wow. that's one of the most surprisingly beautiful and touching things i've seen.

with all the discussion of commemoration and public memorials, i'm getting worried as we inch toward september. i'm guarding myself already against the media hype and the new york city hoopla.

having been downtown that day, and having been involved in the relief effort until just a few weeks ago, my hope is that some people will figure out how to mark the day with something stunningly poetic, and completely unforgettable. something that marks the passing, the grief, and the unspeakable loss, but something that at the same time celebrates life and opens a window to the future.

Dang.

I, too, worry. The NEA has posted curricular materials, the City is talking about commemorations, the networks are talking it up, NPR did a call in show about how people would spend the day this year... It's creaping me out. I feel like we should commemorate the day by being quiet and spending time with our families.

A commemoration _could_ be a good thing.

What's creepy is how politicians might (sigh, WILL) take advantage of it.

To steal a line from that strip blogged a few days back: "They'd hold a bald eagle f***ing contest if they thought it would impress the public."

Edited by author 08-21-2002 02:08 PM
Stefan, so much of what's going on is, metaphorically, a bald eagle f***ing contest. The hyper-patriotism, flag-waving and all. What I fear is a quick fix circumventing of the Bill Of Rights in the name of homeland security---it's 'more patriotic than thou' time in the U.S. A high profile commemoration will just fan the flames.

Non-geek makes vocabulary inquiry: what does "slashdotted" mean? To appear on slashdot.org, or what?

hm. i'm a new yorker. i know that i want to do something to mark 9/11/02. but i know i really don't want to be out at some public parade or official event. and, while i respect them, regular churches don't do it for me.

for me, one of the most moving memories of last September was the natural, unofficial, spontaneous way that people responded to the attacks. the candles, the flowers, the signs on the street. the gathering in parks and plazas. the overwhelming kindness of one to another. the hush on the subway.

i'm inspired by the 110 stories poem, and am starting to wonder if it would feel right to gather with friends, on a rooftop overlooking Manhattan that morning. maybe to do something symbolic -- that involves the number 110, twice. once for each tower.

in the evening, i would love to be with friends again, putting hundreds of candles out on the streets, to echo the way that people gathered together in those days after the attacks.

does anyone have any idea spin off of this? i'm curious to hear.

Good guess, Meriadoc. "To be slashdotted" (or "the slashdot effect") refers to a site being linked from slashdot.org AND subsequently being so swamped by traffic as to become unavailable.

You'll sometimes see a comment on slashdot saying "Slashdotted. Mirror available at [url]."

Members of the slashdot.org community sometimes joke about wishing slashdot could have the same effect on sites they hate as it does on sites they love.

Cory, you're new link seems to be dead.

Lisa, that sounds perfect --very much the way my friends and I will remember. For me all those private acts of sorrow and appreciation that accumulating into one giant public act of sorrow symbolized us as a nation.

And it reinforces the point---remembrance should be private, not some dog and pony show thought up by the polititians or the networks in a jingoistic tribute to our national ego.