With the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 calamity, there have been quite a few opinion pieces and commentaries on that fateful day in 2001. This is another piece, as found in the American Spectator, September 13, 2006. David Hogberg calls his article, “Looking back in anger.”
He says there is much to be angry about. Not only because of what took place back then, but because of the way the media and the PC brigade have distorted things ever since. So what gets his goat?: “Obviously, I am angry that on that fateful day five years ago, nineteen Islamofascist thugs murdered nearly 3,000 innocent human beings. I can’t imagine my anger at that ever going away.”
He is also annoyed with the ‘blame-America-first’ crowd that sprang up within days of the attack. Nor is he thrilled with the conspiracy theorists, who believe the whole thing was an inside job, done by the CIA, the Jews, or some such oddball scenario. And he does not like the lopsided reporting as found in the mainstream media:
“I am angry that the media chooses not to routinely show images from 9/11, but can’t seem to get enough of images of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. The reason why we have troops fighting abroad – that’s too disturbing to broadcast, too damaging to the American psyche. But images of torture, supposedly the American public can handle that.”
He continues, “I am angry that the media does not investigate the behavior of prisoners at Guantanamo. They are not Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins in the Shawshank Redemption. Rather, these brutes have routinely attacked guards with makeshift weapons and doused them with cupfuls of feces, urines, sperm and vomit. Shielding the American public from the true nature of our enemy serves no one.”
Much of the media is doing its best to undermine our efforts in preserving freedom against the terrorists: “I am angry that the media covers every accusation of torture but rarely the many acts of heroism and compassion of our troops. Surely, the media should cover misbehavior and criminal activity on the part of our officials and troops. But it should also cover battlefield heroics. Can you name one soldier who has acted bravely on the battlefield in Iraq? Probably not. But I’m sure you know the name of Lynndie England. It is that lack of balance that helps undermine the war effort.”
Indeed, the leftist media is quite selective in how it presents these issues: “I am angry that Hollywood will not make any movies about our heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Movies about how the Marines turn men into psychos? That’s just fine post 9/11 (as it was pre-9/11). I can only hope that the release of United 93 and World Trade Center indicate the beginnings of change. I won’t hold my breath, however.”
The forces of political correctness are quite keen on misleading us as to who the real enemy is, and what must be done: “I am angry that our leaders, up to now, cannot refer to our enemy by the proper term ‘Islamofascists.’ Apparently, the American people are too stupid to realize that not all believers in Islam are Islamofascists. Bush has started calling them Islamic fascists, to the consternation of many of the elites, including one that intends to run for President. May political correctness lose its influence on how we conduct the War on Terror.”
He concludes, “I am angry that the opposition party in the United States spends more time calling for a pull out of our troops than figuring out how to win the war in Iraq. There are some honorable exceptions. But not enough of them. Ultimately, I am angry that all of this is working to undermine our struggle against Islamofascism. Yes, I’m angry. And I hope you are too.”
Sometimes a bit of righteous indignation is not a bad thing. Of course it takes more than anger to turn things around. We also need to get truth out into the public arena. And this is often difficult given the bias of much of the mainstream media. Thus the need for websites like this, which continue to offer countervailing views to the common wisdom.
And given the very real war we are in with those intent on destroying our way of life, more such alternate views need to be heard.
