9/11

Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world
The heart has its beaches, its homeland and thoughts of its own
Wake now, discover that you are the song that the morning brings
But the heart has it’s seasons, its evenings and songs of its own

Grateful Dead, Eyes Of The World

Foreign attacks on our Country used to provoke uncommon unity of purpose that seems impossible in this day and age. There is hope that our institutions will survive the current attacks they are enduring. If they do survive, the next mission-critical may be rekindling that sense of common interest and purpose. Can we set aside the ideological differences that have been exploited to separate us from one another as Americans?

There may be no better time to consider what defines us as Americans than the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Perhaps understandably, we made many mistakes in our response to these attacks but there is still value in revisiting what the attacks and our reaction to them mean. Even today, the effect of the attacks, the fears they continue to provoke and the divisions that have arisen in the time since remain as relevant as ever. There ought to be enough distance and time now to put the matter into perspective.

“The Real Meaning of 9/11”, Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic, August 29, 2011

That is the crucial truth of 9/11. Osama Bin Laden had gathered to him men who were devoid of love, and who found in al Qaeda a vehicle for expressing their hatred of humanity. On the 10th anniversary of the murderous rampage committed by soulless men, we should remember the victims, and count our own blessings, and recommit ourselves to the suppression of evil and the protection of the innocent.

At the end of last year, I wrote a blog here reminiscing about the tumultuous year in politics and law: Feedback 2017 . One of the things that holds up given what has happened since is this,

We are producing a lot of feedback today. It is good to remember that we were born in the feedback loop of tension and conflict. Our founders created and took advantage of that tension and conflict. To match their vision of self-governance separated from a distant autocrat, they created a new kind of government with conflict and tension built into the operation of three equal and competing branches of government. They anticipated tyrannical presidents (thinking of Washington himself and his lordly Order of Cincinnati). Their model simply mirrors the natural order of all matter – born in tension and conflict. Ever since Magna Carta (blogged here), our system has recognized the value in resolving natural conflict – not on the battlefield – but within  a system of laws and rules approved by and for the governed.

I remain inspired by the lawyers and judges of Branch3. They continue to steer our course alone, given the inexhaustible vulgarity of the Executive and the absence of the Legislative branch. I believe Mr. Goldberg is correct in his observation of the origins of 9/11: the hatred precedes everything else. If we can solve that nut of the problem, we’ll be on our way to remediation. If Branch3 can get us that far under the weight.