I'd seen the other photos you put in the OP. All too well do I remember some of them from having seen them at the time such scenes were broadcast or published.

But this one -- Whoa! It's a new one for me and it packs a real gut punch! This person definitely sees things very clearly, and perhaps that's what he's implying by putting the names of bin Laden and the Chimp where the lenses of his glasses are...? "I see you the same!" he might be saying.

Thanks for this, your OP, and all you do here at DU, Kyndculture -- you're a real gem!

It's clear from the number of recs this thread has received that you represent so many of us in the way you "memorialized" the 9/11 anniversary today. I'm proud that you brought our focus back to this very important aspect so that it doesn't once again get lost in the outpouring of intense emotion that can sometimes confuse or distract us.

Olbermann's editorial speech tonight reminded everyone of that same amazing, beautiful, and groundbreaking sense of unity we Americans felt with each other and with the world on that horrible day five years ago, and that's why I believe the power of his speech will be increased exponentially. You have done the same thing here in your way -- and I'd love to see you given the opportunity Keith had to touch the wider world with your message as well!

Sadly, this key factor of the squandering of the world's compassion for us and sense of unity with us after 9/11 has been allowed to slide from Americans' memories during the last five years. I think that's one big reason why the criminals in the White House have been able to get away with their evil manipulations.

They have harped and carped with their drumbeat of rhetoric that emphasized the idea that people HATE us -- not love or care about us! It was easy, and all a matter of where they directed our FOCUS.

How different things could be now if our leaders had embraced the compassion and willingness to join and to help us that poured in from around the world. Instead they had the U.S. act like a mad dog that had been kicked and sought to fight back by biting almost everyone in sight....

If "the Decider" had made choices directly opposite to those he did make ever since 9/11, what a different country and world we might be living in today!

Does anyone else here remember also that the Chimp seemed almost to shrug off abruptly at that time the many gifts, offers of help, and books of condolences that were given us by the people of countries around the globe? I swear, when I think of how he behaved then when presented with these most valuable and meaningful of gifts, I can see that he already KNEW how he planned to "respond" to the attacks and so didn't want to even consider any other tack he might take that would head us in another direction entirely. Why let others help you when you don't want them "meddling" in the plans you had ready to launch?

He played the martyr only very briefly in order to justify what he was about to do -- and then quickly and guiltily turned aside those who would have, as our allies, influenced us away from launching any military attacks beyond the first ones on al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

As for us -- genuine American patriots and regular folk who have far more right than Dubya does to express how it is WE really feel: Let's not allow the unity and the love to be forgotten again as it has been up till now, right?

Let's keep reminding other Americans of how we all felt that day in THIS respect. I know I'm going to do that in my daily life from now on. Whenever anyone says "Never forget" September 11th, I'm going to respond with "Never forget the LOVE of the entire world felt for us on September 11th!"

Then ask, rhetorically, "Oh yeah, what ever happened to that?" WHY did the feelings of love and oneness with us seem to just DISSOLVE so soon afterward? What happened to it? WHY did virtually everyone withdraw it like it had been a big mistake for them to have cared about us?

And WHY did they begin instead to hate and fear us with an intensity and a dedication we can't remember ever feeling from most of them before....?

People need to remember ALL of this, not just the sad and angry parts. And then IMO they're very likely to rethink what's been happening and wonder how they've been led astray ... led, in fact, right into the mouths of the lions! Why did the number of dangerous predators out there hunting us down to eat us multiply instead of dying off?

For all those Americans who have been stewing with resentment of ARAB terrorists and therefore embracing whatever Bu$hCo wanted to do to fight them -- the same ones who are by this time tired of stewing for too long so they're beginning to question the integrity and wisdom of the Chimperor ---- to them this could be the issue that gives them the ultimate "out" from their embarrassment over having supported such a madman.

Here's how that would work: Whenever any of them wants to abandon at last the neocon team's pep squad but hesitates because s/he doesn't know what to say about WHY, s/he can simply mention that s/he's been thinking about it all again after today and has REMEMBERED that unity and goodwill from the world that we have now lost. S/HE felt it too -- s/he knows what it was like, how it gave each and every one of us HOPE in the midst of so much pain and anger. Hope, and comfort as well.

It's an area where I think we can begin to rebuild our bond with our fellow citizens. It could be ours again, that precious and rare bond we felt so strongly but for such a short time immediately after 9/11.

Then the world is next! How wonderful it would be to feel loved, understood, and accepted again by the people of the world as we did that day and for a brief time afterward. I'd give a LOT for that feeling again.