Thread: Reflections On The Fifth Anniversary Of 9/11

“Take Me Out to the Ballgame”: Remembering 9/11

This year, as the fifth anniversary of the attack on the United States approached, I decided that the most fitting way to remember and pay tribute to those who died on that day was to go to a New York Yankees baseball game. The Yankees were in Baltimore on 9/11, playing a make-up game, so I had to wait until they returned home on 9/12. I went to that game last night.

I didn’t want to bother with the hassle of parking, so I took the “D” Train. Getting off at 161st Street, I walked the couple of blocks down to Yankee Stadium. It was no more than a ten minute walk to the stadium, but for anyone taking this walk, it is crystal clear why we are now at war. I saw men, women and children in all shapes and sizes. There were white people, black people, brown people, Asian people. There were people with long hair, short hair and shaved heads. I saw people wearing baseball caps, people wearing turbans, people wearing yarmulkes, people wearing bandanas, people wearing Muslim head dress. There were clean shaven people, people with beards, people with pierced ears, pierced noses and pierced navels. There were African American people, Hispanic people, Chinese people, Japanese people, Phillipine people, Arab people…..You could hear people speaking English, speaking Spanish, speaking French, speaking Chinese and Japanese, speaking Russian, speaking Greek, speaking Arabic, speaking Yiddish, speaking every language imaginable. I passed an Italian pizzeria, a Middle Eastern falafel stand, a Greek gyro shop, a kosher delicatessen. Someone else was selling Jamaican meat patties. The smells of Sabrett Hot Dogs, popcorn and pretzels roasting were in the air. And everyone was walking together toward Yankee Stadium to see the ballgame. Nobody cared what language anyone else was speaking. Nobody cared how anyone else was dressed. Nobody cared what anyone else’s race, religion or ethnic background was.

Five years ago on 9/11, as war was being declared against the United States, there was another sporting event being held somewhere in the Taliban controlled Afganistan. Although I was not there, I can imagine what it would have been like. There would have been no women - they were not allowed at public functions. I doubt that there would have been any children there either. All of the men would have been dressed alike, with their “regulation length” beards. You could be certain that most everyone in attendance was a Muslim. If they were not, they would be easily identifiable, with a yellow cloth sewed onto their clothing to identify them as pagans. I don’t think that you would have found any “bobble head dolls” or pictures of their popular players (like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez). To prevent idolatry, photographs, drawings, paintings and statues depicting living human beings were not allowed. There was nobody yelling “Cold beer here”! It wasn’t allowed. No ice cream either – not allowed. Players would not be getting any “standing ovations”, as onlookers were forbidden from clapping or cheering but could only encourage the sportsmen by chanting "Allah-o-Akbar" (God is great). Wait a minute – I’ll take that back. Clapping and cheering were allowed, encouraged, and – in fact – expected during the “entertainment” portion of the sporting event. This would have been the public executions that took place at halftime. These halftime activities would include “shootings, hangings and throat cuttings” Let’s take our “seventh inning stretch” and cheer while someone is getting their throat cut.

With the constant daily media bombardment of the horrific events in Iraq, and the accusations and counter accusations flying back and forth, we sometimes lose focus on what we’re fighting for. A night at a baseball game brought back my focus. As I took that short walk down to Yankee Stadium, I wished that some of the peoples in the Middle East and other parts of the world who are now “railing” against the United States could have been with me – to see what life in “the great Satan” is really like. And I thought that it would be great if someday, the kids who are being prepared to become suicide bombers at the age of four and five years old could come to a Yankee game……..

Indeed.

This war (against terror) is for Liberalism.

Viva la Freedom! (or some other overused corny term that fits the occasion)

tet-vet68,

Awesome post. Sometimes, perspective is easily lost amid sorrow and anger. And perspective is everything. Thank you for sharing so powerful a moment. I will keep this in mind when I go to the next public function.

It was a tragedic moment when terror attacked USA, but its the political action of the USA esp. its foreign policy which created such a war.
How many innocents have been killed untill today all over the world in the name of fighting terror??
And how many families are suffering for their killed sons and husbends in the name of fighting terror??
How many times are we going to be killed, we are killed many times per day, every time we hear the news, every time we hear Bush, every time we think with our minds.
The situation is not satisfactory and something must be done fast, because we are people who love to live in peace with all the others.

Originally Posted by tet-vet68

And I thought that it would be great if someday, the kids who are being prepared to become suicide bombers at the age of four and five years old could come to a Yankee game……..

Very moving post, tet.

That was my favorite line. We're big Yankee fans in our house (except for my oldest son, he's a Mets fan !).