A community discussion with international peace activist Kathy Kelly and renowned civil rights attorney Michael Deutsch.
CCAWR CAPA GLN
The September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, DC ushered in a wave of political and social reaction that haunts the world to this day.
Politicians cynically used the crisis atmosphere to "re-order" politics, increasing the U.S. government's power both domestically and internationally.
Within weeks, the U.S. military, with overwhelming support from both major political parties, launched the war in Afghanistan, its longest war ever. Other "forever wars" in Iraq and elsewhere soon followed. Today the U.S. governmentâs "right" to bomb or outright invade other countries goes virtually unchallenged.
Meanwhile, anti-terrorist hype gave license to domestic police forces to pump themselves up with military-grade hardware and harass or repress those in oppressed communities who organize against them.
Following 9/11, the U.S. had a preview of the open bigotry of the Trump years with a wave of racist murders and other physical attacks against Arabs, Muslims, and South Asian people and their institutions. Racist depictions of Arabs became standard fare in movies, TV programs and legislatures.
Washington made an already hostile environment for immigrants much worse by passing the USA PATRIOT ACT that founded the Department of Homeland Security and its notorious subdivision, ICE. Further restrictions on the rights of asylum seekers and refugees followed.
A host of Constitutional principles protecting freedom of association, outlawing torture and forbidding imprisonment without due process were violated with impunity. Dissent was shouted down and whistle-blowers were vilified and persecuted, while high government officials sanctioning torture and murder were given a free pass by both parties.
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we invite you to participate in a community discussion of how this tragedy was used to brutalize our country while destroying hundreds of thousands of lives in Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Only by knowing our history can we organize to win a non-dystopian future for ourselves and the world.
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