Published: September 16, 2009 05:37 pm      

Letter to the editor - Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009

Why won’t media remember 9/11?

Did I miss it? I thought I hadn’t received the full issue of the Kokomo Tribune on Sept. 11.

I found NO headline. NO mention whatsoever of the day in which the horrible terrorist attack took place and the largest single-day loss of American lives, ever, on American soil.

On second search, I did find, small print, in the daily column, “Today in History” one of seven small instances mentioned. “In 2001 ... 3,000 people died.”

I couldn’t believe it. I immediately wanted to cancel my subscription.

My question, “Why is the present day news media wanting the American people to forget this great tragedy?”

We were attacked. We must not forget who was responsible for that mass murder of American citizens and property damage done on American soil. Is it, I ask, the Obama thing to forget it? Forget who’s responsible and whom to hold accountable, or just let it pass over, not bringing it to memory?

The cartoon, “8 years later,” in the Sept. 12 issue, has it right, where the U.S.A. character, watching the towers fall, asks, “What was 9/11?” And the “nanny state” character whispers, “SSSSSHHHH, we don’t talk about that anymore. We don’t think you can handle the emotional trauma.”

Thanks to all the local and national gatherings in remembrance, and the prayers for all those still suffering from this great loss. Your paper decided to somewhat join in and wrote a small article on Sept. 12 on the local gathering of those remembering this tragedy, and an editorial on the opinion page in the Sept. 13 edition, “We remember.”

However, I find this not as an attempted apology but as a regret. Mr. Ed Vasicek explains it very distinctly in his column on the same page, quoting Mr. Van Jones. “‘If I have offended anyone ..., I apologize.’ Not much of an apology if you ask me. The ‘if’ always ruins it,” he rightly stated.

My wife and I are still discussing my first emotional statement of canceling the Tribune, but I have to admit my own downfall. Because of health, I did not do my usual thing this year on 9/11, which is going down to the City Hall Millennial Park and ringing the Liberty Bell I made and presented to the city in remembrance of these fallen heroes. This, I regret.

Ted L. Tate

Kokomo