–David
From USA Today:
Nearly 3,000 people killed. A nation’s collective psyche decimated. Two costly, protracted wars. And fallout affecting everything from air travel to privacy.
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks left deep, lasting scars that will be acknowledged Wednesday in commemorations at Ground Zero in New York, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa., the sites where terrorists crashed four hijacked commercial airliners. But on the 12th anniversary of 9/11, there are signs of a gradual desensitization to the tragedy’s once-piercing wounds.
Near Madison, Wis., the Tumbledown Trails Golf Course offered a “12th anniversary of 9/11” special: a nine-round golf game for $9.11 or 18 rounds for $19.11. That was until course owner Marc Watts received death threats and apologized after a social media backlash that required protection from sheriff’s deputies. “We’re a little hurt by the fact that people are putting such a negative context on this,” Watts said.
On the eve of New York’s mayoral primary election, 9/11 morphed from sacred day to political football after Police Commissioner Ray Kelly accused candidates of being soft on terrorism.
In London, a sculpture by New York artist Miya Ando made from twin towers debris in honor of 67 Britons killed on 9/11 has languished in storage for two years, unable to find a permanent home. “In my lifetime, it’s the single most influential tragedy and saddest thing I’ve experienced,” Ando, 34, told USA TODAY. “I hope (Londoners) find a home for it.”
Wednesday marks the fifth year since Congress declared 9/11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance, a designation that was news to about a quarter of Americans in a Horizon Consumer Science survey.
Yet the public’s overall interest in 9/11 and honoring those who died doesn’t appear to be waning, just shifting, as people commemorate an anniversary once steeped in sadness and anxiety in a variety of ways.
Like Curt, I too participated in the 2,996 project.
I wanted to honor Ron Gamboa. My store manager at the time of 9/11. But by the time I was on board with the Project, I was told that he was already selected by a blogger. However, I was also informed that his 3 year old son, David, hadn’t been, yet. So I chose to write about David (along with his two dads, Ron and Daniel):
David Reed Gamboa-Brandhorst was born June 23, 1998. That same month, an enemy of the United States few Americans knew about, Osama bin Laden, was placed on the FBI’s most wanted list. 2 months later, on August 7th, the world saw simultaneous bomb attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. 224 were killed, including 12 U.S. citizens. Worst was yet to come…
If you have just five minutes more today, please take the time to read the post. Many of the comments there are also moving, including one written by David’s birth mom, Michele.
FA video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s1bQEuUD7c[/youtube]
A former fetus, the “wordsmith from nantucket” was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Adopted at birth, wordsmith grew up a military brat. He achieved his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (graduating in the top 97% of his class), where he also competed rings for the UCLA mens gymnastics team. The events of 9/11 woke him from his political slumber and malaise. Currently a personal trainer and gymnastics coach.
The wordsmith has never been to Nantucket.
In memoriam:
http://www.popmodal.com/video/9113/Have-you-forgotten