Patriot Day???

Patriot Day. This is the NEW name given to September 11th in remembrance of those people who died in the terror attacks on that date in 2001.

Why Patriot Day? Remembrance Day would be more truthful. December 7th, 1941, does anyone under 40 even know what happened on that date? We have a name for it. It's called Pearl Harbor Day. It's rarely even mentioned yet alone observed anywhere outside USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor Hawaii.

Patriots are usually thought of as people who fought for our country. George Washington was a Patriot. Members of the armed forces are universally thought of as patriots. In light of 9/11 one might say that the passengers of United 93 who are thought to have fought back against the hijackers deserve the title of Patriots.

But to try to call that date Patriot Day seems like a bit of a slap in the face to the thousands that died that day. It's too...antiseptic, too... political. When you say 'Nine Eleven' it tells everyone exactly what your talking about. Remembrance Day would be more personal and convey the message that the country should think back on what happened the beautiful Tuesday Morning in September 2001.

What the events of 9/11 inspired was a wave of patriotism but I hardly call the death of so many civilians patriotic. In Hiroshima the Peace Festival is held every year on August 6th. It is a day of remembrance and events to 'console the souls of the dead'. We don't have a Peace Day in the U.S. perhaps 9/11 would be a day for that sentiment.

Raven