Monday, December 31, 2001
2001, The year as it was - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- September 11, 2001 changed the world sure, but in thinking about the past year, it changed 2001 the most. I know that sounds slightly pathetic on my part, but that’s the way it is. Prior to September 11th, we were weary with the saturation over the Chandra Levy disappearance and the Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman split.
Jean Chrétien felt a bit of scandal coming on over the whole issue around ‘Shawinigate’, but the charges were called off. Whether it was a manufactured conspiracy or actual boredom on the press corps, he got off scott-free and ain’t that grand. I say it was a manufactured conspiracy, because the National Post, which was most vociferous in criticism, toned down their coverage of the Prime Minister’s improprieties, even sacking Lawrence Martin, the respected columnist who seemed to have it in for one Jean Chrétien.
George W. Bush seemed to be coasting into the first few months of his term with great ease. He was criticised for the month long holiday he took in August, but it seemed to pay off when September rolled around. It’s easy to call Dubya a boob or a political lightweight. Perhaps he is, but one of the things about being President is the fact you can surround yourself with a hell of a lot of people smarter than you. It’s obvious, whether it’s the economy, this war on terrorism or anything that crosses the President’s desk, that the people assisting the President are top notch. Immediately after September 11th, we all seemed to wonder how Al Gore would have handled the situation.
One of the lasting images ingrained in my mind’s eye after the events of September 11th, was that of the members of the American Congress, who stood foursquare on the steps of the Capitol, singing “God Bless America.” The particular shot of a white woman, clinging to a black woman, both in tears, made you feel proud. The images of loved ones filling the streets of New York, with home-made posters and leaflets of their missing loved ones was particularly heart breaking.
For me, I’ll always remember the 11th of September as a day that my faith in the human spirit was restored. It warms the heart still to recall all the acts of kindness that have stemmed from this brutal and most evil of actions.
In other news, we of course watched Lucien Bouchard leave Quebec politics, thus dealing the separatist movement in Quebec a major setback. Mike Harris announced he’d vacate Queen’s Park; and of course we all remember the blood letting of the Canadian Alliance. Stockwell Day was the laughing stock of Canada on many days prior to September 11th.
The Grizzlies growled no more in this town, fleeing to Memphis or something, whereby realising they still sucked.
Gordon Campbell swept into power here in BC, thereby sweeping the NDP off the political radar screen for some time to come. One of the first things the BC Liberals did once in the throes of power, was legislate a cooling off period for the striking bus drivers which crippled this town in the spring.
A man, one Dennis Tito, paid $20 million bucks to go into space, and the Oklahoma City bomber, Timothy McVeigh was finally put to death. And of course, I alluded earlier, to Chandra Levy’s disappearance and the mired web weaved by one Gary Condit.
We learned more about the Taliban in 2001. First they had imploded a bunch of Buddhist statues in the early part of 2001, and then by now year’s end their regime had been imploded by the United States. We learned about recession and depression in the market place of economics. Argentina’s in a state of mess, whilst growth on this continent is deemed limited at best in the next little while. California was blacked out for while, because of electricity that didn’t seemed to stay on; and we learned about Anthrax and Cipro. Slobodan Milosevic seemed to be discounting the war tribunal set up in his honour in the Netherlands, while there was little peace in the Middle East this year.
More of course happened in 2001, but we have to keep going back to New York City, September 11, 2001. We go back to that field in Pennsylvania, where a plane crashed due to the heroism of passengers who weren’t going to becoming further symbols of hatred and errant nonsense. I think of Todd Beamer’s widow, who has been so brave, carrying a child, who must know that his father was nothing short of a courageous man.
When I think of 2001, I think of Ellen DeGeneres, being so funny at the Emmy’s. The lesbian who donned a suit (not to mention a swan’s frock) and chided the Taliban about being surrounded by Jews, made us laugh. I think of David Letterman’s teary spiel post-September 11th, and I realise how out of touch and unnecessary Jay Leno is. 2001 was when all of us cried and our hearts broke a little. 2001 reinvigorated the human spirit and its faith in itself and each other. 2001 was the beginning of a century that seems so bloody scary, but yet so full of worlds we have to discover and explore. 2001 proved that as a human race, with some exceptions, we’d make it into those uncharted worlds united and more determined than ever.
I don’t know what 2002 holds. First, I have to get used to writing that. Just when you get used to not writing 19 something...
Happy New Year all. It’s gotta be better than anything we’ve seen heretofore.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .