"Have You Forgotten?"

[sandnsea]

I tend to be a person who remembers slights more than generosities. It's a character fault and I know it. Interestingly, one of the most painful events of my life, when my home burned down two weeks before Christmas, isn't a painful memory. It took a while to recover and I'm still paranoid about fire, but the love I received at the time completely overshadows the loss. It is time for this country to stop dwelling in the loss of 9/11 and heal through remembering the love. So to all those who say "Have You Forgotten?", I say there are plenty who have and it's never been more clear than with some of the responses to the tsunami tragedy.


INDIA


BANGLADESH


PALESTINIANS


AMMAN


NATO

[jackster]

1. Powerful....

Thank you for reminding us ...

I cannot believe some of the twisted rhetoric I heard spouted by "George Bush Supporter(s) 100 %" on Washington Journal this week regarding the tragedy. I'm ashamed of being an American right now - a country where possibly half of its citizens do not feel an obligation for their fellow men and women. A country where our leader took 4 days to utter one word, refused to cut short a vacation, goes ahead with a plans for an inuaguration that may cost over $50M. A country where we spend less percentage wise on non-military foreign aid than almost any other industrialized nation.

My flag remains upside down..... and I weep for what we once were

[tx_dem41]

2. What a wonderful post, Sandnsea!

And its great to spend my 1000th post thanking you for it!

[sandnsea]

4. Aw gee, I'm honored!!

:loveya:

[Midlodemocrat]

3. A truly inspiring post. Thank you.

[Katidid]

5. Have you Forgotten?

Thank you Sandnsea - my heart is breaking, and I don't know how to move more quickly through my grieving process since Nov 2:-( The upsets and tragedies just keep coming ...

[Butterflies]

6. Thank you for that post

I'm so ashamed of our government.

[Moloch]

7. Best post of the day!

:kick:

[flygal]

62. I agree

When I saw it - I knew it was about 9/11 but those images really moved me. thank you sandnsea

[jackster]

8. I've been thinking of this...

and just saw mention of it as well on dailykos.com -

in light of the magnitude of this tragedy, it's my belief that the inauguration parties, balls, etc should be canceled and that money sent to the affected countries of the disaster

could we start this "talking point" and see what happens?

[hilaryxdotson]

16. We can hope...

that we'll give more federal dollars and more individual people will help. It's b.s. to me that we can't even match the cost of his stupid inauguration in federal aid.

[Solly Mack]

17. Not gonna happen. What Bush will do is point to our individual

donations and the relief groups as "proof" Americans can do the same for their own and don't need government social programs.

He'll point out the "faith-based" groups that aided in relief and praise how faith-based groups can do the same in America.


Bush is about charity that doesn't begin with government social programs and can be called "faith-based"...oh, he'll fund faith-based programs...but then he's a hypocrite.


and he will see absolutely no connection between the vulgar display of money during his anointing and how that money could better serve mankind.

[jackster]

21. Deep Sigh....

I know it won't happen....

but we need to make a stink about it anyway damn it!!!!!!!!!

It's the idea of partying while 400,000 people may be dead that bothers me most

just like his perpetual vacationing

[Solly Mack]

24. You're right of course

We need to make a stink anyway...because it is vulgar to celebrate in such a manner during this time of war and disaster


And I know you know Bush is clueless as to how his crass behavior will be seen.

:hug:

[NoQuarter]

71. He won't be clueless.

He just couldn't possibly care less.

[Solly Mack]

76. That is the heart of the matter

[SmokingJacket]

26. Good idea.

I find the whole inauguration thing disgusting as it is -- but in the wake of this tragedy, just unspeakable.

Cancelling it seems like a natural response.

[Bluzmann57]

46. I have a petition about this very thing

the url is http://www.PetitionOnline.com/jps4757/petition/html. Will it do any good at all? I doubt it but its something I feel strongly about and you are right in that we should we should make this a "talking point". We should contact every media outlet in this country and request that president bush send all or at least part of his inauguraul money to the relief effort.
On edit- it seems that my petition has been taken down. But we still need to blast the media and everyone we know to make our feelings known.

[JI7]

9. so true

[seito]

10. Thanks for the message n/t

[Solly Mack]

11. Donate, yes but also send emails, cards and letters of support (link)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1109045&mesg_id=1109656


Paint a sheet with words of support and display it from your homes.

Display a sign in your card.

Get your local schools to help make signs...to display signs of support.

