non-political?

Not sure how to understand how Bush's 9/11 primetime message could NOT be political. Then I listened in to his message and confirmed not only his inability to not make political hay out of such a tragedy, but also his determination to make 9/11 about IRAQ.

Disgust doesn't begin to cover my reaction. I watch/listen in because I want to have a right to complain afterwards; but, honestly, I knew he would take the opportunity to aggrandize himself and the hapless war he created. But, these folks are not my plants, I swear. It turns out I was not the only one who thought he was being self-serving and insincere. Then again, when don't I feel that way?

9/11 offered our nation the opportunity, after mourning, to step back and take stock of our image to the rest of the world. Our image, the one we created with our deeds as well as our words, is the reflection people in other nations see. It is not the figment of Osama bin Laden's imagination or any other would-be or actual terrorist. We continue to give these guys fodder for their extremism.

The people who died in the towers, PA and the Pentagon that day were, in fact, just going to work. They had not provoked the attack. But as a nation, we did provoke the attack; and we continue to poke sticks in the eyes of many people who see our tarnished image as crass exploiters through our power-grabbing political antics around the world.

I mean no disrespect to the families of those who lost loved-ones. We are in this together, but they have suffered much more than we can imagine. It has been long enough, though, since the attacks to begin to unravel how we, individual citizens, are complicit with that image if we are unwilling to let our "leaders" know that we will not allow them to do these things in our names.

Step back, America, and ask yourself: what am I getting from the fruits of the multi-national's labors?

Nothing of value as far as I can see.