While today Americans at home and around the world pay their respects and remember the tragic events of 9/11, there has been no examination of 9/11 and how what America is currently doing around the world actually doesn’t honor the victims of 9/11.
Almost immediately after 9/11, the United States declared war on Afghanistan, stating that Al Qaeda had planned the attack and that the Taliban regime had sheltered them, with absolutely no evidence. The invasion of Afghanistan was based on vengeance, yet, how is killing innocent children, snatching people in the middle of the night from their homes, never to be seen again, and propping up a corrupt government honor those who were killed on 9/11? It doesn’t as it betrays the very ideals about America that the victims loved so deeply.
In 2003, the US invaded Iraq, basing the entire war on lies and deceit. So far, this has resulted in the deaths of 4, 744 American soldiers and the deaths of over 100,000 Iraqi civilians. How does this honor the victims of 9/11? How does torturing Iraqis at Abu Ghraib honor the victims of 9/11?
Overall, the US has had a deep moral decline on the world stage due to its actions abroad. However, there have also been problems at home. 9/11 has led to the rise of a security state in America, all in the name of “combating terrorism,” yet we find ourselves no safer than were before. We are still vulnerable to attack How have launching drone strikes all around the world help Americans sleep safer at night? It doesn’t. Launching drone strikes only helps to create more anger, more rage at the US and radicalize people, aiding their turn to terrorism.
To use 9/11 as an excuse to wage aggressive imperialist wars against nations in order to get at their oil resources dishonors the victims of that tragic day. In doing that, one is only perpetuating violence and ensuring that another 9/11 is in the making. In order to truly honor the victims, we should work in creating a world where another 9/11 would not be possible. However, in order to do that, we must come to terms with the fact that what the government is doing does not honor the victims of that calamitous day
