaps in some advertising stunt gone terribly wrong.

I arrived at class a bit early, and turned on the TV to a news channel to find out more. My class was scheduled to start at 9 am that day, but our teacher was running a couple minutes late. So, just as he was about to turn off the TV, the second plane hit the South Tower at 9:03 am, live on TV as we were still comprehending what had happened to the North Tower. The gravity of the situation immediately set in for all of us, and the room became completely silent.

We watched, in horror, as both towers burned, followed by the news of another plane hitting the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. I could tell one of my classmates was rather distressed about what was going on, so I asked if he was okay. He told me his parents worked in one of the towers. When the South Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m., he left the room. We never saw him again the rest of the semester, and I do not know if he ever returned to Mount Saint Mary’s.

I ended up leaving early that day, after I heard about the United Airlines Flight 93 crashing in Pennsylvania. At this point, I was extremely concerned that I might not be able to get home if I didn’t leave soon, as it was quite possible they might shut down Route 77, which travels very close to Camp David. Plus, to be perfectly honest, I wanted to spend the rest of the day with my family, which I was completely isolated from due to widespread cellular network disruption that day.

The terror attacks of September 11, 2001 were meant to strike fear into America, cripple its economy and make its people afraid. Instead, it united us, and on September 12, 2001, I don’t think there was a single city block anywhere across America without an American Flag. We were one country, united together against the enemy that had just attacked us and killed 2,977 people.

Last night, we witnessed the continuation of what has become probably one of the most divisive times in our country since the US Civil War in the 1860’s. Two Presidential candidates insulting each other and their parties, both at complete opposite ends of the political spectrum. Neither candidate seems interested in uniting the country and finding ways for both parties to work together, because right now we are in a war of ideologies, conservative vs. liberal, Republican vs. Democrat. And the biggest insult of it all, is that they held such an event the evening before the commemoration of one of the most terrible loss of life on American soil in our lifetimes.

I turned 43 years old this year, and I am tired. I’m tired of the hate, tired of the division, tired of the “us vs. them” mindset which has become so pervasive in this country. I’m tired of people being ugly to each other. I’m tired of the news media and cable television playing off our fears and making us more afraid just for better ratings. And yes, they do this intentionally because like it or not, fear sells. Fear drives ratings, fear results in more clicks, fear puts more money in the pockets of these rich network executives which unlike the people they’re making afraid, aren’t struggling because they’re making a ridiculous amount of money profiting off the people who are struggling, the people who are afraid.

You know what else I’m tired of? The sentiment that if someone doesn’t agree with your opinion, they’re a terrible person. The sentiment that if a news media outlet’s reporting doesn’t agree with your point of view (or God forbid the news is unbiased), they’re “yellow journalism”, “not real journalists”, “fake news”, or my favorite “red-pilled yay-hoos.” If it means that I can sleep at night knowing we’re telling people only the facts of the matters and letting them make up their own minds, then I guess I’m okay with being labeled as “not a real journalist”. If it means I get fewer clicks because I refuse to sensationalize headlines, then I guess I’m okay with being labeled a “red-pilled yay-hoo”. If it means telling the truth even when it’s uncomfortable to hear, then I guess I’m okay with being labeled as “fake news”.

Somebody recently told me that I “doth protest too much” when it comes to people attacking the credibility of our site. The hard truth of the matter is, I haven’t protested enough. For several years I simply brushed it off any time someone said we weren’t a real news media outlet, but apparently my silence was only giving them perceived validation. So I’m not going to be silent anymore, and I’m going to start standing up and speaking very loudly about the current state of this community and country. And let me tell you something, if you are simply categorizing people as terrible people just based on their political affiliation alone, you are part of the problem. And yes, that applies to all parties.

So here’s an uncomfortable truth. Are you ready for it? Both of these Presidential candidates are terrible choices. Neither of these candidates are the unifier that this country needs right now. We don’t need the Republican solution or the Democrat solution, we need the United States of America solution, the one that in fact unites our country, instead of divide it. It’s okay to prefer one political candidate over another, but consistently demonizing the other party’s candidate just because of the (R) or (D) at the end of their name is slowly destroying our country. And we have no-one to blame but ourselves for this situation. When’s the last time you talked with your neighbor with the yard sign for the political candidate you don’t support? When’s the last time you showed up at a local City Council or County Commissioner meeting looking for common ground among everyone, instead of simply stating your side of an opinion?

We have more in common with our neighbors, even those of different political parties, than we realize. And here’s another uncomfortable truth for you. It’s not going to matter who becomes President, because in the end we’re still heading for economic troubles. If we’re going to get through it, we’re going to need to all work together, and not against each other, locally. Did you know that in some places, neighbors talk to each other and plan together who is planting what for their gardens in the spring, so they can all swap food and reduce their living expenses? We need more of that in our country and communities, and less of the petty political arguing bullshit.

I hope, and pray, that our country makes it another four years. Hell, I hope our country makes it until the November elections. And I hope that they go peacefully. But damn am I worried they won’t, no matter who wins.

On September 12, 2001, we stood united as a country and promised we’d never forget. For all of you currently wrapped up in the demonizing of the “other” political party, how quickly you forgot.

Opinion article by Ken Buckler. All opinions are his own, and do not represent those of our clients or sponsors.

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