I was going to avoid Ground Zero today. But I found myself pulled in. It was hard to ignore the 5th anniversary of 9/11 while living in New York.
It was a chilling scene. There are few times in history when the entire world shifts on the pivot of a single event. Any other examples? Maybe Cesar’s assassination and Jesus’ Crucifixion.
Ground Zero for some reason reminded me of when I was a student at U.C. Berkeley because of the civic conversation that was taking place.
There were lots of 9/11 conspiracy theorists in attendance, trying to convince people that our government played a part on that fateful day. This group has been a fascination of mine for some time, having lived with someone who believed these theories. Their presence along with a strong police force created circles of discussion and heated debate that brought me back to September 11th, 2001 when I was a sophomore at Berkeley.
That day me and Oliver (a frequent commenter) woke up to phone calls from our parents. We walked to campus together and people were on Sproul Plaza engaging in debates, talking about the possibilities and what this meant for the world. Classes that day didn’t really stay on topic. I remember being on campus until after the sun went down listening to people rant, cry, blame and more.
Although the topics of discussion at Ground Zero today were different (nobody in 2001 thought the US was involved), I was actually happy to see a civic discussion taking place. Not to say I give any credence to the 9//11 conspiracy claims, but I think it’s always important for a community to engage with its populace — and as long as violence doesn’t break out nothing bad can come from it.
In terms of hope. On my way down to the subway I saw a sign that shocked me to the core. Today is not only the 5th anniversary of September 11th, when the World Trade Centers fell. It is also the 100th anniversary of Gandhi’s nonviolent movement, which came to inspire Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sad but somehow appropriate — a day that is synonymous with violence should also be tied to the most nonviolent person of the last century. I can’t believe this coincidence has gone unnoticed by most media outlets.