Cancel the 9/11 Freedom Walk
With New Orleans and the Gulf States in ruins, now is not the time for purely symbolic acts, especially not cynical ones.
That's why President Bush and the Pentagon should cancel the so-called Freedom Walk scheduled for Sunday, September 11.
From its inception, the Freedom Walk has been controversial. Putting only thinnest veneer of patriotism over pure politics, the Freedom Walk was designed to explictly link 9/11 with the war in Iraq. Starting at the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, registered marchers will walk to the National Mall where festivities will end with a concert by country star Clint Black.
For a Bush administration dealing with plummeting poll numbers and majority opposition to its strategy for Iraq, the intent of the Freedom Walk is clear: rebuild support for the President and the Iraq conflict by going to the 9/11 well one more time. Cementing the fictional linkage between 9/11 and Iraq is central to the event, as the Freedom Walk web site clearly states:
The America Supports You FREEDOM WALK is a walk of remembrance and support. Remembrance of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Pentagon, Twin Towers, and Flight 93 over Pennsylvania, and support of the many American men and women in uniform, past and present, who protect our freedom.
While everyone of course supports the troops, their use as political pawns by the Bush administration has rightly raised howls. Many questioned the purpose of participant registration, especially in light of Commerce Secretary Carlos Guitierrez' message to all employees in his department urging them to participate. The Washington Post pulled out as a Freedom Walk sponsor, after criticism from both inside and outside the paper noted participation violated its own guidelines for employee political activity.
At a higher level, the 9/11 Freedom Walk raises other troubling issues. In essence, high-profile, media focused 9/11 festivities like the Freedom Walk inappropriately commemorate American defeat. They build the growing - and disturbing - societal trend toward mass grief and participatory mourning. Pearl Harbor is remembered with somber, solemn ceremonies and moments of reflection; September 11 should be as well. The United States may yet suffer attacks even more devastating than 9/11; in their wake, institutionalizing pep rallies like the Freedom Walk may come to be source of shame and self-indulgence.
In any event, with hurricane Katrina, the United States has just experienced death and destruction on a scale that grealy exceeds 9/11. The Freedom Walk, whether you view it as sincere or cynical, now seems inappropriate, to say the least.
If anything, let's use September 11, 2005 as a kick-off to raise the resources for and awareness of the rebuilding that President Bush says is needed for the Gulf Coast. At Perrspectives, we support the troops and their families everyday, and see Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Veterans' Day as occasion to honor their sacrifices for our freedom.
Next Sunday's Freedom Walk should be cancelled or at least postponed until Veteran's Day in November. Now is not the time for purely symbolic acts, especially not cynical ones.
As Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu put it Sunday morning, "Our infrastructure is devastated, lives have been shattered. Would the president please stop taking photo-ops?"
Support our troops-bring them home to help their homes.
This is one of the liberal sites I love to hate, but this is one of your most disgusting posts yet.
You've dishonored both President Bush and our troops in just a few hundred words. Thanks for hating America.
Loretta,
You dishonor us all by being so damned naive!
Mark
I'm not sure where Loretta is coming from. Isn't it obvious to everyone that the purpose of the Freedom Walk is to link Iraq and September 11 in people's minds?
I agree with Perspective that having a Pentagon-sponsored Clint Black concert on the Mall does not seem to be an appropriate way to remember the events of that day to begin with. It's less appropriate now.
We've been covering this event at dcdl.org if you're interested in some of the gritty details.
Lorretta,
Bush the weasel has not iota of honor!
WaPo has backed out and now Wash Times rag is offering to sponsor, I wrote to subway and no response!
The Freedom Walk is nothing but a public orgy for Iraq War and Bush supporters. It does NOTHING to honor the sacrifice of Americans and does everything to glofify an incompetent and criminal president and his immoral war policy.
Now, Bush will use it to try to shift focus from his criminal failure in New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast.
As we speak, speechwriters are trying to come up with the perfect metaphors connecting patriotism and supporting the president's action in New Orleans.
It needs to be stopped. What's more, there needs to be a formal effort to stop it!
Loretta and all who think this President is error free.............YOU ARE ALL MINDLESS SHEEP FOLLOWING YOUR SO-CALLED LEADER.
How many more "errors - failures etc." that affect us as Americans will it take before those that back Bush come to reality?
I support our troops and MY husband is one deployed because of this IRAQ INVASION wrongfully set in action by Bush on FALSE information. I BACK OUR TROOPS 200% BUT I REFUSE TO BACK ONE WORD THAT COMES OUT OF BUSH'S MOUTH. He has proven he is NOT capable of protecting anyone except himself and his bank account.
This administration redid every office and Bush put in HIS people in key roles and we have seen how incompetent they are.
All you need is to look at the timeline and where our great leaders were while people in New Orleans were threading water BEFORE our President decided it was worth his time.
Americans need to revolt against this idiodic government leaders before we are the next victims and Bush (our NERO) will fiddle while we (ROME)
all burn.
Loretta,
At least you are honest:
"I love to hate"
How... Republican of you.
The Repubs HAVE to have this event - it's the only chance they have at leveraging 9/11 to help cover the Katrina FUBAR. I could write the script myself, not too hard to imagine, but alas it won't work, it will fall flat with a dull thud onto the broken spirits of a once great nation now seen as impotent thanks to the neo-cons and kooks.