SEPTEMBER ELEVEN
By Bob Carney
I am an American. Today, I live in Wisconsin, in what is called the Midwest or "Heartland" of America. I was born in California, and I have lived in the towns of San Diego, St. Louis, Sacramento, Chicago, Baltimore, Atlanta, Dallas, and now Madison. My name is Robert Cliff Carney, son of Robert Max Carney, son of Robert Edgar Carney, son of Mr. Carney. I'm reasonably sure that my Great Grandfather possessed both a first and middle name, but everyone including my Great Grandmother knew him as, and called him, simply, Mr. Carney. Now, in two sentences, you know just about as much as I know about my agnate lineage.
Interestingly enough, this absence of genealogical information is neither worrisome to nor atypical of an American whose ancestors arrived on this continent two and three hundred years ago from Europe (or anywhere else for that matter). We pretty much know how we got here, and don't need to ask too may more questions. We figure life "sucked" wherever "we" were before and "we" got the hell out, by hook or crook, to give something else a try. I don't think we have any one 500-year-old Cathedral here, and I am absolutely POSITIVE that we have no 700-year-old castles.
Also interesting, is that we don't feel connected to anywhere "else". Most of the "backbone" of American Society came from Europe, and we know this, but we don't "miss" this place. And further, Chinese who came over in the 1800s - many in almost slave conditions or worse - do not "miss" China. African Americans do not walk the streets wishing they were back in the jungle - although the way they got to American was typically horrific. Mexicans are here because they got a better "deal" here, and that's why migration is still to the North, rather than towards South of the Rio Grande.
We are a "flexible" group of people. We have freedom of ideas and freedom of speech, and we have freedom of movement within our country. We have remarkably little established class system. We do not understand 2000-year-old problems and grudges, we do not understand 1000-year-old problems and grudges, and we don't understand 500-year-old problems and grudges. We are innovative, we are mobile, we are many races and creeds, and we are generally resilient.
We aren't tormented by the past nor do we dwell upon it, as we don't have any past, particularly, upon which to dwell.
There was a great crime committed on September 11th, 2001. That this act was criminal and horrible, most if not all the "civilized" world agrees. Americans absolutely do not understand it. Americans are not going search their souls about it try to see why they've made anyone this angry. But Americans do care that this has happened.
It takes quite a lot to really piss us off. Usually, we just don't "see" things, and go about our business in the only country we have known about and a place we call home as far back as we remember, America. But, now, we are very, very, very, angry. A lot of people are going to be killed over this. There is absolutely no doubt about this in the mind of anyone who is a typical American like me, and who understands something about this place, America. There is no doubt we are capable. Some people now have our full attention.
They will be exterminated as cockroaches, and that is all.
END