RUTHFULLY YOURS

The 10^th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, complete with official speech-making, TV crews on ground zero and all the rest, seems to be evolving into an annual commemoration. So far so good, but what really matters are not the publicized festivities, but whether the reasons for 9/11—an unprovoked militant Islamic terrorist attack on the United States—remains etched in our collective memory. I am not optimistic. Left on its own, September 11^th runs the risk of becoming just a one line item in those “On This Day in History” lists or a brief calendar note, and with that, comes amnesia.

Keeping history alive demands prodigious effort. As a youngster  attending New York City public schools during the early 1950s civic holidays had a simple significance—no school. But, this benefit came with a price—an extra dollop of history. So, every February lessons covered George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and since Thanksgiving brought no school for two days, the Pilgrims got three days in the limelight. And this was on top of countless lectures that recounted America’s setbacks and subsequent triumphs. Holidays were teachable events even when school was not in session. During the 19^th century July 4^thmeant patriotic speech-making, essay contests and similar displays of national pride. Memorial Day, which actually began after the Civil War, had parades of veterans in military uniforms and solemn speeches honoring those who sacrificed their lives to preserve our freedom.

It is all too easy to minimize the didactic role of civic occasions in diverse, polyglot nations like the United States during times of great immigration. Such remembrances provide the glue that holds us together, a way of reinforcing a common identity. My mother who arrived from Poland in 1938 not knowing a word of English nevertheless would tell me the Washington cherry tree story, a tale that she had undoubtedly acquired in night school when learning English. Keep in mind that the US, by Constitutional design (the First Amendment), is a secular nation and so patriotic events must replace religious holidays to reinvigorate the faith. Ironically, historical accuracy is not always paramount. Cannot-tell-a-lie George Washington probably did not chop down the cherry tree and confess it to his father, but who can deny that this tale helps impart a message regarding the importance of truth telling (and I never disputed my mother’s faith).

Unfortunately, holidays as teachable patriotic moments are quickly vanishing to be replaced by exercises in consumerism. Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays hardly exist anymore having been replaced by a generic “Presidents Day” whose message is “50% off.” Thanksgiving brings turkey-centered gluttony, TV football and the “official” mad-dash run to Wal-Mart to begin Christmas shopping before all the bargains disappear. I can always tell the week prior to the 4^th of July—stores publicize specials on beer, hot dogs, and picnic supplies and where legal, fireworks. Memorial Day, a supposedly solemn event honoring America’s war dead celebrated at the end of May and Labor Day, which honors American workers, now signifies the beginning and end of the summer rental season.

Meanwhile, other historically events that should be etched into our collective memory, e.g., Pearl Harbor, V-E and V – J Day, the Kennedy assassination, slide into a back page “This Day in History” list. How many Americans have any idea of when the Korean War began and ended, why we fought it or that 36,000 Americans died defending South Korea? How many youngsters can define “the Cold War” and list our adversaries?

To be sure, nearly all Americans of the current generation understand what 9/11 signifies while ground zero has become a top New York City tourist site. But, in a decade or two, unless there is a conscious effort to the contrary, 9/11 will become a hazy memory and with that loss of memory will necessarily bring a softening of resolve in a war against tenacious Muslim terrorism. Not surprisingly, President Obama has taken the lead in this endeavor. The White House has recently announced its guidelines for memorial events and the stress should be on those who perished, first responders and what the government is currently doing to prevent new attacks. The perpetrators—fanatical suicidal Muslims–have already been airbrushed from history. Yes, terrorism is mentioned but references should be to “all victims of terrorism, including those who had been targeted by Al Qaeda and other groups around the globe.” Just like Presidents Day—a nonspecific commemoration about as attention-getting as Arbor Day.

The softening of 9/11 is perhaps best seen by recounting what is scheduled in my own neighborhood a few blocks from ground zero. Included is an early morning informal program of poetry, music and passages in appreciation of peace and unity, a photographic exhibition, various church choral events, some concerts, a bell ringing, and a barbeque.

The bending over backwards to avoid offending Muslims is a prescription for amnesia.  Far too sanitized, an empty message bereft of any sense of good versus evil. Sort of like discussing World War II and avoiding fingering the Japanese and Germans. Students must learn that the perpetrators were Muslim zealots with no respect for human life driven by a fanatical hatred of the West and its civilization. Naming of the enemy is inescapable and their despicable behavior must be explained in ways that make sense to millions born after September 2001. After all, we still face the same threat. Anything less just makes 9/11 into an event akin to a deadly hurricane—an act of nature lacking a human perpetrator.

And be warned, left-wing educators may twist reality so future 9/11 commemorations will become sermons on the dangers of Islamophobia. Don’t’ laugh—millions of American students “learn” that the singular feature of the domestic anti-communism campaign during the 1950s was witch-hunting McCarthyism, not apprehending Soviet spies. Some left-leaning educators may even insist that the events of 9/11 be treated with “balance,” that is, explaining how US support for Muslim dictators and stationing US troop in Saudi Arabia drove Muslims to violence. Or maybe it was poverty and racism.

Civic commemorations best survive if commercial interests market them, and not even Hallmark is likely to figure out how to profit from accurately portraying the 9/11 attacks. Perhaps we should emulate militant gay activists with a “Muslim Terrorist Awareness Day” to be celebrated on September 11^th. My own guess is that 9/11 will vanish down the memory hole as a teachable moment since truth is “too controversial” and may convey the “wrong” message about Islam. So, at the tenth anniversary of 9/11, appreciate it in its fullness as it may be the last truthful accounting, if that.

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Robert Weissberg is emeritus professor of political science, University of Illinois-Urbana and currently an adjunct instructor at New York University Department of Politics (graduate). He has written many books, the most recent being: The Limits of Civic Activism, Pernicious Tolerance: How teaching to “accept differences” undermines civil society and Bad Students, Not Bad Schools. Besides writing for professional journals, he has also written for magazines like the Weekly Standard and currently contributes to various blogs.