So, we went to Starbucks, which is our usual Sunday thing, but this morning Starbucks was giving away free coffee from 8 to 11 in 'honor' of 9/11.
Oh man, I just don't know what to think. Is it a nice gesture or is it the beginning of the slippery slope? Even the baristas seemed timid and unsure as they told patrons their coffee was free, and the patrons seemed confused more than anything. Maybe we all had a twinge of unease, seeing the potential future this kind of 'honoring' may lead to.
In twenty years, will furniture and car sale supplements splash out in red, white, and blue with a ghosted Twin Towers in the background for their 9/11 50% Off Sale to 'honor' that day? Will supermarkets be extoling us to Stock Up for Your 9/11 Barbecue!
Will I throw up on myself when I see something like that?
Yeah, I probably will.
So, when I see things about making 9/11 a National holiday, well, I just don't know. It seems like it might be the right thing to do on the surface. But below the surface, man, there's a nasty monster called forgetfulness and eventually, people will be looking forward to their 9/11 three day weekend without a thought to the origins of the day.
Look at Memorial Day, right?
3 comments:
It all makes me feel queasy, too. I did not watch a moment of the TV coverage, or look at any of the articles. I'm just not ready. I had to work the day of the anniversary, and as much as it sucks to work a stupid retail job on the weekend, I felt proud going in that day. I was part of the American Corporate Greed Machine on this anniversary, doing what nearly 3,000 people were doing/hoping to do ten years ago. And working for The Man was why they were murdered. So, I felt that I honored them, at least in some small way, by going to work and doing what Americans do: making money, and making even more money for our bosses.
So, yeah, it's weird Starbucks would give the coffee away for free. I think companies should charge double every September 11, just to stick it to the terrorists.
Oh. And, I'm totally distracted, so I forgot pretty much the whole reason I was writing in the first place. Sorry to post twice, and so much, at that. But, the only thing that comes close to September 11 in scope was the attack on Pearl Harbor, and I think the anniversaries are handled well. It's on the calendars and people and groups have ceremonies, but it's not a big hairy national cookout BOGO three-day-weekend holiday. So hopefully the precedence PHD established helps us find our way with marking the anniversaries of the September 11 attacks.
Chrissy, I agree. The way we handle Pearly Harbor should set the standard.
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