The Boston Marathon attack brings up those old 9/11 monsters. The first one is fear and the response to that is to run. My wife and I made our decision to move away from Chicago based in no small part on the fear of another attack after 9/11. There were circles on nuclear blast maps that showed we would be in the kill zone should a dirty bomb hit the windy city. There were other issues yes (small hosue) but the overall feeling was get the hell away from the terror that would be coming to Chicago. So we did.
And now years later we have made peace with that decision as there were other factors, but watching the Boston Marathon coverage you get that old "oh shit." Are they going to hit again? So the people who live in Boston and who have always felt safe now feel vulnerable. In the week after 9/11 when I went to Chicago the city was empty. It was bizarre but no one wanted to be around when a plane hit the John Hancock or the Sears Tower. And of course being close to the airport left that weird silence when the planes were grounded.
And I know we should not be so cowered by terrorists. That we should go about our lives. But couldn't we make a case that as a country fear has ruled our politics, ruined our economy and caused two wars that we are still suffering from? And so now we have the Boston Marathon. People are just beginning to understand what happened. But when the smoke clears there will be those that will make decisions based on perceived risks.
It seems like the ghost of 9/11 is still there.
Rocket Man...The funniest novel since Russo's Straight Man." Chicago Sun Times
And now years later we have made peace with that decision as there were other factors, but watching the Boston Marathon coverage you get that old "oh shit." Are they going to hit again? So the people who live in Boston and who have always felt safe now feel vulnerable. In the week after 9/11 when I went to Chicago the city was empty. It was bizarre but no one wanted to be around when a plane hit the John Hancock or the Sears Tower. And of course being close to the airport left that weird silence when the planes were grounded.
And I know we should not be so cowered by terrorists. That we should go about our lives. But couldn't we make a case that as a country fear has ruled our politics, ruined our economy and caused two wars that we are still suffering from? And so now we have the Boston Marathon. People are just beginning to understand what happened. But when the smoke clears there will be those that will make decisions based on perceived risks.
It seems like the ghost of 9/11 is still there.
Rocket Man...The funniest novel since Russo's Straight Man." Chicago Sun Times
