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A Tribute to Patriotic and Resilient Americans Printable Version PRINTABLE VERSION
by John Narayan Parajuli, Nepal Sep 10, 2003
Peace & Conflict   Opinions

  

September eleventh is a date of unparalleled monumental importance both in terms of loss, carnage, anguish and destruction as well as inspiration, creativity and innovation. The immediate aftermath of World Trade center destruction has offered not only America but the to the entire world valuable lessons to learn which anthropologists and social scientists will continue to ponder over in years to come.

The order amid chaos; the resourcefulness of the Americans in the face of crisis; and the devotion of emergency and rescue workers to their oftentimes ungratifying job has given a whole new definition to the altruism and a sense of fellow-felling. It has also proved the stereotypical communist propaganda that the capitalists are only sheer materialists false.

Flipping through the pages of piles of rescue literature of 9/11 provides even the most cynical human being an insight into the magic of Patriotism and altruism. Patriotism finds a whole new meaning in America -- the land of immigrants with the most diverse composition of ethnic groups from across the globe, yet it blends them together in unity regardless of one's ethnicity, religion, caste or creed.

As the second plane struck the WTC twin towers, the commotion and panic took over the world's financial capital. The world's only remaining superpower suddenly appears dumb-founded and powerless. But then the residents assume the charge over their shoulder as an unusual sense of patriotism, which is typical of America grips the entire nation. The patriotic currents emanating from the melodious tune of "God bless America/ Land that I love/ Stand beside her/ And guide her with a light/ My home, sweet home" brought together the most diverse group of ethnic people in the world that constitute America to withstand the grief and anguish of such Himalayan proportions that was thrust upon them.

The events of September 11 illustrate how patriotic and resilience Americans be. As the New York Police Department & New York Fire Department employees along with other emergency workers began rescuing those trapped in the rubble with great peril to their own lives, tens of thousands of Volunteers showed up making difficult for the rescue co-ordinators to enlist them all. Even the evacuees were supportive of each other even under perilous conditions.

Appreciating the effective management of the disaster, Kathleen. J Tierney, Prof. of Sociology at University of Delaware writes: "The effective management of initial emergency response was a major accomplishment for organizations involved particularly given the sudden severity and highly unexpected nature of the September 11 attacks. The trade center disaster illustrates how in disaster setting the levels of cooperation and collaboration among organizational and community actors can co-exist with societal divisions and conflicts. How and why New York was able to cope so well on September
eleventh is an important topic for future research..."
The time after September 11 saw the rise and fall of many things: the Manhattan avenue that once hosted the sky-reaching twin towers, the symbol of American prosperity, was suddenly reduced to mere lifeless ground zero, a mass graveyard for more than 3000 people. President Bush, long dwarfed by his father's legacy, suddenly found himself elongated to the historical heights as he delivered the speech to the Joint Session of the Congress. Even his hard-core opponents could not avoid tears rolling out of their eyes as Bush spoke with the pain and conviction of a Commander-in-Chief. What followed then is clearly visible to everyone.

The paradox of 9/11 tragedy is that it united Americans against all prevailing odds together in an elusive bond of patriotism -- consoling and comforting each other, however, this newly found warmth acted as a freezing agent in America's relations elsewhere.

Whether one hates or loves the American Government of the day, America continues to fascinate everybody, even the fanatics who rammed the WTC tower were no exception. They spend last few days of their life devouring the American Liberty while simultaneously planning to stab the host at the back before committing the "egotistical" suicide.

Unquestionably the tragedy of 9/11 has overhauled the American policy towards the world for ever, but it’s natural, as things have transpired and given the magnitude of the tragedy. Nevertheless, we can draw lessons from the American resilience and patriotism they continue to exhibit. Take for instance the recent power outage in Northeast United States. New Yorkers went to the dark streets lighting candles and lamps on the sidewalk and assuming the role of traffic policemen they guided the traffic.

Before winding up this piece I would like to dedicate it hundreds of victims of who perished beneath the rubble and to those resilient and patriotic Americans who continue to set an example.





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