9/11 on Both Sides

I usually do not like to talk about this day because it is very weighed and personal in its nature. However, this thoughtful perspective on the commemoration of September 11 forced me to make an exception. This is an excerpt of the piece written by Ben Cohen, editor-founder of The Daily Banter.

But today should serve not only as a reminder of the crime, but the enormous spirit of collaboration, kindness and humanity that came after it. The world watched in amazement as Americans came together to help each other, citizens risking their lives to pull strangers out of the rubble, money flooding in from rich and poor alike to help victims, monuments, vigils, charities, support groups and a limitless well of empathy. It was an amazing spectacle and a testament to the strength of human decency in the face of brutality.

9/11 was a tragedy and we should remember not only the Americans who died, but the Afghanis and Iraqis who suffered too. Because if we don’t, we risk repeating the same mistakes again – the belief that the outside world doesn’t matter with people whose lives are unimportant. We found out on 9/11 that our interference in the outside world has consequences, that they will fight back and use violence to achieve their ends, just as we will. Because violence begets violence, and once you start it is almost impossible to stop.

Perhaps we could remember the victims of 9/11 and pay homage to their unwitting sacrifice by stopping the cycle. And that starts with the understanding that our lives are not more important than theirs and remembering their suffering in equal part to our own.

 

If you don’t view juxtaposition as mind game, read on.

 

Below are a few images from IsraelLovesIran.com. It was started by a father/teacher/graphic designer who was tired of feeling helpless by the growing distorted communication between the people of the two nations. He put up a poster online with his daughter in hand and a remarkably penetrative, succinct caption. On the website it says:

Within hours tens of Israelis posted their own pictures with the same message.

After 24 hours messages from Iran started to arrive. People, moved to tears, wrote back “we love you too”. Today, just few month later, we are a community of 63 countries.
More than 67000 people are on our web-page.

New Pages from around the world  with the same message and same logo are born every week… we call this movement for peace : The ”WE LOVE YOU” community.

They have received millions of hits and news organizations from around the world have mentioned this movement.

Needless to say, I am deeply moved.

Consider spreading the word.

 

Ronny Edry, the man who started it all.