9/11


On Sep 11th 2001, I shared in the almost universal sense of shock and horror. It was a bad day, with bad deeds, done by bad people.

Within my sense of shock and horror I had a hope. It was that our people would observe "shiva" the Jewish ...period of mourning after a death. I had hoped that we would spend 8 days in grief before we faced the new reality.

Sadly the Presidential response encouraged us to go out shopping, and to take vengeance on Iraq before we had a chance to grieve and mourn.

This meant that the "White House et al" in 2001 never left space for grief.

There is a hole in the American soul, for our broken-heartedness was instantly politicized by the White House.

That's why I am so conflicted each Sep 11th.  And it’s why I am on my way to a Christian/Jewish/Muslim Prayer service at Sarasota’s First Presbyterian Church this evening.

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