Tragedy 9/11/01
A Gay Opinion 9/11/01
by R.A. Melos
As I sat glued to the television set, watching the events of this day unfold,
and re-watching them as I channel surfed through my 85 cable channels, I felt
tears well up in my eyes. I don't know if they were tears of sadness or fear,
or confusion.
I watched the videotape of first one World Trade Center tower collapse, pancaking
down on itself, smoke and debris rising up into the Manhattan skyline, and all
I could think of was the 1970s remake of King Kong. I was in my late teens at
the time, and this building was a symbol to my generation. I watched in awe
as the second tower collapsed a short time later.
The events of the day have been replayed, and re-watched and will be relived
for decades to come in film, literature and media, for they have touched the
world with their severity. It's too early in the devastation to know what direction
these events have turned us in, but the entire world underwent a change today.
This is an event which unites everyone in a common bond which transcends race,
religion and sexual orientation. It is not inconceivable for everyone to pull
together at a time like this, to overlook their once strongly held beliefs against
one another, and only see each other as people who are hurt by tragedy. It is
this bonding of human beings which is the most important thing to come from
this terrible terroristic act. However, the question of whether that bonding
of human spirit, and the overcoming of sexual orientation, religious, and race
biases in a time of crisis will survive the aftermath, still remains to be seen.
Will the American people survive this tragedy with a new understanding of the
fragility of human life, and perhaps overcome many of their prejudices toward
their fellow man? Will the devastating events of this day shape the world into
a more compassionate place where we are just people instead of gay, straight,
black, white, men, women, Asian, American, European? Will this terrible event
help the human race to overcome prejudice, or will it enhance prejudice?
I'm a gay white American male, but today I'm just a person feeling devastated
by a senseless act of violence, so far reaching it has encompassed the globe.