So many wrong lessons were taken from 9/11. A slightly contrarian take on 9/11. We should always remember that horrible day. I know I do. I was at TIME magazine in Washington, D.C., as we mobilized a special issue.
A former New York/New Jersey resident, I felt it keenly. I’m grateful for the annual memorializing. In time, though, I hope it becomes more like Pearl Harbor day: less consuming in our national life but still very much remembered.
Of course, the two attacks are very different: Pearl Harbor was in a far-off territory and not in our most populous city — as well as Virginia and Pennsylvania. Al Qaeda targeted civilians while the Japanese hit our naval forces. So 9/11 will always resonate more for those reasons. And because of television, video; because we all knew instantly what had happened instead of waiting for the radio or newsreels.
But so many wrong lessons were taken from 9/11: the Iraq War, the security theatre of TSA, the unmanageable Department of Homeland Security, the now permanent war in Afghanistan. And too few of the important ones were taken from Pearl Harbor: Never be caught unaware, honor those who died, we all have to do our part, don’t be fearful. To be fair, the worst lessons of both surprise attacks led to the demonization of others — Muslims in the U.S. and overseas in the case of 9/11, and the venom that led to the shameful internment of citizens and residents of Japanese heritage.
Again, I’m not making the case for forgetting, only that at some point, I hope it takes a less outsized role in our national life. That would be no dishonor to those who died.