A few years ago I was at the State Fair. There was a guy announcing a trivia contest by the go karts the question was: What happened on Dec 7th and why will it live in infamy? I was well on the other side of the large race track when I first heard it announced. I slowly walked through the tunnel and up to the announcement booth by the go kart track. There were at least 50 people standing around the track and no one had answered yet so I continued my slow walk and got up there about 5 minutes after he first asked the question and won a free go kart race. Sad!
Perhaps if it was given the amount of respect it deserves we would have been a little more prepared for 9/11. When we forget our History the future gets bleak. For the people that were there who fought during that time it is only common decencey that we honor them by remembering and keeping that lesson in mind.
Bob, this is a site that appears to attract more news savvy people than most. I don't think the 28 people who voted that Dec. 7 is just another day; not sure what the significance is; or have no opinion are driven by political correctness.
I can't see any reason to feel 'politically correct' in ignoring either Dec. 7 or 9/11.
Note, not one of them has come forth to offer why they voted the way they did. So far, they represent less than 2% of the readers. I guess that is standard for any poll.
We should always remember the events of that day, if for no other reason than to honor the men and women that lost their lives that day. But.... I have a hard time calling it a "day of infamy". It is probably a generational thing and IMO doesn't deserve scorn. We made our peace with the Japanese decades ago. In my lifetime I have only known Japan as a trade competitor and ally. I expect that if I was among the generation directly affected by those events the word "infamy" would have more meaning for me regarding this day in history. I do respect the significance that this date has with my parents though.
I would imagine that if our culture ever makes peace with middle eastern Islam, the generations that follow won't feel the infamy of Sept. 11 either.
WASHINGTON -- It was a quiet Sunday morning at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. Then, waves of Japanese planes dove from the sky in the sneak attack that brought the United States headlong into the second World War.
More than 2,000 American military personnel would lose their lives in the minutes that followed.
A day later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt went before a joint session of Congress to ask for a declaration of war, calling December 7th "a date which will live in infamy."
President Roosevelt, of course, was talking about the attack on Pearl Harbor when he said that.
Was the statement just rhetoric?
It was up to him to ask for that declaration of war without the aid of 24/7 cable news.
He had to describe Dec. 7 and the declaration of war to his nation via radio.
Yes, it might be generational, but it is also part of our history. Just as 9/11 is now part of our history.
The president never knew, nor could he imagine, the lasting impact WW2 had on the countries involved.
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy , the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. … As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. … With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounded determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God.” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt
It is a day the should live in infamy, but alas economics rule the day. In one generation from the horrendous attack, we were buying cheap Japanese items enmasse. Now we are so entrenched in their economy that they ultimately have come out victorious. Imagine if you will the recognition of a terrorist state led by the Taliban or Al Qaida and free trade with them that finds us beholden to some great product that they produce cheaper than us. Soon 9/11 would be just another day on the calender. If you have not had the chance, a visit to the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii and looking down into the open gun turret, realizing that you are staring into the graves of over 1,000 brave soldiers is a moment that will leave an indelible imprint.
"The powers in charge keep us in a perpetual state of fear, keep us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it by furnishing the exorbitant sums demanded. Yet, in retrospect, these disasters seem never to have happened, seem never to have been quite real."
- General Douglas MacArthur, transformed a wartime enemy into peace-time trade competitor.
Maybe we can find a DeMille to part the waves of Christmas commercialism and allow something other than buy-buy-buy to rule the season...
The reality: of the 16 million who fought in WW II, 2 million remain; the post-60s social purge of militarism and perpetual recession kicked the budget out-from-under Main Street parades. Armistice Day/Remembrance Day (World War I) became Veterans Day, Decoration Day (Civil War) became Memorial Day, Independence Day (Revolutionary War) became Fourth of July (perhaps there were days set aside for War of 1812, Mexican War, Spanish American War)- didn't lose those days; the original intent became a general tribute.
Keep in mind the national motto- "What have you done for me lately?"
HELL YES!
HELL YES!
So far six people make me
So far six people make me sad.
A few years ago I was at the State Fair. There was a guy announcing a trivia contest by the go karts the question was: What happened on Dec 7th and why will it live in infamy? I was well on the other side of the large race track when I first heard it announced. I slowly walked through the tunnel and up to the announcement booth by the go kart track. There were at least 50 people standing around the track and no one had answered yet so I continued my slow walk and got up there about 5 minutes after he first asked the question and won a free go kart race. Sad!