One World. One Heart.

Write the embassies. Leave cards at the UN if you can....leave them at the embassies in DC if you can.

I emailed all the embassies that I could. I sent emails to the UN extending my condolences to the nations hit by this tragedy.

Money is great!....but the human touch is needed as well.


Sandnsea, Thank you for reminding people.

[alexisfree]

12. no we haven’t fail to remember them...

the Bush administration did...x(

[tmooses]

13. Thanks for the wonderful thoughts, sandnsea..

I think it reminds us how global our community should be. Nationalistic
rhetoric such as we've endured over the past 4 years has done nothing but alienated us from that community. The perversion of religions for political gain must stop if we are to reach across our boundaries.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

14. You're on the HOMEPAGE!!!!

Great post sandnsea. Really great.

[purduejake]

15. Wow, the world once supported us.

Thank you for the reminder. Very powerful pictures.

[Tsiyu]

18. These beautiful people you have shown us, sandnsea,

mean absolutely NOTHING to Repukes. They don't look like kkkhristians or white people.

The greatest tragedy of my generation will be the Worldwide Goodwill * squandered for greed and power. I miss having a Statesman for a president.

[UncleSepp]

19. Wonderful, powerful post n/t

[hiley]

20. Sandnsea that is

beautiful. Thank you so for posting this as alot of us were thinking this. Shame on our Government and bush co. the repugs try to taint everything and we can not let them.:grouphug:

[Democracy Died 2004]

22. The only thing I can

express is how much I now despise this country. Despise it's rednecks,bigots,racists,god mongering hypocritical, cowboy loving idiots. I have lost my America.

[pamela]

23. Great post, sandnsea

Check out this link, too. It takes a while to load but it is picture after picture of people all over the world showing their support for us after 9/11.

http://www.growit.com/america/


Kosovo


Berlin


Australia


Don't forget Poland

[Pushed To The Left]

37. Thanks for that link, Pamela!

France, Germany, and Canada showed us so much love and support during that time, and now the right-wing talks about them like they are the enemy. I remember how moved I was when I saw those pictures back in 2001. Has the right wing seen those pictures, or have they just forgotten?

[Tinoire]

25. Beautiful post. Brought tears to my eyes. Front page immediately!

wonderful Sandnsea!!!

[Straight Shooter]

27. Look at what George W. Bush squandered. Just LOOK at it.

One thing is for sure, many people in the U.S. have forgotten how the world held our hand, comforted us, after 9/11.

But God does not forget. Nor does the devil. One or the other will weigh his scales with the deeds of George W. Bush, and there will be a reckoning. Yes, there will.

[jackster]

28. Reckoning....

I hope you are right - gwb led me to abandon belief in a christian god in the last year

but you see, i want the reckoning to be in THIS LIFE and i want to be part of the movement to bring it about

i want justice for my planet

[calimary]

70. No shit. It's the one thing he's really good at. Squandering.

Money. Good will. Friendships. International alliances and support. Clean air. Clean water. Unspoiled forests. Our national treasury. Our reputation. People's pensions. Hopes. America's future.

I agree with you that there WILL be a reckoning. I'm just afraid that I won't live to see it. None of us will. He'll probably get off scott-free until he has his date with the Grim Reaper. It would be so much more beneficial, useful, and instructional (not to mention FAIR!) if he had to face the music NOW, in this life, on this earthly plain, where everyone could see it. Where everyone could see what happens when you sin this horribly and massively and wantonly. It would be a good lesson. Unfortunately, what people are actually learning from him is that crime DOES pay. Cheaters DO prosper. The bad guys DO win. Lies are truth. War is peace. The buck stops over there. And the Golden Rule is for somebody else. What the f--- kind of example is this to show to your kids?

I'd like to see him get his just desserts NOW. That would truly be justice. I'm not going to hold my breath. But I'd still like to see that.

It is good to be reminded that God does not forget. Because since this last election, I've found myself seriously questioning whether there really IS a God. If He exists, He sure hadn't been listening to me lately... So the reminder helps.

BTW these photos are just unbelievably bittersweet. Look what we've done. All that love and sympathy and support, and all we did was shit on it and kick it in the teeth.

[kerrygoddess]

29. Awesome Sandnsea!

Great post, my friend!

[stepnw1f]

30. Excellant Post!

This is why we will ALL overcome todays tragedy TOGETHER.

