My 9-11 Memorial speech

I will refrain from dittoing a few of the previous posts (nyj, lambslove).... oops I did it anyway


As a "vicitm" of the tragedy, I feel compelled to add my comment.

You listed the focus of the event as having three distinct points: healing, memory and faith. I am unable to discern any one of those points in your essay. (Ok, you did actually use the word "9-11" once in your entire "statement". Was that suposed to be the memory?

Where is the healing for those who survived?

Where is the memory of those who were lost?

Where is the faith?
- oh yea, I forgot you labeled the attack as a "faith based program".


You have taken away all meaning of the event to make a personal statement about us not needing faith in a higher power. If that was your goal, you succeeded and should be proud of your work.

Within the contect of this event, the healing that it addresses is the kind of healing that is needed when a town that is 50+% Jewish also has an Islamic Center in it. There was quite a lot of bad feelings.

There is also the feeling of why can't people get along and how can we get them to get along.

That is the healing that this event is addressing. It is not intended to address the specific heeling that relatives of the victims have had to go though.

That is the kind of healing that is intended to be addressed. I address that by showing that we actually have a very important thing in common.

The most long lasting memory I have of the event in the aftermath is the huge amount of religiosity that resulted. An act of religious terrorism generated even more religion. All public memorials that I noted were religious in nature. The point of view of 14% of the population was ignored. My needs were ignored. Nontheists needs were ignored and marginalized.

I found the religioun suffocating but I got through it.

Do you think that the sponsors of this evernt would like for me to describe how horrible it was for nontheists? I don't think so.

Given that the sponsors of this even know that I am an atheist I would think that they know my position on faith. I do not believe that faith provides any knowledge. At best faith is like a drug that insulates one from reality. I hardly think that they want me to say that do you?

I chose largely to address this part of the goal: finding ways to use 9/11 to bring us closer together instead of dividing us.

I think that you'll agree that I did address that. I think that you'llalso agree that in a speech of 5 minutes or less, no one can addequately address all of the goals. Given that there will be at least a dozen speakers, I think it is reasonable for me to address the ones that I can address best. Don't you?

And given again that this is sponnsored by the Celebrating Divercity Committee under a No Place For Hate program, I think that it's an appropriate core issue to focus on.

Given that the organizers KNOW that I'm an atheist, I hardly think that they expect me to talk about the need for faith in a higher power, don't you think?

Instead I chose to talk about what I have in commopn with others in the room - an acceptance that the golden rule is a worthwhile and important common value that can bring people together.

Given your reply to my comment, I will concede that you know a lot more about this event than I do. I will also concede that you made your point and adressed my comments fully. Good luck in your appearence!!



edit:

But to be completely honest with you, it's not what I would want to hear on such a solemn occasion. I'm not exactly sure what I would want to hear, but it wouldn't be that.

Thanks

Given that this event is sponsored by the Celebrating Diversity Committee, I think that diversity is part of the goal. Those people who do not value diversity or at least do not value the need for people with diverse points of view to get along probably won't be in the audience.

The clergy will be there and will make many speeches also. I expect that at least one member of the clergy will represent your point of view. However I wonder if the representive from the Islamic Center will represent your views any more than I would.

The point of this is to find where we can find some common ground; not to hear only what we like. Part of the goal is to be exposed to diverse points of view so that it becomes easier to find common ground.

I expect that I will hear a lot that night that I dislike - likely more than the average theist will hear that he or she dislikes. But it do believe that it's important to find common ground and that is why I accepted the invitation to speak.

I accept the need for people with diverse views to find ways to get along. I expect that the rest of the audience that night will have that in common with me also.

Hey CF

Nice work. I'm sure your speech will be well received.

If you want, you might want to try and work in some comments about how we are all not really that different from each other. For example, you might want to point out that everyone in the audience is an atheist to gods or godesses that they don't believe in. Or you might want to point out that everyone is an atheist, but that you're an atheist to one more God than everyone else. Pointing out that everyone is an atheist to some degree might make people realize that is something that they all have in common.

grizzly

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"Altruism is the Satanic corruption of the teachings of Jesus". BondiHarry

I dunno, personally trying to get witty like that "We're all atheists, I just believe in one less god than you." may leave people scratching their heads wondering what he's going on about. Just my opinion.

Especially because of the fact that most of the people will believe in one deity or another (or more)... that's a very striking contrast that can't be easily swept away with a joke.

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Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals. I get my back into my living. I don't need to fight, to prove I'm right. I don't need to be forgiven.

Hey CF, maybe you could point out something along the lines of "even though you are an atheist you still felt the impact, and that you still felt compassion and empathy for those involved" Something along those lines to relate you in particular to everyone in the crowd that you would be addressing. I think it would give them a little more reason to actually "listen" to what you have to say, which I happen to think is an important message.

I heard a couple of remarks made, in a round about way, that what you have to say is unimportant because of your religious (or lack there of) affiliation, and I think that because of that mindset what you have to say is particularly meaningful. The world will most likely never be entirely christian, or islamic, or buddhist, so people might want to consider the idea of accepting other people's chosen beliefs.

(BTW...without the clarifications, it also appeared soap boxish to me as well.....)

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

Even the Devil can quote scripture to suit his needs.

I like it seems like religion is caught up in the metaphysics these days and not the morality. Odd considering that morality is the one that matters right now. Metaphysics is the one that might matter later on.

One thing that irked me after 9.11, is it just me or does it seem that whenever many people are united they have to be fighting against another people?

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• Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum. (I think I think, therefore I think I am.)

I'm so profound it hurts.

I was curious how the speech went crazyfingers?

Glad to give a quick reply. I'm traveling on business on a dialup line.

It went very well. The speakers were: 3 Rabbis, 1 Catholic Deacon, 1 Protestant Minister, 1 Unitarian Universalist Minister, 2 Imams, and me.

One Imam really liked what I said. I got a lot of other good comments.

After I spoke we broke up into group discussions.

The discussion groups to talked about:

1: How has your life changed since 9/11?
2: What can we in our town do to bring us closer together as a community in the aftermath of 9/11?

My group talked a lot about how to include everyone, including nonbelievers, and how patriotism and faith really shouldn’t be linked. I was VERY happy about that!

So, it was good. I feel good. And there was one other freethinker in my group. He was the celloist who did all the music to the event.

I'd guess 75% of the audience was jewish based on the yakimas (sp). I doubt that there were any fundimentalists in the audience.