Cross-posted to Random Fate.
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NOTE: Unfortunately, this is not the long post I am working on that is pulling together several different threads and themes. Instead, this is something that struck me this morning that I must exorcise before the larger work that I need to ensure is both balanced and well-reasoned before I put it online.
This morning, as I was getting ready for work I had CNN International on the television (one of my four options on local cable for English language programming, the other three being BBC World, BBC International, which I believe is an amalgamation of their domestic programs from their different channels, and SkyNews, the 24 hour news station from the UK-centric BSkyB satellite network).
A commercial came on, with the song “Think” by Aretha Franklin playing with the sound of a crowd cheering in the background. The first image I saw was that of a large commercial twin engined jet airplane flying low towards a packed stadium, with the spectators seeing the jet and seemingly celebrating the sight of the plane.
Subsequent images showed a large shadow of the airplane over other scenes, all of which involved Africans celebrating or children imitating flying.
This was an ad for South African Airlines, apparently trying to both generate some pride in South Africans for their national airline while simultaneously getting their name in front of an international (presumably European, given where I live) audience.
The first image stuck in my mind, however, that of a large jet low in the sky flying towards a packed sports arena.
Although the imagery was completely innocent, trying to show the joy and pride inherent in the accomplishments of a national airline to the people in that nation, my first thought was, “Is that plane going to crash into the packed stadium?”
This is what the terrorist attacks of Al Qaeda on September 11, 2001, have stolen from us, our context.
Context, what exactly is it? (Read ALL the definitions)
The most relevant definition includes, “the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation or event.”
Everything that we Americans see (even those of us abroad) is colored by the set of circumstances created by the attacks of September 11, 2001, in a way that the rest of the world is not affected by.
That last part is italicized because it is important to recall, the rest of the world was not traumatized by the attacks as the population of the United States was, even those such as myself who did indeed expect some attack of this type given the gaping holes (which still exist) in the overall security systems of the United States in comparison with the groups that want to see us harmed.
It is all about context, about the set of circumstances, or even more fundamentally, the set of beliefs and assumptions that we surround any event, image, or any other thing that impinges upon our consciousness.
So when I viewed the commercial for South African Airlines, I thought of the airplane at an unusually low altitude heading towards a sports stadium as an attack, despite the depiction of the cheering and obvious joy in the crowd and the uplifting music.
We need to remember the rest of the world does NOT view events within the same context that we have.
When we forget this, we abuse and lose international allies.
We need to remember that even within our own nation there are many people who do NOT view events within the same context that we have.
When we forget this, we abuse and lose the support and even the allegiance of fellow citizens.
When those of a certain philosophical view look at the proposed memorial to the 9/11 crash site in Pennsylvania, they see a “crescent” that is in homage to Islam rather than an innocent geometrical figure, and in a sad irony, through their cries in opposition impose their own form of political correctness upon the design despite their previous tirades against the regime of “political correctness” imposed by the “liberals”, who had their own, differing views.
Ultimately, ANY kind of imposition of “correctness” upon all by ANY group is wrong, even if the group seeking the imposition is in the majority.
How do we grow beyond this?
That’s the part I’m still working on, and why some of my other posts are delayed. I don’t want to only point out the problems; I want to propose solutions.