Where were you when the world stopped turning?

About 30 seconds after the first plane hit the first tower back on 9-11 the country station we were listening to out in the shop blasted out the smarmy piece of crap referenced to in the title. Now, the more clever of my readers might question the timing since the song was not written, much less recorded and released, for at least 2 or 3 weeks? Months? If I could stomach it, I would look up the timeline but frankly...I really don't care. Hated the sound of the song, hated the words, though I could never quite put my finger on why.

I don't think it is a lack of patriotism, however that is defined today. Frankly, I get irritated by some of the pap that gets framed as patriotism. And to be an equal opportunity offender, I will give you 2 examples:

1) I get really annoyed by the idea that disagreeing with official governmental policy is a lack of patriotism. Not exactly the definition we lay at the feet of Hancock, Jefferson, Washington, Hale, Paine, and so forth, is it? They rebelled specifically because they disagreed with governmental policy and did it under the guise of patriotism, a guise few question even today. It is extremely unlikely there will ever be an administration with whom any given individual agrees with the policy 100%. Deal with it. Your policies are open to question and discussion, whether it is the destruction still being wrought (and expanded) 80 years later by FDR and his reckless, destructive "New Deal" or the ill-executed move into Iraq, the ramifications of which are quite unclear how long they might last. Both policies could and should have been questioned and it is NOT doing so that is more likely to be a lack of patriotism. That does not mean one cannot question them and eventually agree with them but one must at the least consider the effects on the country.

2) I get just as or even more annoyed at the idea that patriotism is best represented by the mush-mouths roaming around with the "Not my President" bumper sticker. Guess what? Yeah, he is. Like it or not. Just like Clinton was our President, like her or not. And so forth. Just because you do not like a given president...and lets face it, over half the country dislikes every single President....does not mean they are not yours. If you live in and are a citizen of the United States then the sitting President IS your President. That is the good and the bad of living in a Republic or Democracy or other voter-selected leader form of government. Sometimes you get your way and someone you can respect...other times you get someone you can't. They are still your President. If you want to change it then move out of the country and renounce your citizenship. Otherwise, stop whining like a three year old.

Back to my initial point, however, I think an author in Slate writing about the Virginia shootings helped me put a finger on why that song annoyed me so much.

There is a lot to think about in that article. If the president of Cornell indeed rang the bell 33 times then he is an idiot. There is no justification whatsoever for what that idiot did in killing fellow students. There is no excuse. Whether he was rejected by girls, picked on by bullies, an outcast, whatever lame excuse his defenders try to offer the simple, bottom line truth is his actions were reprehensible, unforgivable, and inexcusable. They were wrong and no sputtering bleeding heart apologist will ever change that foundational fact. I would not change that paragraph to spare the feelings of the shooters' family. Too much of that goes on. People try to excuse the Columbine shooters, the Amish school shooter, the Springfield shooter, and so forth. I do not excuse it. They were not justified. They were selfish, self-centered, egotistical, hateful, and their behavior has no justification.

At the same time...and not to sound heartless (or at least, no more heatless than I usually do), despite the difference in tolls, the events of June 19th, 1995 had a far greater impact on me personally than any of the above. Only one person that I am aware of died that day...but unlike the other examples it was someone to whom I was connected by more than living in the same governmental structure. The world "stopped turning" much more that day...or the day Arch Word died or Dave Miller or Greg Fischer as just a few examples.

Sometimes the overwhelming surge of reports, commentary, and so forth makes people "feel" things even if they have no direct connection...people "feel" because they are told to or are supposed to instead of because they actually feel.

As bad as the Virginia events were...no, lets make this controversial...as bad as the events of 9/11 were the bottom line is my life is far more affected when someone I know has something bad happen to them than a "national tragedy" that directly impacts nobody I know. I did not shed a tear for them, I did not curl in a fetal position...I am sorry they had to go through it but the bottom line is it is about time this country stops the pseudo-grief where people unaffected claim the same rights of grievance or even greater rights than the people directly affected.