A Somber Reminder

Yesterday marked the seven year anniversary of September 11th. The reminders were everywhere from television programs, memorial services, to every Major League Baseball team wearing "stars and stripes" hats to remember the tragic day. For what seemed like the first day since last 9/11, the presidential candidates also put campaign activities on hold to honor those lost and attended a ceremony at Ground Zero and put aside partisanship. 

Despite the large disagreements over recent years between Democrats and Republicans, yesterday we were all Americans, as we are everyday and it shouldn't take the anniversary of a national tragedy to remind us of that. The media put aside their political leanings to cover the ceremonies, even while Hurricane Ike began making it's treacherous track towards Texas. Everyday I am proud to be an American, and it is shame that it takes 9/11 for us to remember who we are and how patriotic we all are and can be. We argue, claim one side is more patriotic because of their political beliefs than the other. No one has an exclusive right to patriotism. It is something that we feel, believe in, love, and strive to achieve throughout our lives as Americans. Due to my political beliefs I have been told a number of times that I "don't support America" or I am not "a true patriot" or a defender of America. I have spent the last several months working on political campaigns, volunteering for that matter. Why? I am a patriot.

Ladies and gents, let's use this as a reminder of our duty to our country and whether we're liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat, black, white, man, woman, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, we're all Americans, and we're all patriotic. Some may not wear a flag pin or wore their red, white, and blue yesterday, but they felt it. 

We all came to this land seeking the freedom and liberty all of our ancestors were seeking and it's about time we all are proud of that. So those that have differing views that I may, stand up with me and let us all be proud of being Americans. 

Brief Thoughts on Additional Readings

While written at such different times in American and media history, both de Tocqueville and Giussani's articles point out how specific forms of media, newspaper and the internet respectively, are necessary to a free and just society. They act as checks on government and the people they represent. 

While newspapers represented freedom for so long, the creation of "Internet 2.0" meaning the communicative interaction we now see online with millions of bloggers, social networkers, and the browsers of these sites. What would have been much to de Tocqueville's dismay, newspapers were gathered into large entities when William Randolph Hurst began his quest of owning them all and newspapers ceased to be as free as de Tocqueville envisioned. Hurst was even able to start a war (Spanish-American) simply by drumming up support of the sinking of the Maine in his newspapers. 

Giussani points out the new revolution that has freed up from what Hurst among others did to so many forms of mass media. The internet has allowed for us to participate in this blog, freely able to express our opinion on any given issue. Blogs across the web focus on so many issues, an unimaginable amount, and each author has no limit to the blogs they can publish. No contract to write for one specific company, with deadlines, specific topics they are required to cover. Free. It's pure Democracy. So pure, it can be filled with lies, deceit, and garbage. Censoring is not required, nor is having your facts straight. So while the internet has led to a communications revolution and allowed all of us to become journalists, do we hold up a true journalistic code of honor? Do we factually report the news as we see it or do we intentionally slant it to meet whatever our personal goals may be? 

This upcoming election is the first in which internet 2.0 is being fully utilized. Senator Barack Obama even has a social networking tool known as MyBarackObama in which you can "friend" other supporters, join groups, create events, and yes, even blog. Unfortunately while this tool is used for good, others have used it to spread rumors about almost all of the candidates this season. They don't write for the Associated Press or the New York Times or even the KSU Sentinel. No worries about being fired or sued for your opinion on a blog. In most cases, you're not even being paid for creating the lies! 

So as Americans, lovers of freedom, and fellow bloggers, we have to prevent Giussani's dream go the way of de Tocqueville's and let corruption, lies, and deceit ruin this new device that will hopefully all democracy to flourish for centuries to come.