Okay, I think this thread has run it's corrosive course, people have long since stop being civil and I think you should be ashamed at the way you've behaved in this thread.
What started out as simply a sharing of what you felt that day has been dragged through the mud by hatred on all sides.
[addsig]
Let us leave it at this. 911 happend, the WORLD was in sadness. What else does America expect? We hold a day of mourning every year? Not going to happend.
911 happend 2 years ago, now forget about it. There has been alot more important stuff going on since then, for me and probably for all of you guys as well.
Ever since I've been with the Snarkpit, the only threads to generate hate between its members has always been related to 911 and terrorism. Leave this to the big boys running the country. Last topic we had like this got locked, and I'm hoping this one will as well. If you guys want to talk about it, do it elsewhere.
I think you Brits might want to avoid further hypotheses on what life in the United States is 
EDIT: (In reference to the post below) I would expect that all of you who talk about gun control and stopping wars and honoring the Great Institution of the United Nations might have a little more compassion or at least respect. I have no connection save that terrorism was directed at the United States; which means it was aimed at making me scared, at making me want to give up on foreign policy and vilify the President because I need someone to blame.
I think quite a few people might want to avoid playing the offended party The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Let's face it, most of the hurt/insulted replies to this thread are gleefully sanctimonious. They are delighted to have something to be angry about. There's only so far you can expect people to bend over backwards in deference to your ideals.
I dunno how long we should let this discussion go on, but anyway....
I found 9/11 horrifying. I still can't believe people could do something so terrible to other people. It was a terrible human tragedy. I refuse to reduce it to merely 'an attack on america'. It was a crime against humanity. It was something that should have brought us all together across the world, saying "my god how could something like this happen, how can we work together to prevent this?". And for a while maybe it did. But the nationalist spin that americans and the US government put on the tragedy was used to mobilize americans into the same 'us vs them' attitude the terrorists had. And the same willingness to kill thousands of civilians if that was what it would take to win.
As for the flag... the US flag means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Burning a nation's flag- when done by people of that nation- is a strong form of government protest.
Burning an American flag doesn't mean that you want to destroy america, or hate america. It means that you feel the government, and the people perhaps, have strayed and disgraced what the flag and the country stand for. By burning the flag you are saying that THEY have dishonored it, that it has ceased to mean what it should. I wish that I could hold up an american flag proudly, that I could be something more than ashamed to be an american, but I can't do so in good conscience.
I don't see americans saying that the Iraqis shouldn't be allowed to desecrate their country's flag. For f**k's sake, we'd cheer them on. Are they entitled to more freedom of expression than we are? Do we take our country and our government to be so flawless that protest is inconceivable? And if a time comes when things get really bad, don't you want that freedom protected?
edit: btw, Gollum, great post eariler
| ? posted by mazemaster |
| The arbiter over relevance is common sense. Being patriotic because of 9/11 has no relation to the Iraq war. Think about it. |
I assure you that I think a great deal, perhaps more than is healthy.
So that's common sense? Do not rank me with the common man if I must suffer such a crippling disability.
You've been waiting months to play that one haven't you gollum 
I saw the funniest thing on sale in Asda (UK's Wal-Mart) today - "Patriotic Pinball". The blurb on the back said "all the great things about the USA on a table!". Wow, the temptation was almost too great 
Sorry if that came off as anti-american, as I really aren't, it just struck me as humourous after reading this thread earlier in the day 
[addsig]| ? posted by Gollum |
|
I think quite a few people might want to avoid playing the offended party Let's face it, most of the hurt/insulted replies to this thread are gleefully sanctimonious. They are delighted to have something to be angry about. There's only so far you can expect people to bend over backwards in deference to your ideals.
|
For someone as educated as you, that's a pretty stupid assumption. Really, it is. I won't lie to you, I know that there are people here in America (and everywhere) that are like that. But, for you say such a thing... it only shows ignorant opinion that your parents probably taught you. Do you not think that we americans are sincere? Do you think that everything we say is to gain attention? Do you think we don't speak truth? Do you think that what you see on TV is america? Because if you do, you're just as impressionable and stupid as the kids in this thread
Jinx, it means a lot to me that you actually show that you recognize what happened for what it really was. That's really all i was frustrated about! The issue of the event and how the media handled it are two very different things... And you finally clerified to me that you see that. However, you said that it should have brought the world together to prevent this sort of thing from happening again... we knew who was responsible, and we knew where he was located. We could have ended many of the terrorist organizations throughout the world if we really did work together. The UN wasn't too obliged to help us, even if it meant a danger to their own countries. =/ ANYWAY... it seems that you're a tiger and I'm a dragon, heh. And sorry, it seems that the issue of the flag is a difference of opinion, and not of right and wrong. That flag means a whole lot more to others than you might think. Some people burn it to display their protest, while others die to keep it posted. Alas, the tiger and dragon will never get along - and no matter how much they argue, neither will win.
[addsig]
"For someone as educated as you, that's a pretty stupid assumption"
" it only shows ignorant opinion that your parents probably taught you"
because that isnt a poor assumption either...
[addsig]Ok then, here is the common sense:
If A->B and A->C, then C does not necessairily -> B.
| ? posted by Wild Card |
| I believe its = not -> |
-> is perfectly correct in this context. it means "implies" rather than "equals", although "=>" would be slightly more correct useage in ASCII text.
This whole U.S. vs. the world thing is incredibly dumb! can we please not import it to these forums?
[addsig]
5000 deaths=dropped cookie 
a man after my own heart (or lack there of)
it's a good point though, GET OVER IT. I'd much rather we were makeing a big deal about VE day than 9-11
for those of you who don't know VE day = Victory in Europe, May 8th, 1945 when Allied aircraft began dropping food on the defeated germany instead of bombs.
[addsig]
