horrifying act in NYC

[Lori Hitchcock]

I hesitate to weigh in on this discussion, in part because I find some of
the rushes to condemn "dominant" culture problematic (coming from the
perspective that all cultures - dominant, 'alternative' etc. operate with
their own degrees of status quo and heirarchy).  However, I've been
thinking about Gwyn's comments, and I'd just like to make an observation
or two.

I'm American, living just outside of Washington DC with family in the NYC
area, and this hit a little closer to home than is comfortable.  We are
all fine, but we had a tense day yesterday waiting to hear about family.
We have yet to hear about friends and business colleagues.

That said, I understand the concerns that seem to prompt Gwyn's
observations of the ultimate catalysts of this event, and I don't think
they're inappropriate.  Perhaps, as has been observed, they lack something
in precision; I would tend to agree that terror and murder are the work of
nations - not simply the United States - and that generalizations will
probably not be helpful in really understanding all that has led up to,
and will follow from, what has happened.

But Americans are also talking about the extent to which we can be naive;
that we can enact policies - economic, political, military - that have
consequences, and that it's important that we see yesterday's events in
their proper context(s).  In this sense, it might be argued, as many have,
that the use of the "Pearl Harbor" comparison - or Dan Rather's repeated
use of "day of infamy" in his broadcasts - is not only inappropriate, but
also offensive and potentially dangerous.

But, as has also been discussed, this comparison is being made in many
different contexts.  For some Americans, Pearl Harbor is the only language
through which they can express the feelings that this event has evoked, in
a very personal sense.  It should also be mentioned that the assasination
of JFK has also been used as a point of comparison - right now,
individuals are, I think, trying to find ways to simply articulate what
they're feeling, using the cultural language available to them.

As such, I guess what I'm saying is that, if we're going to continue this
discussion - which has been interesting, and seems worthy of consideration
(particularly to the extent that language gives rise to action) - that we
consider the issues in their complexity, without resorting to hasty
judgements concerning either the "dominant culture" (this still perplexes
me), or those who are struggling to articulate their very real concerns
about the causes of this event.  I've appreciated this morning's dialogue
between Gwyn and Professor Kozlowski - this is the kind of dialogue which 
seems fitting to a list such as this.

Just my two cents - now sneaking back to lurkdom.

Lori Hitchcock