BELIEF: September 2008 Archives

A fellow blogger posted some poignant memories in Memories of New York City, September 11, 2001 - Out of a Clear Blue Sky. However, I want to take a different focus on this day.

One story that really came to the fore after the towers fell was the story of a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit. 

On the early morning of August 7th, in 1974, Philippe stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between New York's twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings. After nearly an hour dancing on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail before he was finally released.

While the story made headlines at the time, this remarkable achievement and all that it stood for was largely forgotten until after September 11, 2001.

Ric Burns, in his American Experience: New York: The Center of the World, extensively documents, I believe for the first time, Philippe Petit Great Poetic feat.

I'm not sure if the new film Man On A Wire was inspired by Ric Burn's treatment of Petit, but -- I wouldn't be surprised: Burns did an excellent job:

*(Be sure to give us your opinion at the end of this post!)

I had an interesting and polite discussion with someone on the TruthDig site, about Clinton (Hillary) threatening to "obliterate" Iran.

Someone took the opportunity to go off-topic and make the standard progressive appeal for social justice and fairness. His plan for the betterment of us all:

• a financial plan for reparations should be prepared, with every family of these two victimized groups receiving at least one million dollars, so they can be financially uplifted and they can build businesses and create dignified jobs . . .
• a similar economic uplifting plan for poor Americans, of all backgrounds should be devised and implemented . . .
• all this compensation for both groups should be borne by well-to-do Americans, not as charity, but as an overdue duty, especially the wealthy ones. And the cost of this reparation plan can be easily born by the government at less than one year cost of the Iraqi war. So, it’s doable . . .
• My sense of justice tells me that this is the minimum that can be done to heal the wounds of the past, and to start this nation on the path of healing and rebirth. Though I do not belong to one of these two victimized groups, nor I am a victimizer, being a recent immigrant myself (30 years), I am willing to accept a special tax to help finance this plan if necessary. However, I think the financial aspect of the project is the least problematic. The problem will remain with creating a noble political and social good will and sincerity to attempt to right great historical wrongs (Fadel Abdallah, comment on TruthDig, Robert Scheer's column "Clinton Threatens to ‘Obliterate’ Iran.")

I responded to Mr. Abdallah with the story of Bob Beamon: