9/11/06

The feelings of sadness and loss with which we look back on Sept. 11, 2001, have shifted focus over the last five years. The attacks themselves have begun to acquire the aura of inevitability that comes with being part of history. We can argue about what one president or another might have done to head them off, but we cannot really imagine a world in which they never happened, any more than we can imagine what we would be like today if the Japanese had never attacked Pearl Harbor.

What we do revisit, over and over again, is the period that followed, when sorrow was merged with a sense of community and purpose. How, having lost so much on the day itself, did we also manage to lose that as well?

The time when we felt drawn together, changed by the shock of what had occurred, lasted long beyond the funerals, ceremonies and promises never to forget. It was a time when the nation was waiting to find out what it was supposed to do, to be called to the task that would give special lasting meaning to the tragedy that it had endured.

But the call never came. Without ever having asked to be exempt from the demands of this new post-9/11 war, we were cut out. Everything would be paid for with the blood of other people’s children, and with money earned by the next generation. Our role appeared to be confined to waiting in longer lines at the airport. President Bush, searching the other day for an example of post-9/11 sacrifice, pointed out that everybody pays taxes.

That pinched view of our responsibility as citizens got us tax cuts we didn’t need and an invasion that never would have occurred if every voter’s sons and daughters were eligible for the draft. With no call to work together on some effort greater than ourselves, we were free to relapse into a self- centeredness that became a second national tragedy. We have spent the last few years fighting each other with more avidity than we fight the enemy.

When we measure the possibilities created by 9/11 against what we have actually accomplished, it is clear that we have found one way after another to compound the tragedy. Homeland security is half-finished, the development at ground zero barely begun. The war against terror we meant to fight in Afghanistan is at best stuck in neutral, with the Taliban resurgent and the best economic news involving a bumper crop of opium. Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11 when it was invaded, is now a breeding ground for a new generation of terrorists.

Listing the sins of the Bush administration may help to clarify how we got here, but it will not get us out. The country still hungers for something better, for evidence that our leaders also believe in ideas larger than their own political advancement.

Today, every elected official in the country will stop and remember 9/11. The president will remind the country that he has spent most of his administration fighting terrorism, and his opponents will point out that Osama bin Laden is still at large. It would be miraculous if the best of our leaders did something larger — expressed grief and responsibility for the bad path down which we’ve gone, and promised to work together to turn us in a better direction.

Over the last week, the White House has been vigorously warning the country what awful things would happen in Iraq if American troops left, while his critics have pointed out how impossible the current situation is. They are almost certainly both right. But unless people on both sides are willing to come up with a plan that acknowledges both truths and accepts the risk of making real-world proposals, we will be stuck in the same place forever.

If that kind of coming together happened today, we could look back on Sept. 11, 2006, as more than a day for recalling bad memories and lost chances.

# posted by Brian @ 1:02 AM 0 comments

Week: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24

The AL Central contenders are mired in mediocrity. Most of the National League is still struggling just to stay above .500. Of the two best MLB teams last week, one is a long shot to make the playoffs, and the other is a wild-card leader ... with the majors' 11th-best record.

In other words, there have been no serious threats to the two New York juggernauts at the top of ESPN.com's Power Rankings. The Mets and the Yankees occupy the top two spots for the third straight week. Perhaps we should start booking our tickets for New York in late October.

Best of the week: The Angels and the Padres were 5-1, rising to No. 4 and No. 7 respectively. Watch out for the Halos: They're 5½ back in the AL West, but they play the No. 3 A's in seven of their last 10 games.

Worst of the week: The Diamondbacks (1-6) have effectively dropped from the NL wild-card picture and down to No. 23 in the rankings.

