Heaping insult onto injury
<A HREF="mailto:dsaunders@sfchronicle.com">Debra J. Saunders</A> Thursday, September 20, 2001
>
THE SPECIAL city and its environs have a special response to the terrorist
attacks that rocked America Sept. 11. There are flags waving in Oakland and
Marin, which is something new, but there are also some special people who are
using the brutal attacks to bash America as a bully country. At a memorial
service for victims of the attacks, mind you. A man can't even mourn his
lover in peace here. Paul Holm, 40, represented the family of his former
partner, Mark Bingham, at the Day of Remembrance on Monday. Bingham -- bless
him -- is believed to be one of the heroic passengers who fought back against
the terrorists who hijacked United Airlines flight 93. Holm said of Bingham
and fellow local hero Tom Burnett, who also fought back, "They were the one
bright spot in a horrible day. I do believe (Mark and Tom) gave people
something to hold onto." It's true. On a day when so many victims were
helpless, there is comfort in the knowledge that some were able to thwart the
destruction of a building full of people, perhaps the U.S. Capitol. Americans
have reason to remember Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick, and to
thank them. Hence the Day of Remembrance. Nice idea, except that former San
Francisco Supervisor Amos Brown actually used the event to attack America --
stoking some residents' sense of superiority on foreign policy issues. Said
Brown: "America, America, what did you do -- either intentionally or
unintentionally -- in the world order, in Central America, in Africa where
bombs are still blasting?" And: "America, what did you do in the global
warming conference when you did not embrace the smaller nations? America,
what did you do two weeks ago when I stood at the world conference on racism,
when you wouldn't show up?" The crowd cheered. Holm walked out. "I thought
this was a day of remembrance and not a political event," Holm explained
yesterday. "These were innocent people, a number of whom gave their lives for
the country and to save other innocent people." Of all the politicians on the
stage, only Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, publicly chided Brown. She
noted, "the act of terrorism on Sept. 11 put those people outside the order
of civilized behavior, and we will not take responsibility for that." Thank
you, Nancy Pelosi. Brown is hardly the only America basher. The victims'
ashes were still warm when The Chronicle began receiving e-mails identifying
the United States as a bully nation that asked for these attacks. The U.S.
bashers versus Pelosi demonstrate a split in Bay Area liberalism: It's Blame
America First -- even for violence committed by others against us -- versus
Love America First. One side is so politically correct that it only sees
global warming and the U.S.- boycotted U.N. conference on racism; then there
are those whose criticisms of U.S. policies don't impede their love of
country and their fellows. Maybe the America Bashers have been so vocal
because they see a need to separate themselves from the carnage -- to pretend
the Bay Area isn't really part of Target America. As Gar Smith of the Earth
Island Journal wrote last week, the terrorists' "real targets" aren't
Americans, but "world trade and U. S. militarism." They blame the victim.
Perhaps they think if they blame America loudly enough, maybe the terrorists
won't strike San Francisco, because San Francisco is so superior to the rest
of America. Except it isn't. To live in the Bay Area, is to hear countless
love songs extolling the Special City, the tolerant Bay Area, home of culture
and education. We are, locals imply, superior people. You wish. The Day of
Remembrance shows that the special region is more interested in leftist
issues than real people. When it comes time to honor men and women who died
horribly and wrongly, the special city can't even do a simple memorial
service justice.
E-mail Debra J. Saunders at <A HREF="mailto:dsaunders@sfchronicle.com">dsaunders@sfchronicle.com</A>.
Brad L. Duren
Instructor of History
Oklahoma Panhandle State University
213 Hamilton Hall
Goodwell, Oklahoma 73939
work phone: 580-349-1498
email: Uriah768@aol.com
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