Is 9/11 Overrated?

With less than 5 years between today and September 11th, 2001, the tragedy that occured in NYC, Washington DC and the crash of Flight 93, it seems the events just won't go away. It's still newsworthy and currently Hollywood has begun to release movies based on the events of 9/11. In a few weeks, Oliver Stone's new film tells the story of 2 firefighters trapped beneath the rubble of the world trade center. Although the film looks promising, it seems many people are outraged that Hollywood is trying to profit from the loss of life that occured on 9/11. Many innocent Americans died that Tuesday morning and like most Americans, I too was shocked that morning.

The devistation that seemed to unfold live on CNN and other networks covered nothing but 9/11 stories for the first week. I know because that first week, I became addicted to the news but looking back, I can't help but wonder why. The news footage seemed to loop the video of the Twin Towers on an endless cycle. What became a national tragedy soon turned into a media circus that earned CNN the highest ratings since the Gulf War coverage in the early 1990's. After all that attention, came the one year anniversary of 9/11. On September 11th, 2002 CNN reminded many Americans what a difference a year really makes. Even without Hollywood, 9/11 has become something to exploit. From George W. Bush's connection between 9/11 and Iraq, or the magnetic ribbons attached to practically every car on the highway, or even those idiotic "We Will Not Forget" t-shirts that people bought right afterwards. (Ironically,the remaining patriotic shirts were forgotten and then got marked down so low that it's difficult for me to believe companies didn't just decide to throw them in the trash) Do you remember the last time you saw somebody on the street wearing one of those shirts? Hmmmm, if so, you are one of the few. I'm assuming those who bought the shirt forgot em' and its hanging in the back of the closet right now.

Many innocent people died that morning and although I do feel bad for the families, most Americans need a reminder that we still have it better than others. How many people in this world starve to death while we eat more food than is humanly possible? Although the terrorism on American ground was terrifying, it's nothing compared to the poverty that the rest of the world goes through while our own government ignores it all.