It is sort of hard to imagine that it has been twenty-five years since that awful day. It's been fifteen years since I've shared my experience as a High Schooler in Brooklyn, NY, and everything that came with that day (and the many to follow afterwards).
The world changed, and to this day, it still feels hard to grasp what happened (and what transpired with the health of so many afterwards). The lives lost, and the damage done. My son learned about 9/11, and his questions around it ignite some of that struggle with thought around it.
Daddy, how did they get the planes?
Did the building just, like, fall over?
On this 25th anniversary, it is even more concerning to see how the day is also politicized and sometimes weaponized in culture wars. I remember American Flags everywhere - a specific unit indescribable and incomparable to any period in my lifetime. From the bodegas and storefronts to the MTA bus, stars and stripes were everywhere, and we all felt unified. Together. That was my experience in NYC.
Today...the day feels solemn as it should. But it comes with a sense of annoyance and a mere slice of those who attempt to make it more than it should. A day to remember, to mourn, and to focus on a world that once was...and never again, and never since.
Political Allegiance Over Philosophies
I found myself uncomfortable for so many who wrap themselves in the political identities they carry. In a way, I found myself suffering from their own cognitive dissonance.
Just this week, Republicans, the party of lesser government, brought forth proposals to give specific married couples dividends for well...I'm not quite sure. The President, a leader of this party, also mentioned sending Americans a $5,000 dividend as well.
And on the other side, I read and watched the Dems ramp up their efforts for the midterms with a new "playbook" that includes "fair rules for sports and parents to be in charge of their kids' health". This is from the party that pushed these to the center of their platform, inciting some of these culture wars that we find ourselves in.
What are we doing in Government? More specifically, what are we doing as a society, branding ourselves with these allegiances that will pivot away from core philosophies for power?
Just saying...
Risks of AI?
I sat with another dad at my son's dojo and watched him build processes through Claude that essentially assumed the responsibilities of a few full-time jobs.
Damn, that was scary. There is so much more regarding A.I. that a commoner like me can't comprehend.
However, I also interviewed potential student-employees this entire week and watched them look to their phones for A.I. advice (or support) on the basic interview question, "Tell me about yourself and what brought you here".
I'm scared of what I don't know when it comes to A.I.
And I'm terrified of what I've seen it do to us already.
Cover Photo
A girl stands among the debris of a fire that ravaged a school in Bukavu (Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Photograph: Jospin Mwisha/AFP/Getty Images