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White House Creates 9/11 Commemoration Guidelines for a "Positive, Forward-Thinking Narrative" (And Avoiding Exceptionalism)

The White House has issued guidelines for both domestic and foreign citizens commemorating 9/11, in the interest of presenting "a positive, forward-thinking narrative." A White House official told the New York Times, “The important theme is to show the world how much we realize that 9/11 — the attacks themselves and violent extremism writ large — is not ‘just about us.”

    Some senior administration officials involved in the discussions noted that the tone set on this Sept. 11 should be shaped by a recognition that the outpouring of worldwide support for the United States in the weeks after the attacks turned to anger at some American policies adopted in the name of fighting terror — on detention, on interrogation, and the decision to invade Iraq.

    So the guidelines aimed at foreign audiences also call on American officials to praise overseas partners and their citizens, who have joined the worldwide effort to combat violent extremism.

    “As we commemorate the citizens of over 90 countries who perished in the 9/11 attacks, we honor all victims of terrorism, in every nation around the world,” the overseas guidelines state. “We honor and celebrate the resilience of individuals, families, and communities on every continent, whether in New York or Nairobi, Bali or Belfast, Mumbai or Manila, or Lahore or London.”

Meanwhile, the White House requests that Al Qaeda is de-emphasized in any public ceremonies.

The document states that Osama bin Laden’s death is a reason for officials to “minimize references to Al Qaeda.”

The guidelines tell officials to emphasize that “Al Qaeda and its adherents have become increasingly irrelevant,” and to reference the lack of any major role Al Qaeda played in the Arab Spring. Al Qaeda “represents the past,” the guidelines state, while peaceful protests in Arab countries “represent the future.”

In the NYT and Politico reports, there is no mention whether the White House mentioned anything about treatment of Muslim citizens. But the New York Times does mention the guidelines "ask something of Americans that has been lacking in Washington: “We will also draw on the spirit of unity that prevailed in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.” Zing.
    

    “As we commemorate the citizens of over 90 countries who perished in the 9/11 attacks, we honor all victims of terrorism, in every nation around the world,” the overseas guidelines state. “We honor and celebrate the resilience of individuals, families, and communities on every continent, whether in New York or Nairobi, Bali or Belfast, Mumbai or Manila, or Lahore or London.”

Meanwhile, the White House requests that Al Qaeda is de-emphasized in any public ceremonies, citing the recent killing of Osama bin Laden. (Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, Al Qaeda's "number two," was killed last week.)

In the NYT and Politico reports, there is no mention whether the White House mentioned anything about treatment of Muslim citizens. But the New York Times does mention the guidelines "ask something of Americans that has been lacking in Washington: “We will also draw on the spirit of unity that prevailed in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.” Zing.

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Originally Posted by Dødherre Mørktre:

Meanwhile, the White House requests that Al Qaeda is de-emphasized in any public ceremonies.

The document states that Osama bin Laden’s death is a reason for officials to “minimize references to Al Qaeda.”

Well, that's sort of stupid. They were the ones that did it right? Is like saying that you shouldn't mention Germany or the Nazis at a WWII memorial because they're all dead now - history doesn't change just because you don't want to remember the ppl who did certain stuff.

But the New York Times does mention the guidelines "ask something of Americans that has been lacking in Washington: “We will also draw on the spirit of unity that prevailed in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.” Zing.

Nice one.. :-)

Here's something a bit bloody-minded and unfair maybe, but interesting to think about: if say there was another terrorist attack and someone flew a plane into a packed session of congress and wiped them all out (like in that Tom Clancy book), apart from the outrage at the attack itself, would people these days really miss or care about the dead politicians themselves once all the obligatory eulogizing was done?  

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Like I said in the Congress post, most people love their own representatives, they just hate everyone else's.

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Originally Posted by Bryant Platt:
Like I said in the Congress post, most people love their own representatives, they just hate everyone else's.

Well, the 50%-plus-whatever in the district that voted for the guy love them, the rest would have preferred the other guy :-P

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Originally Posted by Kieran Colfer:

Originally Posted by Bryant Platt:
Like I said in the Congress post, most people love their own representatives, they just hate everyone else's.

Well, the 50%-plus-whatever in the district that voted for the guy love them, the rest would have preferred the other guy :-P

Vrai...