This weekend I saw an interesting one-man play in NY, "That Day in September."
The play was about one man's experience in the WTC as horror unfolded. 9/11 was the end of America's innocence and the beginning of a more functional, but nevertheless, paranoia. A fascinating book, "The Pity of it All," by Amos Oz is about the similar innocence of the German Jews before the holocaust. Their faith was in reason, and that Hitler, once in power, would be moderated by reality. History proved that feeble.
In the same way, given speed of travel and the decrease of international barriers, how could the free world both remain free and be realistic when there are groups, not a group, with their sole purpose being our elimination. The play reminded me that we are at war, and I don't want to commit the same errors that led to both the holocaust and 9/11, a naive faith in goodness and reason. Tragically, we live in a world that tolerates Saddams and bin Ladens. The play reminded me that the risks remain high.
fred |