[BlackScorpionSociety]

31. Excellent

Excellent post. Puts everything into perspective. I think too many Americans have this "fortress mentality"; that its 'US versus THEM'. But when it comes to down to tragedy, death doesn't discriminate.

[ExclamationPoint]

32. I think the quake is now a greater tragedy then 9/11

Yes, 9/11 was a great tragedy, but this is greater. People around the world should be paying their respects to the lost souls in south and south east asia. So many have perished, that it seems the respect other nations pay should be great than that of 9/11.

And you now what the prez has paid to help these people? Less than impovershed Spain. SPAIN! And less than 1/13 of our economy Australia. Makes me sick.

[DeepModem Mom]

33. Thank you, thank you, sandnsea --

tears here, too.

[Pushed To The Left]

34. Excellent post!

It reminds me of how much support the rest of the world had for us after 9/11. A lot of the countries that showed us love and support are now treated like enemies by the right wing.

[renate]

56. it breaks my heart

that many of the people in other countries who showed us such an outpouring of love and support and who were so genuine in their sorrow must now feel as though their kindness didn't even register with us. It's like when you get a gift from someone and the return address is missing--you want to say "thank you" so badly but can't, and it just makes you miserable to think that the person who gave it to you will never know how grateful you are.

[arcos]

35. Amazing post... I nominated it to the homepage...

thank you

on edit: silly me, it's already on the homepage

[Dukkha]

36. I'm glad someone said this

I've been thinking this all week.

This disaster is FAR worse than any we've seen in our lifetime, yet the self-centered nationalists turned their back still thinking 9/11 should be the focus of attention.

This is why on September 12th the US received this massive outpouring of sympathy and support from the world, but now today the US is the most hated nation on Earth.

[OhioBlue]

38. Thank you

I have been thinking the same thing - where is the outpouring of empathy? I guess when you have a leader that doesn't give a F___, some follow.:cry:

[peacefreak]

39. Thank you for reminding us that

we are citizens of the world. A Lot of us have problems that are petty in comparison to the suffering these people will have to endure for the foresee-ble future. Thanks for putting things into perspective.

[LiberalinNC]

40. This is by far the greatest tragedy of our live times...

and I can't believe it took our jackass president so long to get off his lazy ass to say something. He really takes his vacation seriously.

My heart aches each time I watch the news. Thank GOD President Clinton came forward and said something...well it's not surprising at all who know that he's a descent and caring man.

Thanks for your post!

[spooked911]

41. Umm, sorry-- but 9/11 was mass murder prepetrated by our government

which is why we must never forget and we must never give up trying to hold Bush & Cheney accountable for 9/11.

[hraka]

43. Parallel

9/11 was terrible, horrible, unthinkable. But it's over and done and our government learned nothing from it. The perpetrators are still out there, and we declared war on Iraq to settle a grudge.

Ok, obvious out of the way. Monkey boy was on vacation for 4 days before giving a statement. Why didn't he rush back to Washington to rally the troops? (Why didn't he put down the goat book, excuse himself, and rush back to Washington?) The 1st thing I noticed? He commented from his Crawford Ranch. I mentioned it to a coworker and he wondered how the BBQ was.

Are we the only ones who see a sickening parallel here? What is it going to take for America to wake up to the truth the rest of the world has already realized? The presidency was bought, plain and simple. And that buffoon in office could care less about anything except filling his coffers.

[Name removed]

55. Deleted message

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[Oversea Visitor]

66. WE once was sadden

Care to prove to the world it was not. Your official story stink and your goverment efforts to surpress the truth is too glaring to the outside world.

[hraka]

68. Only the guilty know

and you don't have to get nasty about it. All we truly know is we were lied to, plain and simple. Saddam was a villain, but he never attacked the U.S.

[baldguy]

42. This tragedy is more than 1000 times worse than 9/11

It's only OUR criminally ignorant arrogance that allows us to pretend otherwise.

We should be offering BILLIONS of dollars to aide these countries - and challenging Europe, Russia, China and Japan to do likewise

[spooked911]

54. Sure this is worse

but the Tsunami was an "act of god", whereas 9/11 was an act of our immoral and lawless government executives.

I'm serious-- 9/11 was an inside job. Wake up.

[blondeatlast]

64. Offer billions? Yes, indeed. Challenge others to do the same? No.

I remember when this nation led, oh,yes, we led the world, by EXAMPLE.

