Dancing with Dogs: In memory

In memory

I wish I could post something profound and moving - something clever and inspiring. Words fail me in expressing my thoughts fully, so here is a little something I wrote a few months ago, to explain to a few of my Indian friends why I feel the way I feel about America right now.

Dancing with Dogs: What America means to me……

Listen to this to imagine how we in the US felt that day - lgf: What We Heard or read this - Voices, an effort by Michele Catalano of A Small Victory to collate the stories and memories of various people about 9/11.

A list of all the people who died in the attacks - http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/lists/by-name/index.html.

A friend’s memories of 9/11 and how she spends the anniversaries, in her own words -

Last year I was sitting around on the 9/11 anniversary crying and just getting depressed. I thought to myself that I couldn’t allow that to be my whole day and felt that if maybe I did something for someone else, it might help. So last year I bought goodies for one fire unit that is near my home that I had taken my son over to get a “talking” to about playing around the BBQ pit.
With the 2nd anniversary of 9/11 coming up, I knew I wanted to do the same thing again. But I wanted to expand it. Not only did I want to do it for the fire department unit from last year, but I decided I wanted to do it for my “official” fire department unit that actually serves my neighborhood. I also thought that this is 9/11 and there are men and women serving overseas because of what happened on this date. In Mesquite there is actually all four armed services located in the same shopping center and I thought they were just as worthy of a thank you as our fire department. So this morning I went to Campisi’s Pizza (and the owner knew what I was doing for and gave me all the pizza’s at half price), Einstein Brother’s Bagels (an assortment of their goodies), Tom Thumb for cookies, cheesecakes, pies and cakes, and Starbuck’s for their Breakfast Blend and Kenyan coffee. I spent my morning dropping all of these off at the various locations. My last stop was the Marine’s. As I was unloading my car one of the guys asked me what all of this was for. I told him that it was 9/11 I just wanted to say thank you and how much I appreciated what the guys were doing to keep us safe. He got a tear in his eye and looked at me and said. “I was at the Pentagon that day”. He also told me that they don’t hear that very often. I cried all the way home.
Last year I decided that I was never going to forget 9/11 and what happened to our country that day. As long as we can afford to do this, I am going to remember that date and try to do the same thing every year.

An excerpt of an Indian’s POV on 9/11 -
v2 : psychobabble - read the whole thing!

Amidst all this, there is a growing reluctance by liberal thinkers the world over to use the one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter line to justify acts of terrorism. Whether it is Northern Ireland, Palestine or Kashmir, the people weilding the AK-47s must be separated from the often legitimate political struggles. Anyone willing to bomb a shopping mall or blow up a civilian airliner is not a freedom-fighter; he (or she) is a ruthless killer and should be dealt with as such. And finally, senile old men like Yasser Arafat (lest we forget, he was the man who developed international terrorism as a political tool) must be stopped from sending impressionable teenagers to their deaths to fulfill their own bloodlust.

Posted by shanti at September 11, 2003 7:16 AM

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I want to say upfront that my intention is not hurt anyone�s sensbilities esp. Shanti. However I am going to be a little blunt here.

Not to sound callous or unfeeling or something like that but I fail to see the point of the post. Not the post itself but whatever you are trying to say through that. Why do everyone feel the need to postulate some kind of defensive justification for their pro-American tilt by always citing 9/11? For those who think I can�t relate, I was right under WTC just walking out of the revolving door when the first plane hit. You support the war against terrorism, then you made your point. Fine. I don�t see a need to wax eloquent about how being in America makes you proud et al. I personally don�t care one way or another but I suspect that whenever a post like this comes out some are enraged that how much of a mindset change people are willing to make to adjust themseleves just because they have the potential to get the kind of lifestyle they always dreamed of in USA than trying to do your part to make India a better country.

Actually, if you cared to read through my post, you would notice that I liked America even before 9/11 - I met most of my friends before that day - I had some of my best memories while I was in grad school that made me like America even more.

