I remember exactly where I was when the planes hit the towers. It was a tragedy. A tragedy that a scared President and a vengeful congress used to start two wars that are still going on today. I remember finding out about how we were illegally taking people with no right to judge or jury to Guantanamo Bay Cuba, where some still are. I remember hearing the totals of the billions of dollars spent to keep them there. I remember extraordinary renditions, waterboarding, torture, and other massive violations of human rights, deaths by the probable hundreds of thousands if not millions in the middle east, I remember the Patriot Act and librarians and businesses not even being able to tell us that we were being monitored. I remember the NSA surveillance of US citizens that is still going on today. I remember how we the American people gladly gave up civil rights because we were taught to be scared. I remember the government not even letting us see the bodies’ of our brave US soldiers coming home, because they were afraid we might notice. I remember the terror and loss of the families that lost loved one’s in 911. But mostly I remember that we as American’s failed in our most basic duty to not be scared, to not be misled, and to hold our government accountable. There is no tragedy bad enough to give up our rights or to kill millions. We still have armed forces in Iran and Iraq, and some of them were not even alive when 9/11 happened. On this tragic day, let us remember that tragedy and honor the victims and their families, but let us also remember that due to the President’s and our government’s shameful response to that day. We all have blood on our hands and the surveillance technology that can watch us try to wash it off in vain.

© words by Daniel DeMarle 9/11/2020