2006 Power Rankings: September 8
	RK	LW RANK	TEAM	REC	COMMENT
	1	1	Mets	87-52	With the way he's pitched since being acquired from the Indians, Guillermo Mota has filled in perfectly for the injured Duaner Sanchez.
	2	2	Yankees	83-55	Johnny Damon has now scored more than 100 runs for nine straight seasons. He also already has a career-high 22 home runs.
	3	3	Athletics	80-59	Incognito ace. Joe Blanton (7-2 in 10 starts since the break) has 27 wins in his first two seasons in the bigs.
	4	8	Angels	75-65	Keep hope alive. The Angels (12-3 in their last 15 home games) have 13 contests remaining in Anaheim.
	5	4	Twins	80-59	The Twins are just 5-11 against the Tigers this season; they've been outscored 100-52.
	6	6	Tigers	86-55	Are the wheels coming off? The Tigers have dropped 19 of 29 games since Aug. 7.
	7	10	Padres	73-66	Kid Dynamite. Rookie Cla Meredith's scoreless innings streak stands at 29, the new franchise record for a reliever.
	8	5	White Sox	80-60	The White Sox have just 23 second-half wins, four fewer than the Tigers and 10 less than the Twins.
	9	9	Cardinals	75-64	Albert Pujols, the reigning NL MVP, has six home runs, eight runs and nine RBI in his last nine games.
	10	7	Dodgers	74-66	How the West was lost? There's growing concern now that the offense (nine runs in last five games) is running cold.
	11	11	Rangers	72-69	It's easy to understand owner Tom Hicks' frustration, but throwing the team under the bus is not the solution.
	12	12	Phillies	71-69	Though he's far from a sure thing, the return of Tom Gordon from the DL is a very good thing for the Phillies' bullpen.
	13	14	Marlins	70-70	We offer a tip of our cap to rookie Anibal Sanchez, who after only 13 big-league starts has a no-hitter to his credit.
	14	18	Indians	67-72	One more chance to watch Jeremy Sowers pitch before the Indians shut down the young left-hander.
	15	15	Giants	70-70	Turn back the clock. Mike Stanton (four saves in his last four appearances) still has some nasty stuff.
	16	19	Blue Jays	73-67	Outfielder Adam Lind should get the chance to prove himself in the next three weeks, in hopes of winning a job in 2007.
	17	13	Red Sox	75-65	Red Sox Nation just can't like what it's getting from Coco Crisp (.266 batting average along with a .319 OBP).
	18	17	Astros	68-71	When trailing after six innings, the Astros are 4-54 this season; they are 7-10 when tied after six.
	19	16	Reds	69-71	Sun-Woo Kim was the 28th different pitcher the Reds have used this season. Up next: Jason Johnson.
	20	20	Braves	66-73	While John Smoltz has just 12 wins, the Braves' bullpen has let him down to the tune of six blown save chances in his 10 no-decisions.
	21	23	Mariners	66-73	Kenji Johjima leads all AL rookies in RBI (61) and is tied with Nick Markakis for most home runs (14).
	22	22	Rockies	64-76	Close, but no cigar. The Rockies are 16-24 in one-run games -- the fourth-lowest winning percentage in the majors.
	23	21	Diamondbacks	65-75	Falling behind is not the way to get ahead. The Diamondbacks have been outscored 132-65 in the first inning.
	24	26	Pirates	57-84	Reliever Salomon Torres leads the majors with 84 appearances. He's on pace for 96.
	25	25	Brewers	64-76	The Brewers have hit 154 homers, but not one single grand slam.
	26	28	Nationals	61-79	The Nats have a NL-worst 4.99 team ERA, and their starting pitchers have the second fewest wins (39) in the league.
	27	29	Devil Rays	56-84	Ever since taking over the closer's role for the Rays on Aug. 21, Seth McClung is 5-for-5 in save opportunities.
	28	24	Orioles	61-78	The O's are trying to finish ahead of the Devil Rays for a ninth straight season, but with a challenging schedule ahead, there's no guarantee.
	29	30	Royals	52-89	With their last 10 games against the Twins and Tigers, the Royals can play the role of spoiler.
	30	27	Cubs	56-84	Juan Pierre leads the NL in hits (173) and ranks second in steals (49).

# posted by Brian @ 6:19 PM 0 comments