Shall We Never Forget? (Chesapeake: houses, schools, college)

[NJR]

This morning while driving my child to school, I noticed something odd in Chesapeake...3 flags out on the houses! Oh I did see a lot of "back to school" flags and "teddy bear" flags but only 3 U.S. Flags...and none at half mast.

I recently moved here from NJ and I have been coming here since way before 9/11. I recall in 2001 everybody went out and bought a flag for their house & proudly displayed it. EVERY house had a flag. They bought mini flags for their cars as well as ribbons. Here in Virginia a 9/11 commemorative license plate came out. Everyone was adamantly proclaiming "WE SHALL NEVER FORGET!"

Well here we are 7 years later and I guess the novelty has worn off. It must no longer be trendy to remember the fallen of 9/11. I am especially taken aback because we live in a basically MILITARY community! I suppose if the federal gov't had made 9/11 a national holiday we would remember by BBQing and having a great time.

Maybe I'm ranting about but I feel that there is a lot of hypocrisy.
So come AMERICANS, fly your flags proudly & adamantly and proclaim in one resounding voice
"WE SHALL NEVER FORGET!"

[Erma]

I travel for my work and flew the first week of October after 9-11 happened. A pilot and I were chatting and he made a remark that has yet to leave my memory. "Americans forget too easily." We ***** and complain that checking in takes too long, that baggage retrieval isn't speedy enough and yadda yadda yadda. We completely forget about our own personal safety. He was truly correct when he made that statement to me that day. My flag is half mast, it flies daily, but today it is in memory of those who lost their lives and those who continue to lose their lives serving this country.

[ellar]

Unfortunately the flag we have on our house can't be flown at half mast. I'm sure others have flags like ours. That said, I work in social services, and one thing I have learned is that the people who do the best are not the ones who stand in a bucket of tears all the time. They do not forget the horrors of their past (abuse, neglect etc.) but they don't dwell on it either. They show their success by living it. I think patriotism is the same way. I rather have someone be kind to their neighbors and do what they can for their country than blindly fly a flag or dwell on the past. (I do think we need to learn from the past, which is different than dwelling). Some of the greatest problems in the world have stemmed from people who could not let go of atrocities from the past. In addition, many of our greatest humanitarians did their work quietly. They did not wear signs to outwardly display what they felt. Overall, I think it's great to be in a country where people can come together as families to have a barbecue etc. What a better way to exemplify our freedom than through family and friends. Many radio stations and offices paused today to remember those who have died, and that is appropropriate, but I think it's healthy to look to the future as many Americans are.

[Shoobie]

If you can't fly the flag at half mast, then you fly it upside-down. A part of boyscouts 101. (That only applies to flags that are stationary.)

Personally, I really don't care what people do. What matters is the ones of us that remember and can say, "Yea, I know that day. I was walking to the campus Starbucks at my college, all happy because I had a girl a crush on was with me. We walked in and the campus police were carrying away 3 students. Come to find out, ones student was from Pakistan and started cheering when the towers when down. The other two beat the living crap out of him. My friend, who wasn't from this country, didn't really get it until she seen them fall and we spent the rest of the day together crying. Moments like that really tell you who cares if you are not too blind to see it."

You know, I heard some "freethinker" say, "Where was God on that day?" Well, let me tell you. You want him out of the courts, schools, your lives, and others lives... THEN you have the testicular fortitude to say "Where was God?" Let me tell you, Mr. Trendy McAthist, he left us alone just like you wanted. Happy? Oh, but that couldn't be it. He must just not exist because he didn't come at your oooooohhhhh so important beckoning-call. Excuse me while I don't bow before your "freethinking" ways that my "closed mind" can not comprehend.

[Erma]

Gotta be with you on that one ol' Scoobmeister! People use God as a convenience, then blame him when things don't go their way or the unexpected happen!

[Shoobie]

I glad someone does. lol I kind of ranted there, but it's a sore spot for me.

This happened right after 9/11 and it took EVERYTHING in me to be civil about it. I think my words to this guy were, "If he wasn't there, tell my why the that one plane didn't hit the White House." After having to think about it, he went into some self-righteous rant about how it was all because of the people and junk. I asked him where did he think they got that kind of strength. To this day, that guy doesn't talk to me and I haven't lost one night of sleep.

[rtandc]

Shoobie I totally agree with this thread but have to disagree with your thinking of flying the flag upside down.....I know of no boy scouts that teach that theory just based on the fact that for some reason you cant fly the flag at half mast.....a US flag flying upside down means that you or your country is in dire or immediate distress or danger.....

[Shoobie]

Maybe I got my wires crossed then. It's been years since I've though about it. Anyway, I don't own any stationary flags. Sorry about that!

[dvcgal]

I have to agree with Ellar on this one and say that I try not to dwell on what happened. I met my best friend that day and each year, when 9-11 rolls around, we call each other and tell each other how sad we are about the day and the events that played out on 9-11 but we also take a moment to love each other. I think that everyone deals with 9-11 differently and you cannot fault people for how they show it and the lack there of. I talk about 9-11 ALL the time due to school (my studies) but I also realize that most people do not spend as much time on the subject that I do. It is one of the very reasons that I choose to drive my daughter to school every morning and pick her up every day! I want those last moments before she enters her school building to be with me. I also understand that not everyone else has the ability to take the time to do this. It is something that I happen to feel very strongly about and will always do until she tells me not too! People cope in different ways and you cannot think that just because my flag outside my home was not flown at half mast does not mean I do not care or think about 9-11 and the horrible events of that day.

[NJR]

I agree with many replies in this thread. Dwelling serves no purpose. But my issue is in Hypocracy. It appears that in 2001, it was trendy & hip to fly the flag. Everyone had them. Now 7 years later not many do so.