9/11 just solidified that feeling of “one of them” that I felt about fellow Americans - that day showed me that I didn’t feel like an immigrant anymore - that day I realized I felt like an American, whether I realized it before that or not. I really don’t care if that enrages “some people” as you put it, because it is no one else’s business. I was putting my feelings out there, so people can understand where I am coming from - I am not preaching to others saying they should feel the same way.

As for getting a certain lifestyle, if my husband and I had chosen to move to Bangalore as I2 offered to do with us, we would be making about Rs. 100,000/month - I can get whatever lifestyle I want with that kind of money in India. No, it isn’t that at all. As for making India better - what are you doing here, Dilip?

Of course, like I said in my post there, every event doesn’t produce the same kind of reaction in every person - this was how I felt. That doesn’t mean you have to feel the same way about it.

These kind of posts tend to get a little bit out of control so this will be my last entry on the subject. Firstly it was a nice try but I am sorry I won’t bite. Whatever I do for the betterment of my country (by my country I mean India in case you are wondering) I will defend them when I get a chance to drumbeat about it in a public forum. Until then its nobody’s business. For the moment you made a post inviting comments and thats precisely what I did — commented. My viewpoints are not on trial here — your’s are.

Secondly I have an intrinsic problems towards people going the Look-mama-I-planted-two-little-flags-next-to-my-saplings way by citing 9/11 every now and then. Please note that it is not you I am criticizing — its more of a general opinion. Terrorism causes mayhem everywhere. Anyone remember the scale of damage the IRA used to cause in its heydays? Terrorism claims victims — always innocent ones and sympathy for them springs up naturally (9/11 is probably one of the worst acts in recent memory). Its a manifestation of a basic human emotion and it sure doesn’t matter where it happens. What is so American about the whole goddamn thing? “9/11 caused me to solidify my Americanism”. What is that supposed to mean? In Richmond over at NY I heard a lot of reports of Sikhs being mistaken for jihadis and being targeted for racial bias close on the heels of 9/11. It was so bad that the Sikh community had to send a representative to meet the President and make him appeal on the national television to cease and desist! I personally know people (non-Americans of course) who put up American flags hanging from their patio guard-rail just because they were scared of possible backlash. Or have you forgotten the treatment the african-american population got from these same white americans during the confederate era (and even after)? My point is simply this — there are different kinds of American people. You are lucky to have come in contact with the good ones (and I admit majority are great to be with). But please don’t confuse love for a human being, love for thy neighbor with love for the Country. Patriotism transcends all that.

I really don’t get your point - yes, there is terrorism everywhere - yes, “Confederate” Americans treated black people badly - so what? How is that supposed to affect me now more than something that I was a live witness to? That doesn’t make any sense. Should I also feel sad that current terrorist massacres in Kashmir affect me a lot more than the sepoy mutiny of 1857 did, even though it was probably a lot more significant? On top of all that, what does all this have to do with India? I love America doesn’t make me love India any less - what are you so touchy about?

Let me say this real slow - I love India - I love America as much, if not more. If in a worst-case scenario, I had to choose between India and America, I would still choose India.

But please don�t confuse love for a human being, love for thy neighbor with love for the Country. Patriotism transcends all that.
Ummm…Countries are made of people, Dilip - a piece of land is not a country - the country’s character comes from people who inhabit it and the way they act. When I say I am mad at Pakistan, it doesn’t mean I hate that little piece of land bordering India - nope, it means it is the Pakistanis and the government that represents them that I don’t like.

I feel love for America as a country and her people - I might not go to war to defend America, but I will do all I can without putting my life or livelihood in danger. Again, so what? What makes you so intolerant of fellow Indians liking another country? Yes, a few Sikhs were murdered after 9/11 - Remember what happened to them after Indira Gandhi’s murder? so, a few of them in the US had to put up flags out of fear - I personally knew Sikhs who shaved themselves clean out of fear for their lives - don’t give me that tripe, please.

September 11, 2003

In memory

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