This is a sad, sad day for this American citizen, who has in-laws and family in that region of the world.

My God, I can't believe this is the same country into which I was born and believed in.

[Historic NY]

44. I haven't forgotten, the immense saddness, the out pouring of grief.......

I sent off a donation in my recently deceased uncles memory this morning. People helping people, isn't that whats it is all about. I heard on PBS News Hour that contributions by corporations, private citizens & donations of supplies to large charity organizations is outpacing the ability to get them all taken care of. Unicef, Catholic Charities, American Red Cross, etc. have so far topped what our government has pledged.

[More Than A Feeling]

45. A moment like that won't come again for generations

Sure, if the terrorists strike again on US soil, other countries will express their condolences, but it will not be with the same genuine grief and solidarity. I had never seen those pictures before, and they have brought home to me as nothing else has exactly what we have spit on.

[hraka]

69. So True

America has burned too many bridges. The only ones still at our back are those that are afraid. I mean, who's next?

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Redneck Socialist]

48. Good job.

Unfortunately all it does is make me more pissed off at the shit head in chief.

I've been reading a book about the Office of Strategic Services in WWII. These agents would drop behind German lines and help organize the resistance. Almost universally the US Agents were greeted with open arms. People loved America. Not now.

We genuinely had the world's sympathy after 9/11 and bush chose to flush all that good will down the toilet. Stupid fucker.

Sorry for the rant. Great post Sandnsea.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

50. Today at work, I was talking to one of my bosses (a freeper...they both

are...lucky me, huh?!). He and I were talking about something and he mentioned someone had called him who had an accent "like one of those A-rabs (pronounced just like that..real Archie Bunker) who had water over him in the tsunami in Thailand." My mouth dropped open. I immediately said, "You know, that's not even remotely funny!" He got all red-faced like he was really pissed off (not embarassed, like he should be). I said, "I know you weren't trying to be insensitive because it was such a horrific tragedy" and then changed the subject. I doubt he caught the sarcasm in my voice.

WTF is wrong with people???!!!!! Why would he think to make a joke out of this and why would he even think I would appreciate it? Good
G-d!

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

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[tabasco]

51. After you re-register ...

you should learn to use the spell check feature.

Your stupidity is apparent.

[mandyky]

52. According to shrub and the GOP since they were against Iraq

these folks you have pictures of "forgot". Of course, they are wrong, but they have the mike and the power right now. Hopefully the people who were with us on 9-11 realize about 50% of the USA disagrees.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

53. Tanglebones is a goner. Good riddance, bonehead!

[Princess Turandot]

57. Personally, I think about 9-11 almost every day..

I think that I am capable of reacting to the tragedy of the last few days without needing to 'put 9/11' behind me. I wish you could have expressed your sentiments about the victims of the tsunamis without dragging 9-11 into it. Empathy isn't a finite quantity as far as I'm concerned.

I also hope that everyone responding to these posts has already put their empathy into action, by making whatever monetary contribution they can to the world relief charities. They need that right now more than anything else.

[Tsiyu]

58. I don't think sandnsea expressed that empathy was finite

I think she merely wanted to remind us of the beautiful caring human beings of the world who were with us in love and sympathetic spirit after 9/11.

I think that she was indirectly showing us what true compassion looks like. The people in those photos were expressing condolences from thousands of miles away.

This is Bush's nation they grieved for. This is Bush's nation they cared enough about to pay their respects to for our loss.

Shouldn't Bush - as a human being - return that compassion? Oh, yeah, he doesn't HAVE ANY.

9/11 is here forever and will be referenced often. When a president uses a tragedy like that for his own greed and gain, it is our duty and responsibility to point out that the empathy he was shown is nowhere to be seen in HIM... now that it is HIS turn to show empathy to the world.

[OneBlueSky]

59. exactly right, bhg . . .

and it didn't take the shrub long at all to completely squander all the international good will that was directed our way after 9/11 . . . his actions (or inactions) since the Asian tragedy have shown just how small a man(?) he really is . . . leader of the free world? . . . he couldn't lead a local school board . . .

[sandnsea]

60. I am so touched by your responses!

I had no idea this was on the homepage. KerryGoddess called me and told me. Then to see all these responses! It is really heartwarming. I know DU has had an outpouring of love and support for the tsunami victims. I just hope some day we can all reach a place where petty differences and greedy aspirations are replaced with the simple joy of life.