Perhaps if it was given the
Perhaps if it was given the amount of respect it deserves we would have been a little more prepared for 9/11. When we forget our History the future gets bleak. For the people that were there who fought during that time it is only common decencey that we honor them by remembering and keeping that lesson in mind.
20 people either don't care
20 people either don't care or have no clue what happen on Dec. 7.
I have a feeling that number is going to get larger.
Sad.
Sadly, it seems that the
Sadly, it seems that the memories of 9/11 are fading much more rapidly than did those of Pearl Harbor.
I guess it's not politically correct to remember tragic attacks on our nation. Instead we focus on all the "wrongs" committed by the US.
Bob, this is a site that
Bob, this is a site that appears to attract more news savvy people than most. I don't think the 28 people who voted that Dec. 7 is just another day; not sure what the significance is; or have no opinion are driven by political correctness.
I can't see any reason to feel 'politically correct' in ignoring either Dec. 7 or 9/11.
Note, not one of them has come forth to offer why they voted the way they did. So far, they represent less than 2% of the readers. I guess that is standard for any poll.
I am not sure how I want to
I am not sure how I want to answer this poll.
We should always remember the events of that day, if for no other reason than to honor the men and women that lost their lives that day. But.... I have a hard time calling it a "day of infamy". It is probably a generational thing and IMO doesn't deserve scorn. We made our peace with the Japanese decades ago. In my lifetime I have only known Japan as a trade competitor and ally. I expect that if I was among the generation directly affected by those events the word "infamy" would have more meaning for me regarding this day in history. I do respect the significance that this date has with my parents though.
I would imagine that if our culture ever makes peace with middle eastern Islam, the generations that follow won't feel the infamy of Sept. 11 either.
Mike, Thanks for that
Mike,
Thanks for that explanation.
WASHINGTON -- It was a quiet Sunday morning at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. Then, waves of Japanese planes dove from the sky in the sneak attack that brought the United States headlong into the second World War.
More than 2,000 American military personnel would lose their lives in the minutes that followed.
A day later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt went before a joint session of Congress to ask for a declaration of war, calling December 7th "a date which will live in infamy."
http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/dec/07/pearl-harbor-date-which-will-liv…
President Roosevelt, of course, was talking about the attack on Pearl Harbor when he said that.
Was the statement just rhetoric?
It was up to him to ask for that declaration of war without the aid of 24/7 cable news.
He had to describe Dec. 7 and the declaration of war to his nation via radio.
Yes, it might be generational, but it is also part of our history. Just as 9/11 is now part of our history.
The president never knew, nor could he imagine, the lasting impact WW2 had on the countries involved.
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941,
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy , the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. … As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. … With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounded determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God.” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt
It is a day the should live
It is a day the should live in infamy, but alas economics rule the day. In one generation from the horrendous attack, we were buying cheap Japanese items enmasse. Now we are so entrenched in their economy that they ultimately have come out victorious. Imagine if you will the recognition of a terrorist state led by the Taliban or Al Qaida and free trade with them that finds us beholden to some great product that they produce cheaper than us. Soon 9/11 would be just another day on the calender. If you have not had the chance, a visit to the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii and looking down into the open gun turret, realizing that you are staring into the graves of over 1,000 brave soldiers is a moment that will leave an indelible imprint.
All wars have economics as
All wars have economics as their basic cause.
"The powers in charge keep us
"The powers in charge keep us in a perpetual state of fear, keep us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it by furnishing the exorbitant sums demanded. Yet, in retrospect, these disasters seem never to have happened, seem never to have been quite real."
- General Douglas MacArthur, transformed a wartime enemy into peace-time trade competitor.
Maybe we can find a DeMille to part the waves of Christmas commercialism and allow something other than buy-buy-buy to rule the season...
The reality: of the 16 million who fought in WW II, 2 million remain; the post-60s social purge of militarism and perpetual recession kicked the budget out-from-under Main Street parades. Armistice Day/Remembrance Day (World War I) became Veterans Day, Decoration Day (Civil War) became Memorial Day, Independence Day (Revolutionary War) became Fourth of July (perhaps there were days set aside for War of 1812, Mexican War, Spanish American War)- didn't lose those days; the original intent became a general tribute.
Keep in mind the national motto- "What have you done for me lately?"
Great post C.M.
Great post C.M.