Making Money from Tragedy Amanda Hoffer | Staff
Writer
9-11-01. That date has been seared into the collective memory. It's
signifigance will always stand at the threshold of our minds probably for the
remainder of our lives. And yet there are those out there who wish to not only
capitalize on the tragedy but cheapen it as well.
Commericals selling flags, and compalation albums with "patriotic" music. I
know this is America and capitalism is king, but sometimes things go too
far. "God Bless America," words that I found comforting at that time have
begun to sound like hollow lip service thanks to everyone and their cousin
printing, posting, or singing it. And the flag, the last bastion of dignity
that I still held sacred even before these events, is now starting to seem like
an over-produced piece of cloth. And songs that I once sang with pride and now
create the same reaction as an over-played pop song, an immediate cringe and
quick flip of the channel.
Maybe you haven't seen the commericals yet, maybe you have and you just don't
care, or maybe you are like me. I want to mourn the loss still. I'm not ready
to buy into the cheap baubles of psuedo-rememberance. I still want to
remember, I still want to feel, and I still want to think that our symbols mean
something more than profit to some businessman. I guess for now I just have to
resort to picking up the remote and changing the channel.
What do you think?
Leave your comments below.
Comments:
By clicking on "Submit," you assert that you are who you represent to be and your
comments abide by section 20 of Radford's Student Handbook (for RU students), and by the Virginia State and Federal laws including but not limited to libel, copyright law, and invasion of privacy. The comments posted on this site are not necessarily representative of the views of Radford University, its
administration, faculty, staff or all of its students. For more information, read our policy on feedback fora.
Comments:
Patriotism is great but we shouldn't need a tragedy to inspire it. We should have it already. But of course it took all this for that to happen. We were already heading to recession and we've been in a recession before, we will survive....we shouldn't have to sell out to prevent it.
Comments:
I stand corrected. Thanks.
Comments:
same gateway, not same computer.
Many companies and networks come from behind routers. duh!
Comments:
I think it's very interesting that all these back-and-forth comments came from the same computer...
Name: Rad Alum Year: May '01 Comments:
Listen, I know you're trying to distract the readers from my original message, so why don't you "go sell crazy somewhere else? We're all stocked up here."
Comments:
What is funny is that you will probably be changing my depends in the moments before I die in about 50 years, right before I take my first steps into the firey depths. This makes me giggle. I hope
I lay a steamy poop before I go.
Name: Rad Alum Year: May '01 Comments:
The only home you're going to is the fiery pit of hell you belong to for not being patriotic.
Comments:
Lets go home honey, I am tired of all your blah, blah, blah
Name: Rad Alum Year: May '01 Comments:
well, actually, I never said I was a Whim alum, and I can tell that you're a coward with no opinion or else you would have had more to offer than "blah blah blah."
Comments:
blah blah blah.
You can tell that you are a whim alum. Lots of blah and more blah.
Get a life
Name: Rad Alum Year: May '01 Comments:
I have to admit that at first I saw the negative aspect of all the media hype and patriotism that you spoke of. And even my boyfriend, also an RU/Whim alum, made a similar comment the other day when we were at Target looking at "flag" christmas ornaments. But there is a reason why I don't see this surge of patriotism as a sell-out and here's why: This tragedy affected everyone in America very strongly. It was an event that our generation specifically never imagined. In a time where apathy reigned in the hearts of Americans, September 11 completely changed everything. Days after the attacks, people were being turned away from blood donation centers, American people donated over 200 million dollars to relief efforts, and anyone who could get their hands on a flag waved it proudly from their cars and homes that Friday, and still do today. However, when the stock markets reopened a week later, there was a dramatic point drop that screamed "recession!"
This is possibly the most patriotism that Americans are feeling, EVER. People want to show they are proud of their country. At the same time, our economy is heading toward the shitter. So what better way to help spur spending than to provide Americans the resources they need to show their love for their country. Sure, some of the t-shirt designs may be cheesy, but many of the stores that sell them are also giving proceeds from the sales to relief efforts. Every other car I see on the highway has some sort of flag--bumper sticker, window flag, or magnet--on it and I think it's great. People want to do all they can to show their support, and by spending money on this memorabilia they're also helping the economy, which is also helping this whole situation and making our country stronger after devastation. And I also think it means a lot that patriotic songs are now being played on the radio, too. That would have been unheard of 3 months ago.
It's about time that we all had something to bond us together as Americans...
Name:Mom Comments:
Maybe some of it is in how u look at things. Do not become to jaded. But in some ways you are right. It is up to u to decide what is cheap commercialism and what is just someone offering you a way to express your patriatism and sorrow.
Name:Marty Callaghan Comments:
Amanda: ROC-TV is producing a documentary on the terrorist attacks and we are seeking good interview subjects. Are you interested? If so, please give me a call at x6381. I'm the new director for student media on campus; Rachel can tell you more about me. Thanks, Marty
Name: Shaun Year: Grad Major: English Comments:
It's absolute sickening. Notice how, in little under two months, we have souvenir coins honoring fire fighters, policemen and Dubba? How the American flags are the "in" thing? It's disgusting...that it took the deaths of 5,000 some people for folks to even want to display the flag.
