I find much to do with reactions to 9/11 a bit peculiar, even my own. I get sucked into watching the endless rehashing, re-examination, re-evaluating news-like shows on the History Channel. I look around, and it's hours later. My friend Steve calls it "disaster porn" and won't watch any of it.

This year I noticed that Google calendar's "US Holidays" default now shows Sept 11th as "Patriot Day" - with no way to remove that without removing every other official holiday. I'd think the state(s?) that already HAD a declared Patriot's Day for years at another time might have something to say about that. Pearl Harbor Day isn't a National Holiday... but that happened in the days before cable TV, instant reporting and image saturation the way our disasters play out now. Instead of making us more aware of disaster and suffering and injustice, it seems in so many cases, just makes us indifferent. And a term like "Patriot" gets some of it's gravitas and power by being co-opted so blithely by jingoists. < end rant>.

I find someone being spooked about flying on 9/11 a side effect of having all the media attention so high profile. Understandable, if not totally rational. What about the whole situation and it's legacy IS rational?

Joanne in Cleveland