On September 11, 2001, I watched as two planes crashed
into the World Trade Center, ultimately claiming the
lives of 2,749 Americans.

I knew people who died that day. I watched as
somewhere in those collapsing buildings, people I
cared about were made victims of agendas they played
no part in. I sat horrified, mesmerized, and
unbelieving as over and over again the images of the
buildings and victims, the firefighters, aid workers
and New York residents were blitzed across the TV
screen.

Ironically, I watched this news coverage on my local
ABC affiliate. I find it ironic today, as I learn that
the very same network I turned to for coverage and
information of those unfolding atrocities is now
abusing the grief and anguish of the people who still
mourn that day, in an almost unbelievably appalling
manner.

My letter today is not about promoting a political
agenda. I have not written it to further any
particular beliefs I hold, nor to further anyone’s
campaign or to promote a side in the upcoming
elections. My letter is written as one who lost
someone on September 11, 2001. My letter is to
document my outrage at what could at best be labeled
an indelicacy on the part of ABC and Disney, and what,
at the very worst (and which I am not certain is at
all undeserved), might be labeled a
corporate/political machination preying upon the
concerns of the general citizenry of this country
after the largest terror attack on American soil, and
a victimization of those who personally grieve the
loss of loved ones, friends, family members and
colleagues.

In ‘commemoration’ of the 5 year anniversary of the
attacks on September 11th, 2001, ABC will be airing
the ‘docu-drama’, The Path to 9/11. I certainly will
not watch it, and with its airing, I will not watch
another program on ABC.
Firstly, I would state that grief needs no
dramatization, and it certainly does not need a
made-for-TV movie thrusting it out of the realm of
personal loss and into that of a corporate/political
coup. I find it absolutely offensive that the death of
so many people is being used as an opportunity to
capture Nielsen ratings and to promote a political
agenda by weaving together half truths and
inaccuracies with a dash carefully selected nuggets of
the actual 9/11 Commission Report to give it an air of
legitimacy.

Secondly, I doggedly question the verity of this
‘documentary’. The parts I have seen and read, have
been full of inaccuracies, and the very fact that the
people who were on the 9/11 Commission have come out
to denounce it for its inaccuracies and the
manipulations which lead to creation of false
impressions, is a pretty damning blow to any
credibility that the creators may tried to establish,
in my mind.

But more importantly than that, I am absolutely
horrified that ABC and Disney would possibly think it
is acceptable to utilize the ‘captivating’ trauma and
horrific drama of that day to capitalize on whatever
agenda they are promoting, be it corporate greed or
political machination. Based upon the outrage of the
commissioners, it would seem the motivation in making
this travesty was not done out of a sense of longing
to promote a truthful and unbiased look at what lead
to those horrible series of tragedies on that day.
Also, I have not heard of either the network or the
production company offering to donate any profits they
make, however they willl be making them to the
survivors, the firemen and aid workers, or the widows
and children of those who perished,   The fourty
million dollars you spent on producing this appalling
falsity would have gone a long way to those now
suffering from the effects of having helped at ground
zero.  I have no reason to believe there were any
altruistic motives on behalf of either Disney or ABC,
whatsoever.

Have the people of this country become nothing more
than a potential market? Have we no more importance
than a possible vote in an election, or a consumer of
marketed goods, or a targeted TV demographic?

Thousands of people died on 9/11. Thousands more still
mourn the loss of someone on who died on that day.
Surely that demographic should not only be noted, but
respected. This travesty of public manipulation is
more than an outrage; it is a further victimization to
be borne by people completely separate from this
unfolding agenda. It rapes our intelligence by
assuming we have not taken the time or care to seek
out and process the documented facts of this tragedy
which has affected us. It has invaded both our
personal and civic grief, by making a TV extravaganza
(based more on dramatic license and the captivation we
have with horror and the fear still lingering within
us than any presentation of factual chronology) of a
tragedy which has manifested both personally and
nationally. It has interrupted the privacy and
sanctity of our mourning as surely and grossly as any
vitriolic protester at a funeral of a fallen, gay
serviceman, desperately crying out their rapturous
hate in the hopes of some sort of media moment for
their sad cause. It has created another set of victims
of 9/11; a new set of victims of 9/11, this time that
the hands of fellow Americans and two iconic
entertainment entities that many of us grew up
watching, trustingly.

For shame.
---------------------------------------------------

Jennifer,

We certainly appreciate you writing to us. Would you be interested in
sharing your views on camera? We'd also like to hear more about your
personal experience on 9/11.

Thank you,
 
K.... L.....
 
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I do not think you understand, Ms. L....,

I certainly will not give you 'camera time' to further
exploit my grief.  Nor will I patronize your station
and affiliates after you air that program.

You have made a poor and heartless choice in that
program, and I and many more who also share my grief,
will not take part in a network that can so easily and
callously promote an agenda while trampling over the
grief of thousands of people.

I am very disappointed in your network.  Just another
bit of sadness to deal with as I mourn.

Jennifer

quote:

ORIGINAL: puella

...I doggedly question the verity of this ‘documentary’. The parts I have seen and read, have been full of inaccuracies, and the very fact that the people who were on the 9/11 Commission have come out to denounce it for its inaccuracies and the manipulations which lead to creation of false impressions, is a pretty damning blow to any credibility that the creators may tried to establish, in my mind...

quote:

ORIGINAL: IslandHeat

OK, I can respect your opinions, but were you as worked up over Michael Moore's Schlockumentary (he's been sue by many he interviwed for showing their statements out of context, and misrepresenting thieir viewpoints) or do you just get upset over crappola that DOESN'T support your own beliefs and opinions?