9/11 and leftists

There is a disturbing trend that I have come across that has escalated to the point where I feel the need to address it.

It all started with the Boston Marathon bombing. I was in a building at school just doing my thing when I received a group text from my older sister assuring my family and I that she was alright, and responses from my parents along the lines of, "Thank goodness! Stay safe." I was like, "Whaaaa...?" because I had no idea what was going on. When I found out, my heart stopped (figuratively). My sister went to school in Boston, and she usually watched people cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon, but had not gone that day - the "what-ifs" in my head could not be silenced for a while. On social media, some of my leftist friends (and others who are not friends) were going off on how "this sort of thing happens everyday in some parts of the world, so this is practically nothing."

Before I go on, I have nothing against leftists. I disagree with them on some points, as I do with everyone to an extent. Other than libertarians, they are my favorite political group to work with. However, what I am addressing in this post today seems to be more perpetuated by them than by other groups. or so I have personally noticed. This is definitely not to say that all are like this. The reason why I address this to leftists and not talk about the problem in general is because this would then reach less of the intended target. Also, libertarians and some other people are guilty of doing this too.

When thinking back on the Sandy Hook shooting, I noticed some of these same people saying, "Children all over the world are dying - being murdered every single day." How am I expected to tell my family who lives in Sandy Hook that they should just forget what happened because there are other more terrible things in the world?

Today (9/11), US Uncut, a popular political Facebook page posted this picture and some commentary.

US Uncut

"On September 11th 1973, US-backed General Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected leader of Chile, Salvadore Allende. Pinochet ordered an air strike on the Presidential Palace, labor activists and famous folk guitarists were rounded up for torture, disappeared, and killed. Pinochet converted the national football stadium into a detention facility like Guantanamo Bay. Chile's economy was turned into a plantation for the 1%, as inequality and poverty skyrocketed under the imposed Milton Friedman-style economic model.

Over 40,000 Chileans became victims of Pinochet's terror. In response, the Nixon administration committed more money, more training, more torture equipment.

The world didn't begin on September 11th, 2001. Rather, for the first time in modern history, Americans were visited by the same violence the US has imposed since its creation. In Chile, the US murdered tens of thousands and impoverished millions. This wasn't America's first foray in international terrorism, nor would it be the last. The United States security state is a terrorist and a plague on the people of the world. Spread the word." 

I have a love/hate relationship with this Facebook page - I love one-third of the things they post, hate a lot of the other things, and like how they point out certain problems in and out of the US, but don't like their "solution" to it. Let me know if you disagree with me, but I view US Uncut as a leftist page.

"Milton Friedman-style economic model" laughability aside, information like this is good to know - 9/11 is and was not the only tragedy in the world. However, these kinds of posts and the comments that ensue reinforce this idea that somehow, because fewer people died in this tragedy than in other (lesser-known) ones and that the US is 'Murica, 9/11 and other traumatizing events in the US should not be mourned for and/or discussed.

Sure, we shouldn't pick and choose what the masses should concentrate on...

I have noticed that some people - and rightfully so, in my opinion - get offended when others post how "_________ died in this terrorist attack in ____________" on days like 9/11. Why 9/11 of all days? Like I have said, it is good to know facts surrounding occurrences in different countries and time periods. However, just because fewer people died during the 9/11 terrorist attacks does not make it not a tragedy because only 3,000 died compared to the 60,000 people who died in Chile in 1963 - both are tragedies.

Even more disturbing than this, which I have heard a few leftists say, is that the US deserves events like 9/11 because of our foreign intervention. Were the victims of 9/11 somehow directly-involved with our country invading other nations and acting as the world police?

I do not agree with our foreign intervention at all. (If you do, you should check out Students For Liberty's Peace, Love, & Liberty - it's free.) Sure, our country's actions have most definitely led to attacks on American citizens and on American soil, but to say that any of these innocent people deserved to die or that their deaths should be ignored is downright cold-hearted and disrespectful, especially to those who lost someone or know people who were directly affected.

So, what do you do when it is 9/11 and you want to take advantage of "Never Forget" and inform people about the injustices going on in the world today without coming off as a prick?

Click this for an example

The first problem I can think for an something like this (even though I made it...) is that it can be easily misinterpreted. Some may think similarly like me and say, "Yeah, we need to educate people on why wars are bad and why peace is good!" Others will be like, "Let's send Team America to fix everything!" That is why you should provide commentary or an explanation: "Condolences to those who were directly affected by the tragedies of 9/11. We have the power to prevent horrific events like this around the world by..."

I hope that writing this has provided even just a few people with some insight...