A nation’s grief is genuine
In response to “Remember to be thoughtful, kind even on ordinary days” in Sept. 12 issue:
While I agree with your position that all Americans should be cognizant of the daily atrocities occurring under the radar everyday, it is upsetting to hear you label Americans as “narcissistic” in the wake of such a great tragedy. Sure, the media romanticized 9/11 and yes we as a country are fascinated by the idea of grief but that doesn’t discount the palpable amount of sincere compassion and unity we as a country felt after that day. Saying that we as a nation became “inflated with a sense of self-importance that we mistook for kindness” is harsh considering complete strangers came together and united not as different people but as fellow countrymen. As you said, people came out and donated blood, money and their time in effort to aid those who were devastated by the attack. I don’t think that qualifies as gross fascination with grief, but sincere human kindness. We should all be aware of those suffering daily. It is something (that) we humans take for granted, especially living in a country such as our own, but please don’t take a nations collective empathy and stereotype it as American greed.
— Keith Salerno Wilson, Interdisciplinary studies major