[LynnTheDem]

61. Thanks to bush, the vast majority of people in those nations & the world

now despise America.

We can only dream now of the incredible changes for good here & around the world that could have been accomplished, if we'd had a true leader for a president.

[cire4]

63. Absolutely astounding....kick

I still can't believe how much the rest of the world loved America on September 12. The GOP deserves to rot for turning such loving sympathy into vile disdain.

[melissinha]

65. This is sickening

I mean sending less than you want to spend on an fraudulently achieved inaugeration.... its sickening... You all are right, we should be sending billions and federally funded relief groups.... oh yeah and most of all we should ACTUALLY SEND WHAT WE PROMISE and we Democrats should call them out for shortchanging all their humanitarian contributions. It never ceases to amaze me how consistent the dissapointment is... there is always something new and outrageous that they are trying to pull since the mandate.

My heart goes out the victims, families and friends that were affected... may you find peace.

[upperleftedge]

67. Imagine

There used to be a web site that showed pictures of the silent vigils around the world on Sept 12th with John Lennon's "Imagine" as the sound track. It showed piles of flowers in front of the American Embassy in Japan, Buddhist monks praying, a bunch of Palestinian boys wearing "I love New York" t-shirts, and candlelight vigils from all over the planet. If it doesn't bring tears to your eyes I don't know what will. In Paris La Monde's headline was "Today we are all Americans" and the first head of state to visit ground zero was Cherac. Bill Clinton was in Australia on 9/11 but he was walking among the crowds hugging people days before Bush stood on a pile of rubble with a bullhorn ranting.
America has lost her soul to greed and fear. I'm old now and fear I shall never see the country I loved again. What will we tell the children?

[MissBrooks]

72. A Quote

"Blessed are those who give without remembering. And blessed are those who take without forgetting."
- Bernard Meltzer

[Zinfandel]

73. Seems you indeed remember the "generosities" more than anything else

"the love I received at the time completely overshadows the loss."

Let's hope that's something ("the love" & help) is what we will all remember...because it's needed, desperately!

Even if the paranoid, terrified, selfish, greedy, only if you say your Christian will we even consider helping, lying, power hungry don't really give a shit about brown-skinned people, 59 million Americans, who believe in this fascist way of life...pretend to care, they DON"T! 9-11 makes all the hate and greed legitimate for these cold-hearted conservatives and they will use it until they plan another one...So let's get real here.

But I care.
And I hope you really, truly, do as well.

[johnclif]

74. Let's not be too hasty...

...to condemn our fellow Americans.

The Associated Press reports that the US military has arrived and has been distributing food and supplies up and down the coast of Indonesia all day. Now, that ship left from Japan and so it has been on the way for several days, and unlike a speech or press conference a ship that can deliver 90,000 gallons of purified fresh water a day, with over 5,000 skilled Americans who are willing and eager to help those suffering is a REAL contribution. We also have other ships on the way to Sri Lanka where the need is great. And, we have been flying in emergency supplies for days to regional logistical centers, and now that we have helicopters on the scene we can distribute these supplies to where they are needed.

No other country has, or is able to, respond with not only the money but the resources (ships, aircraft, trained personnel) that we have, and that we will. The amount of giving by all Americans has also greatly exceeded expectations. Look at your neighbors and remember that most Americans are good people with generous hearts and who really care about others.

I don't think any of us will ever forget the horror of 9/11, and I also don't think any of us will ever forget the horrible tragedy of the Christmas tsunami. We can help the peoples of South Asia without forgetting those who were hurt, and who needed help, back in 2001. And we will.

[Withywindle]

75. What a beautiful, moving post

Thank you so much.


I also remember seeing all those pictures and messages of love and support from all over the world. I went to NYC a week or so after to support some friends who were having a very hard time with it and wound up doing some Red Cross volunteer work at Ground Zero--not saying that because I want a pat on the back but because I witnessed that love and dedication a little bit myself.

I knew it wouldn't last. But I definitely thought that if any good at all could come out of this, it would be from that unanimous chorus of compassion.

I guess it was all just "political capital" to the pResident.

[Sleepless In NY]

77. sandnsea.. beautiful & thoughtful post, May I ask a question?

would it be possible for you to provide me with a link to your pictures? I would really appreciate it, I want to post it on another board. Thank you for reminding us of how people responded to our tragedy, alot of people need to remember that.

As far as the kind of person you are....you're awesome!