What Won't We Forget?

As cliché as it may be at this point to write a blog concerning the events which conspired 5 years ago, I think this one might be a bit different. As just about every public figure pronounced on our day of infamy, the world is a different place. From my position, keeping current with the news and currents events there are a few areas that I would have to disagree. Were we rocked when it happened? Yes. Did we as Americans really change from that terrible day? The primary premise of this is "no", we haven't.

Just surfing the AFN (Armed Forces Network) schedule of shows last night I noticed about 3 or 4 documentaries about what happened. In the recent months there have been 2 major movies about 9/11 or something related. So what can we gather with that? Well, I see it being either of two ways, for one it could show that Americans will capitalize on anything. The timeline as to wait before the movies were made was roughly 5 years, is that our new aura of sacredness when we can start profiting from it now? Or are these pictures and shows meant as a memorial? Are they there to retell the story so that we will not forget? Only the creators know their true motives, I can only speculate.

I wonder if this time of year will become a true time of reflection and memorial, I wouldn't be surprised if in the next few years it becomes a federal holiday. I am reminded of stories from some of the older generations about how they approached days of reverence. They were talking about what it was like during Memorial Day years following WWII and the Korean War. It was a sobering atmosphere; people actively remembered what had taken place and knew someone who had been in the wars. Today, Memorial Day is just another day off. Well, not completely I know it is a big shopping day with all the Memorial Day Specials and whatnot, such a great way to remember and honor those who paid for freedom with blood.

My biggest question I ask, probably more rhetorically than it being an actual question, what won't we forget? Do we resound and proclaim that we won't forget 9/11 happened? Or is it that we are a changed nation? Or is it that there is a large vacant lot in the heart of the financial district that can no longer make a lot of money? I throw these out there because as a whole I would have to disagree "the world is a different place". Although I truly believe it is different and the majority of Americans also say that it is different, the way people have resumed their lives does not show it. I suppose I mean to say do we truly believe the world is a different place?

Let's knock out the obvious first of all. Those of us that are in the military, of course it has changed, we all have or are waiting to get deployed sometime in the near future. Then next most impacted group in this changed world are the airport security and Homeland Defense, I suppose that can count as a major change. Is that all there really is though? Granted, there are regular sections in the news about the war on terror to deliver the daily body count, politicians claim and say this or that, but I think there is a fair number who don't truly believe the world has changed. I don't intend on making this a rally 'round the flag blog to say support our troops. I think this is about "what happened to public responsibility"?

I can recall from my civilian days both pre and post 9/11, the average American did not find national security, public safety, or the enforcement of the law any of their own business. This is directed to those not working as some kind of public service. Somewhere in our history, the public disconnected themselves with safety issues concerning the nation. There are three major points in our history that might have directly impacted such an attitude change. One, the federalization of the public militia. In 1903, all public militias were reclassified as the Army National Guard. The entire purpose of the militia according to the Constitution is that in the event the current government gets unruly and strays too far from what it should be, the militia would be there to get the country back on track. However, ever since the militia has been an arm of the government it has been disabled from its original purpose.

The second point would be the social revolutions in the 1960's. During the 60's: prayer left public schools, evolution entered more furiously than ever; birth control became widely available giving rise to "free love", which directly related to removing peoples' personal responsibility in the art of baby making and previous care people had for their bodies; the revolt against authority could be correlated with the lying the government did and got caught doing, people no longer trusted the organization meant to serve the people. Instead of becoming a driving force of political reform for the better, they gave up on the due process and politicians altogether. The shift of the social attitude that put the youth against the older generation, expressed in the mantra "Don't trust anyone over 30" (except the pot smoking college professors), put the great divide between the generation that was finding itself against the generation who fought the world's largest war and built the country to be the world power. When the generation finally did find themselves they wanted little to do with anything that did not directly affect them. I do believe the social revolution was the greatest contributing factor to the complete selfishness found in personal attitudes. I am not claiming people were not selfish previously, but at that time period it became socially acceptable and then expected to watch out for numero uno.

The final point I believe to contribute to the overall apathy over public security was the volunteer military. Don't get me wrong I think it is a great thing to never have to wonder if a draft would be my next trip for several years in an unknown land. Those whom were deemed acceptable for military service could then be picky and thus have a more efficient fighting force. The moral would not be that of continuous resentment because each individual chose to join. As a whole it did benefit the military and the public view of the military. On the other side though, no longer having concern over being drafted leads to one having no need to be concerned with threats to the country. Why would someone whom previously might have held interest in what the military was doing because at any time he might be a part of it care to stay interested in something that will not impact him? "Because it does not impact me, I do not care" is probably the origin of the public apathy for security. I think the following generation graduated to "Because I do not care, it is none of my business". Those attitudes bring us to today. When was the last time anyone has seen a news article about a citizen's arrest? A regular person preventing a crime? A bystander rescuing people from a burning building? People generally do not get involved in anything that is not their direct concern.

It is impossible for only people on a payroll to successfully manage all the dangers to the public. The situation of public and national security is sad. In 2006, there were 2,455,837 military. At the same time there was an estimated 298,593,212 Americans. Less than 1% of the population is attempting to secure national safety. Does that mean in the event the US is attacked on our own soil only 1 out of every 100 people will defend it? I sincerely hope not.

The summation of all this, people forgot before they could even started to remember. The new threat to our personal security in 9/11 did not change the world to the general public. If this nation would ever truly "Never Forget" then first we need to remember: everyone who lives within our borders are partially responsible to secure the part of the country they reside.