Eighteen years

Eighteen years have now passed since what may become the defining point of a generation. Eighteen years, almost to the minute as this is being written, terrorists attacked the Pentagon, the World Trade Center, and were overcome by the passengers of an airplane over the hills of Pennsylvania. All that time, and we still cannot make any sense of it.

The trouble is that there is no sense to be made. To be sure, we can understand the reasons for even such terrible actions, in the same way that we can understand the reasons Hitler did what he did. Yet that is not the same as understanding.

How do we, how can we, come to actually understand rape or murder or thievery, mass murder or any any other evil which may be added to such a gruesome list, if we are to be decent human beings ourselves? It is only in a warped mind where such heinous acts may be justified. As such, reasonable people simply cannot understand them. It is beyond their ability; it is to them pure nonsense.

So the goal today should be to remember. Remember the victims and their families, remember the countless acts of heroism that day, remember even the perpetrators of such despicable carnage if for no other reason than to remind ourselves that such twisted souls do exist, seeking the ruin of those those not in lockstep with them. But hopefully, remember even so that their redemption may be possible. If we are the good people we claim to be, even that shouldn't be so difficult of a task on so difficult of an anniversary.

Fifteen years

Fifteen years have now passed since what may become the defining point of a generation. Fifteen years, almost to the minute as this is being written, terrorists attacked the Pentagon, the World Trade Center, and were overcome by the passengers of an airplane over the hills of Pennsylvania. All that time, and we still cannot make any sense of it.

The trouble is that there is no sense to be made. To be sure, we can understand the reasons for even such terrible actions, in the same way that we can understand the reasons Hitler did what he did. Yet that is not the same as understanding.

How do we, how can we, come to actually understand rape or murder or thievery, mass murder or any any other evil which may be added to such a gruesome list, if we are to be decent human beings ourselves? It is only in a warped mind where such heinous acts may be justified. As such, reasonable people simply cannot understand them. It is beyond their ability; it is to them pure nonsense.

So the goal today should be to remember. Remember the victims and their families, remember the countless acts of heroism that day, remember even the perpetrators of such despicable carnage if for no other reason than to remind ourselves that such twisted souls do exist, seeking the ruin of those those not in lockstep with them. But hopefully, remember even so that their redemption may be possible. If we are the good people we claim to be, even that shouldn't be so difficult of a task on so difficult of an anniversary.

Seeing the sights in New York City

So. Many. People. I've never seen so many people.

Yesterday I saw New York City for the first time. I had my first commuter train then subway ride; I didn't realize it was so hot down on the subway platforms, but maybe that was because it was so hot anyway. And there were so many people. Still, my son assured me that there weren't that many as it was the weekend. Wow. At that, we actually got around town rather easily.

Don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and left very impressed with New York and wanting to come back to see more. We went to Liberty Island and saw the Statue of Liberty, then Ellis Island to learn more about the history of immigration into the US. I took what I thought were a couple good pictures of the new World Trade Center, and the reflecting pools memorializing the victims of 9/11 were such a sublime, beautiful tribute that I found myself choking up. They are that powerful.

I also experienced my first NSA search, which was required to see Lady Liberty. It wasn't bad, other than having to remove my belt after emptying my pockets. As I has popped the button on my short pants I stood with some small fear waiting as my items went through the metal detector; if those britches gave way I would have faced charges completely unrelated to national security.

But it was a great way to spend a Sunday, and I do intend to come back and see more of Sinatra's kind of town. For today, it's on to Boston to see the Tigers play the Bosox at classic Fenway Park.

That's all for now. This is Charles Martin Cosgriff reporting from Newark, New Jersey.

September 11, 2013

A dozen years have now passed since what may become the defining point of a generation. Ten years, almost to the minute as this is being written, terrorists attacked the Pentagon, the World Trade Center, and were overcome by the passengers of an airplane over the hills of Pennsylvania. Twelve years, and we still cannot make any sense of it.

The trouble is that there is no sense to be made. To be sure, we can understand the reasons for even such terrible actions, in the same way that we can understand the reasons Hitler did what he did. Yet that is not the same as understanding.

How do we, how can we, come to actually understand rape or murder or thievery, mass murder or any any other evil which may be added to such a gruesome list, if we are to be decent human beings ourselves? It is only in a warped mind where such heinous acts may be justified. As such, reasonable people simply cannot understand them. It is beyond their ability; it is, in their minds and as it should be, pure nonsense.

So the goal today should be to remember what does make sense. Remember the victims and their families, remember the countless acts of heroism that day, remember even the perpetrators of such despicable carnage if for no other reason than to remind ourselves that such twisted souls do exist, seeking the ruin of those those not in lockstep with them. But hopefully, remember even so that their redemption may be possible. If we are the good people we claim to be, even that shouldn't be so difficult of a task on so difficult of an anniversary.