On 9/11/2001, I was one of the many people in New York City to watch the fall of the World Trade Towers. The sights, sounds, and memories of that day will be something that I continue to think about throughout my life. There are no positive memories of that morning and there never will be for me.
As vivid as the memories of that morning have been over the last decade, the memories of people moving to action in New York to serve the victims, the families, and the public servants of 9/11 are as vivid. In a matter of minutes and hours, an act that was meant to freeze the country and our freedom, led to an outpouring of immediate action. If terrorism is about creating inaction, our country is about action. If the business of America is business, the action of America is action.
Action America is an organization founded to allow people to serve, donate, and share in their local communities in the spirit of the millions of people who spontaneously responded and served the country after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. The goal of Action America is to annually create the largest set of positive actions across America to help turn 9/11 into a day of positive action. Kenny Dichter, the Founder of Marquis Jet, and I founded Action America to increase volunteerism and to amplify the efforts of the many people and organizations who have committed themselves to making 9/11 a day of positive actions.
For 2012, Action America is focusing our efforts on three organizations -- The 9/11 Memorial, Tuesday's Children, and The Wounded Warrior Project. We are also partnering with the 9/11 Day of Service to offer volunteer opportunities in thousands of communities across the country.
Twenty-six percent of Americans did volunteer work in 2011, totaling 8.1 billion volunteer hours. Our country is built on a foundation of service and the fact that a quarter of Americans volunteer is a powerful message that Americans are united in selflessly improving their communities, one volunteer at a time. Serving and volunteering can happen in small ways and in big ways. We are very proud of the people and organizations that are moving the country forward by giving time and energy around 9/11.
We will always remember 9/11 as a senseless tragedy. We hope 9/11 will also become a day of action and a day to improve the future of the country and our communities. We hope you will visit ActionAmerica.com and a find a way to become one of the Americans that sends a message to the world -- inaction and terror don't live in this country.
Action Up -- TA
Rev. Canon Charles P. Gibbs: Transform the Legacy of Sept. 11
Charles Redfern: My 9/11 Journey
Yes, Tim...a senseless tragedy that could have been avoided or
lessened, but for the inaction at the highest level of government
Those very same elected and appointed officials who, later took action,
and invaded the wrong country in the name of retaliation. We should have
confronted the country from which most of the terrorists emanated. The Saudi's.
More than ever today we live in a globalized world, a "global village," that has become interconnected and interdependent. The idea that America is somehow superior contradicts the image, the foundation, of the global village. More than ever, especially in accordance with the predominance of global crises today in economics, education, climate change, and culture, is the need for "us" to change and not "them."
The 21st century world is one founded on interconnection and interdependence and it calls for an attitude, a foundation, of mutual responsibility in order for stability and well-being to be achieved and maintained.
Part 1:
I have no problem with community service, with strengthening American values, or with bringing us closer after a national tragedy. I do, however, have a problem with the idea of American exceptionalism, which seems to undermine many activities which exist within the U.S. (and through the U.S. as they act abroad).
For instance, have we truly sought to understand the reasons for 9/11, or do we simply respond to the symptoms of a crisis, creating bogus claims: "They don't like our freedom," etc. Because this is not the chief motivation of anyone. Much more scientifically, and provably, the world does not like the idea of American exceptionalism: That we are somehow better than others, able to command others in how they operate, and given authority to go in and reconstruct how systems operate.
This, to me, is the chief cause of 9/11. It does not give credence for the actions of terrorists (such actions should never be condoned). But it should help to shed a light on the reason for why such actions occur.
It created two illegal wars and one Americans will be unable to win and drain its treasure hundreds of billions per year.
This American reaction played right into the terrorist’s plans. They knew it was not just about flying through two tall buildings but they knew the American war machine would use 9/11 to overreact.
The amount of money now spent on intelligence gathering is in the hundreds of billions of dollars per year while the American infrastructure is crumbling and education is short funded and cities go bankrupt and pensions are short funded.
This nation since 9/11 is more divided as ever. Never ever underestimate your enemy.
And did Bush do anything that greatly displeased bin Laden -- or just what the latter intended?
Imperialism ain't senseless it's small minded. We had a choice after WWll. Stand with the people or the power we chose vested interests and similar shades. In Vietnam that meant we kept Japanese garrisons in charge after VJ Day. They knew how to handle the natives. In the Middle East the imperative was appeasement and American elections. Presto Israel. Is that a sin?