Media-Induced 9/11 Syndrome

[GRUNHERZ]

Originally posted by FUNKED1
Something like 150,000 people die every day, many of them in tragic circumstances, pretty much all of whom I've never met, all of whom are very much like me as far as I'm concerened.  If I extended them all the same feelings I extend to those I know, I wouldn't have any feelings left to extend.  I'd have to hire illegal laborers to grieve for me.  What I don't get is why people would pick 3,000 of them to continually obsess over for years on end, just because they were on TV and spoke the same language and lived inside the same artificial political boundaries.  Even more to the point, what I don't get is why people take it even further and use thier vicarious grief for those 3,000 to justify the infliction of tragedies on a far greater scale across the globe.

Funky are you really this bad now?

"Artificial political Boundaries" have you no sense of identidy as an American? Does it mean nothing to you?  Why dont you just move to another set of "Artificial political boundaries" say like Ghana or Bangladesh.

What has happend to you in the past few years?  What's next dude, attending anti-west anti-capitalist protests in frisco?

[cav58d]

Your a real piece of work funked...I'm not even going to bother telling you my direct connection to 9/11...Your memory has obviously fallen short...

Even if I were in a different scenario, and had zero connection to the dead on 9/11, it would have still effected me the same...My country was attacked...The terrorist didnt pick the WTC, the Pentagon, and whatever other target they were headed for because "Joe XYZ, and Mary123" worked there...They targeted those institutions because AMERICAN's worked there...I dont care if you knew someone who was murdered during the attacks or not...Whether you live 30 minutes from the city or 3,000 miles away...Theres one thing that all American's living on September 11th 2001 have in common with eachother...We were all targets then, and in the eyes of Jihadists, we are all targets now...If you cant see that now, then you never will...I think you are extremely disrespectful...You know many of us on these boards hold 9/11 very close to our hearts, and yet you still instigate...  Your no different than the scum trying to press political ideology down at the trade center today...

Ya know what...That just made me think of something...During the 8+ hours I spent at "ground zero" today, I had to see atleast 300,000-400,000 pass through...No way all 3-4 hundred thousand could have been related 2, or known a victim....But there just posers to you right?

Love it or leave it

[FUNKED1]

   

[Squire]

I think as a species, we feel the need to mark and remember tragedies. Air India, Pearl Harbor, 9-11, the Tsunami, the 1918 Influenza, the Halifax explosion, Titanic, whatever... Its what people do. We mark tragedies, and we mark successes.

As far as "wallowing" in it, sure, at some point, you need to move on, its part of the grieving process.

I have a much larger problem with TV news making "shows" out of murder and bloodshed, like the Jon Benet Ramsey case, than I do about 9-11 memorial programs. "Nancy Grace" is nothing more than a "murder for titilation" show, it serves no real purpose other than to be voiristic, long after the "need to know" info has been reported.

9-11 memorial programs served a respectfull function of marking a tragic anniversary.

Can it get over the top? sure, at times, but thats a sign to read a book or take a walk, you dont have to watch CNN 24/7....

Just a few thoughts.

[Rooster]

Funked  


Empathy is an emotion I try to save for kith and kin. Extending that to tragic events and to the people directly affected by them is a short term investment. The anger that follows and a will to do something lasts longer, but the media desire to dress everyone in hair shirts and continually find victimhood in it, is what I find creepy.

[Suave]

Reminds me of a George Carlin bit about the nightly news.

 "40 people gunned down in some equatorial country who the hell knows where.. who cares."
 "4 people gunned down in the next state...oh hot ****!, hey everybody shutup I'm trying to hear the TV."

[lazs2]

funked... I don't like all the hype either but...  I think you are missing a fundamental point.

millions die every year.  But.... you read biographies don't you?  you read about fighter pilots and race car drivers that you do not know.   You read and emphasize about people all the time.  

You do because the deaths were.... if nothing else... unusual.  out of the ordinary.

I don't care about the blue states or new york city but... this was history in the making.... airliners crashing into skyscrapers on purpose?   are you kidding?   that and the 3000 people killed by the religious nutjobs is worthy of anyones attention I would think.    

People are stoned to death by mobs in muslim countries....no big deal.... people stoned to death here.... big deal...

dog bites man...no big deal... man bites dog... big deal.

methinks that it is something else that bothers you about the whole thing.

That the patriotism and the use/misuse of same is the real problem for you.

