Two Recommended Programs About 9/11

Seeing that it is now just past one week after the heavily covered 9/11 commemoration, I notice that practically nothing remains in the broadcast or printed media which discusses this terribly important subject. So let me refresh the attention-span-challenged public's historical memory by discussing it here.

On September 11, 2001, 19 guests from other nations, in direct contradiction to the principles of the great Islamic faith and its traditions, betrayed the hospitality and good will that another land had bestowed upon them and committed horrendous acts of mass murder of its innocent people and wanton destruction. All in the name of the same religion whose values they so blatantly violated. Of course, the land I'm referring to is the United States and the terrorists from the Middle East, mainly Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and under the direction of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, hijacked four passenger planes and flew two of them into the World Trade Center twin towers, with the third plane hitting the Pentagon and the fourth forced into a crash in a western Pennsylvania field when the passengers, aware of the other hijackings, rose up against the hijackers.

I noticed that most of the coverage that occurred on 9/11 this year concentrated on the victims and was light on the actual perpetrators. This gave a false impression that what happened that day was more an act of fate than an act of deliberate mass murder. Having said that, I will say as well that I was impressed with what two television channels did to remind us of this infamous day in history.

MSNBC simply replayed its coverage of the September 11, 2001 events as they had unfolded, complete with the often inaccurate information and speculation from announcers and correspondents that typified this day. The cameras were generally trained on the burning WTC towers, apparently from the Jersey side of the Hudson River. Well, they were, that is, until the South and then the North Towers came tumbling down in a catastrophic toxic cloud of rubble, metal, and ash, with the thick smoke and haze obscuring the skyline. I found sitting through this coverage mesmerizing.

The History Channel showed a collection of videos, in chronological order, made from various people who happened to be in the general vicinity of the World Trade Center as the events unfolded. Titled 102 Minutes, this is an incredible account of the mass tragedy from up close, showing the horrified, confused, panicky, angry, and even disbelieving reactions of residents, workers, and visitors as they witnessed the events in person.

No, I don't think we should wait for another entire year to remember the 9/11 attacks. I can understand it if MSNBC doesn't show its program except on September 11, but the History Channel program is something that should be aired much more often...