The memory is seared into my brain cells.
September 11, 2001.
I won’t play the where were you – where was I game with you – but I’m sure that just mentioning it sets off your own triggers.
Hard to believe that 10 years has gone by and that hatred still fuels the murder of innocents.
So after a decade what has changed?
The knee jerk reaction is to talk about technology; new media; social channels…
All true – but have we learned?
Not much, it would seem, as a good deal of the power of the new is way too often applied to the evil goals of the old.
So what do we do? What can we do?
Wish I had the answer – wish I had an answer…
But I do know one thing…
Listen:
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Martin Luther King Jr.
So in the week before 9/11 – don’t be silent. Find something, somewhere to speak out about.
Go on record to fight an injustice; add your name to a petition; write to an elected official; donate to a good cause; use the power of your own network to help right a wrong…
Note to self – silence is not a legacy…
What do you think?
More on 9/11 and my participation in a memorial next week.
I remember exactly where I was and I remember the exact moment when I realised it was an attack rather than a (highly improbable) mistake.
Someone else said, “Bad things happen when good men do nothing”. (Was it Churchill?) Sadly, this is a truism very common to this era of ‘immediate gratification’ and the hell with everyone else.
David…we were in your office at wunderman on 6th avenue when the first tower fell, having a meeting. We had turned on the tv as i recall, wondering what was up, and it dawned on us how major this was. Yes, hard to believe 10 years has passed, no??
9/11 is a day to remember… what we are living and fighting for?
Our god, our nation, our family, money, power… and what about our world?
Our world is divided by 7 seas, and so we are divided by culture and faith.
Centuries ago we had brave men sailing and finding new routes and new land.
Yes, I know that there were money and power behind their intents too but,
still they were brave enough to sail to where our culture and faith believed
to be a no return trip, straight to the edge of the world…
New land were found, new men were born, culture evolved…
We need to be brave… we need to lead the way to a new and peaceful land!
you see, as scaring as the edge of the world, is “mine” becoming “ours”…
RIP all innocents that die everyday for our ocean of differences…
Thank you David for those inspiring words.
I did as you suggested and signed a petition, wrote to elected officials and President Obama AND went a step further and even started a Twitter account for a specific cause that I’m passionate about. In just three days, a national organization is following me! Wow! And for months I was scared of Twitter. Why? Not sure. I assumed it would take up considerable time. But it’s better than email or Facebook or perhaps it’s the best of both worlds for reaching the masses with short impactful messages in a few seconds and a link for “followers” to continue reading. I have hope.
I have to agree with Lesley’s comment. Too many people are silent and continue their daily routine that evil prevails. Indeed silence is not a legacy. I remain outspoken.