9.11.2005

The Iraq War March (which happens to fall on 9/11)

We've already got solemn days of remembrance and recognition for the military: Armed Forces Day (May 21), a Veteran's Day (November 11), and a Memorial Day (May 30). So when the organizer of today's military-style Freedom March argued on NPR today that politics had nothing to do with it, it seems a bit disengenous. But, we don't need to speculate; Mark Robbins from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management makes the flawed link--that foreign wars could've prevented an attack on our soil: "To commemorate the events of 9/11, especially for the men and women overseas who are making sure 9/11 doesn't happen again." For the families of 9/11's victims, it's too bad the Bush administration can't refrain from leveraging a grief that's probably still potently raw.

Other perspectives on the 9/11 anniversary:
Bill Moyers on "9/11 and the Sport of God"
Mark Benjamin for Salon: "Let's Iraq and roll: In a surreal twist on the public demonstration, the Pentagon put on a show Sunday to mark 9/11 and honor U.S. troops serving in the war"
Michael Moore: "A Letter to All Who Voted for George W. Bush"

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