Nothing is worse than suffering a terrible loss. The emotional and psychological scars are devastating and never seem to heal. Put on a national scale, such a loss becomes incomprehensibly big. The attacks on the World Trade Center recently marked it's 7th anniversary and again the entire world was reminded of how keenly the United States still feels the pain caused on that terrible day. Those who have not experienced it directly live in fear that it will happen to their countries. Like it or not, we live in a world where terrorism has become a stark reality.
But any psychologist will tell you that how we deal with tragedy in its aftermath is an important part of the whole healing process. In recent days, before and after the anniversary of 9/11, I've been flooded by patriotic American images of eagles and flags bearing words like "freedom", "liberty", "fight" and "die". Understandably, there is still a lot of sadness and anger in these images, and in the hearts of those who spread them throughout the Internet. Although seven years have passed, one gets the distinct impression that the wounds are still fresh, that the healing process hasn't even begun. The tragic events of September 11, 2001 seem to have become a virtual obsession with our American neighbours. If they haven't started healing, the question remains; "Why?".
Shortly after this historical event, U.S. troops invaded Iraq even though evidence of that country's duplicity with terrorism is flimsy. Still, deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was hunted down and captured. He faced trial and was quickly executed. President George W. Bush immediately put a price on the head of terrorist leader Ossama bin Laden who claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. After seven years and with all the technology and resources available to them, the U.S. still hasn't found bin Laden. Initially, the U.S. attacked Afghanistan which was a well-known terrorist stronghold. After 9/11, the U.S. prematurely moved those troops to fight in Iraq, leaving other nations (including Canada) to clean up the mess they left behind. Bush's war on the "Axis of Evil" became a war on Iraq alone and it's a war that still drags on today, seemingly without end. It would seem that the words "freedom" and "peace" don't belong together in the American psyche.
More than anything, it would seem that what the U.S. needs for its wounds to heal is closure. Bin Laden remains elusive, the war in Iraq seems to be spiraling out of control, and terrorism is still a viable threat. Ground Zero, where the terrible events of 9/11 took place, is still barren; no monuments, no plaques, no buildings, just a pile of dried up flowers to honour the victims. Someone needs to strike at the very source of America's terrible grief and eliminate it thoroughly. Until that happens, Americans will continue to suffer both as a nation and individually.
Why, as a Canadian, am I so concerned about this? Whatever happens in the U.S. inevitably ripples outward to affect the entire world. What they do affects everyone, economically, politicaly, and in ways that are not completely evident. An escalation in the armed conflict in Iraq may spread outside of that country. This will drag the whole world into a conflict whose real cause is still uncertain (and it isn't terrorism). Sometimes, the American mentality can be quite provincial. I hope the day will come when we all realize that what we all do and say affects everyone else. This is especially important for a nation as rich and powerful as the U.S. Their influence is international and they are responsible for how they affect everyone.
I'm not as learned as others when it comes to politics. I'm just an everyday guy who sees what's going on around him. The day breast-beating American patriots say they will show no mercy is a day when all of us should be concerned.
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