The actual stories are appealing to a large number of people... to everyone in fact to varieing degrees.

I personaly am pretty bored with it tho.

oh.... and watching sports seems much more moronic to me...

lazs

[Bruno]

millions die every year. But.... you read biographies don't you? you read about fighter pilots and race car drivers that you do not know. You read and emphasize about people all the time.

You do because the deaths were.... if nothing else... unusual. out of the ordinary.

I read those types of biographies but not because of how they died but how they lived. I wouldn't read a book based on the life story of a WTC janitor or desk jockey just because they died on 9/11. Some might, I guess...

Most folks not connected to the families or the 'dead' themsleves only worry about the 'dead' in these types of tragedies after the fact. You never heard anything about WTC workers when they were alive. Where was all the :

'Salute, to all the hard working brokers at the WTC...'

If anyone of those that died in the WTC died in say a car accident or had heart attack no one out side their immediate circle of family and friends would blink twice.

However, folks cope however they can and if it makes them feel better throwing out faux 'prayers' and 'salutes' then have at it. I was never good at manufacturing empathy for those I do not know. It seems to me all the media is more about exploitation of 9/11 then it is in remembrance.  Of course I am just a cynical Ami-hater.

Frontline had a decent show on last night entitled Terrorism, Death and God. That's about as much 'media 9/11' I could stand.

[lazs2]

bruno... I would say that the event and the series of events leading to it were indeed very interesting...  one  doesn't have to be interested in each individual that died....  Just as hiroshima and the events leading to it are interesting regardless of the individuals involved.

lazs

[Holden McGroin]

Originally posted by Squire
I think as a species, we feel the need to mark and remember tragedies. Air India, Pearl Harbor, 9-11, the Tsunami, the 1918 Influenza, the Halifax explosion, Titanic, whatever... Its what people do. We mark tragedies, and we mark successes.

What did you do to celebrate on July 20?

[Bruno]

Originally posted by lazs2
bruno... I would say that the event and the series of events leading to it were indeed very interesting...  one  doesn't have to be interested in each individual that died....  Just as hiroshima and the events leading to it are interesting regardless of the individuals involved.

lazs

When I read about a fighter pilot etc... It's not about his death and how he died but how he lived and fought. Many are still alive, same goes for most soldiers etc...

When I read about Hiroshima I am less interested in the deaths and destruction and am more interested in what lead to the decisions. The personal stories about 'what I was doing when the bomb went off' are less interesting. I won't grieve over the tens of thousands that were 'lost' in Hiroshima and Nagasaki either.

Most of the 9/11 media stuff is presented in such away so that the viewer will personalize it and to evoke an emotional re-action. That's what I won't partake in, especially after 5 years. All the 'grieving' and 'sorrow' I will leave to those who have real cause.

[Squire]

My point is we mark tragedies, with or without the media, and the nearer they were in the past, the more attention they will get, and thats just normal. The stuff we remember sticks with us much more than earlier events do. 9-11 was only 5 yrs ago.

Btw "celebrate" isnt the right term, rather "observe". On June 23rd of last year there were services to commemorate the 1985 Air India bombing that killed 280 Canadians. I wouldnt call that "media induced" I would just say its a normal marking of a tragedy.

[Gh0stFT]

Originally posted by Bruno
I won't grieve over the tens of thousands that were 'lost' in Hiroshima and Nagasaki either

of course you want't grieve
but what is left is the way those civilians souls 'lost' theyr life forever,
imagine all those destroyed familys. and you talk about decisions ?
at 9/11 alot familys got destroyed too, its the way they lost there life
and thats why people still grieve and remember.

[moot]

GhostFT I think his point is that the media achieves nothing but zombie repetition of the same 'emotion'.
There comes a time when it's best to move on.  All things considered, the sooner that broken-record state of mind is replaced with something functional, the better.

[Bruno]

but what is left is the way those civilians souls 'lost' theyr life forever,

its the way they lost there life

Dead is dead, would anyone of  those deaths in Hiroshima been last 'tragic' to the family and close friends had they died from a sudden heart attack? Or in car crash? or struck by lightening?

I won't make-up scenarios and 'put myself' in made-up situations just to provide some equally made-up emotional response. As Funked said people die every day, I am sure each death is a tragedy to some one. Let those who know them grieve.

you talk about decisions

What did I say about 'descisions' that is so remarkable?