Presidential Address: Five Years On

The President knocked another out of the ballpark last night.

Here is an excerpt:

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President's Address to the Nation

The Oval Office

Fact Sheet: The Fifth Anniversary of September 11, 2001

Remembering 9/11

9:01 P.M. EDT


THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Five years ago, this date -- September the 11th -- was seared into America's memory. Nineteen men attacked us with a barbarity unequaled in our history. They murdered people of all colors, creeds, and nationalities -- and made war upon the entire free world. Since that day, America and her allies have taken the offensive in a war unlike any we have fought before. Today, we are safer, but we are not yet safe. On this solemn night, I've asked for some of your time to discuss the nature of the threat still before us, what we are doing to protect our nation, and the building of a more hopeful Middle East that holds the key to peace for America and the world.

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Read the rest.

"That was only the opening paragraph. Now hang on, I am about to go off in left field:

There are people in this country who do not agree that we were attacked by 19 men that day, or if we were, it was at our behest, or if not at our behest, then we allowed it because it was a means to an end, or ... You get the drift.

A parallel that comes to mind is the belief in intelligent extra terrestrial life throughout history.

A hundred years ago, or so, belief that there was life on other worlds was accepted. The average person wouldn't scoff at men or creatures living on the moon, mars, and/or venus.

When scientific investigation proved the moon had no atmosphere to speak of, the aliens were moved to the planets, and the microbes stayed on the moon.

Then, the evidence indicated it was highly unlikely there were microbes on the moon, and intelligent life couldn't survive on the planets in our solar system. Again the microbes, or the modern stand-in the virus or ancient fossils moved to the planets. I hope you get my drift.

Enter the deniers of both realms.

Some of the 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists have so much invested (emotionally, psychologically, and worst of all financially) in the continuance that they deny evidence presented by whatever means necessary, most often calling the presenter names.

The same can be said of the extra terrestrial life crowd.

I am not a mental health professional, or even amateur; so I cannot with any authority speak to that. I do have my suspicions.

I think perhaps I am too worried about these people because they receive more coverage than the average John Q. Public, and they are much, much more vocal in getting their worldview out in the public eye. I also admit that I dig through information more than the average John Q. Public, and may myself see more of this stuff, and grow dizzy at the circular logic, the non sequitors, the paranoia, and the hate that is woven in every thread I follow.

I hope I am the victim of being caught in an echo chamber.

Another thing that concerns me is the level of doctrine of a religion with these people. Every piece of evidence is "refuted" by "place a reason here" type of arguement, or they try to get you to follow a rabbit trail before settling the last point.

I know I ramble.This type of thinking mystifies me, and my instincts tell me there is something to be learned about human nature in engaging these people in debate; my fear is by going too deeply into these stories, I will find myself caught in a fun house full of mirrors with no way out.

I believe that the problem with the 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists and the Extra Terrestrial Lifers are connected to something within the believers' human nature (Emotional, Pschological, or Financial.)

Perhaps it as Simple as a disbelief in the ability of a philosophy (or religion)to twist human nature into an instrument of evil, if they even believe in such a thing.