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I get what he's saying.
Those of us outside America who had regularly experienced terrorism did have this kind of reaction. The Police, the Armed Forces , the taxi drivers and builders and fast food delivery people who died during The Troubles didn't seem to impact America.
The children, the shoppers, the school-aged musicians didn't excite much disgust.
The veterans lined up to acknowledge their fallen comrades and then bombed by their own countrymen didn't get enough attention - because how much could ever be enough?
11 September was a horrific act of terrorism. Like any terrorist act, it hit and hurt people who had nothing to do with the politics or situation that inspired it. Innocent people died, and died horribly. People who are sworn to serve did serve. And many went above and beyond. And even those that didn't, and lived, have terrible memories to live with.
I had a friend who used to volunteer with the Red Cross. She witnessed the aftermath of a plane crash. Even though she knew her input on that day helped immensely, she quit after that. She simply could not live day to day in the knowledge that she might face that again.
So on review, I don't agree with the article above.
He lives in Iowa City.
He lives in America.
I can't send him back in time to Belfast as it was. But even if he went now, and interviewed police, ambulance drivers, firemen, builders, taxi drivers, pizza delivery people, school children, etc etc he'd understand what it is like to live in fear of your life. And to do that and still keep on in your average wage job makes you a fucking hero in my mind.
If he wants to use the term pathetic and spoiled for his countrymen then that is his right.
I'd respect him far more if he went somewhere dangerous enough to juxtapose that.
Otherwise it's just whining.
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