9-11 Memorials

Even before it opened, the 9/11 memorial and museum at the world trade center site was already controversial, condemned by survivor families for commercializing the tragedy. The museum’s gift shop, offering a commemorative 9/11 cheese board, seemed especially grotesque to many. (But, as George Bush said, days after 9/11, the way to defeat the terrorists was to “go shopping.”) Examining controversies around various 9/11 commemorations we ask how this memory shapes the US today. What political projects do 9/11 memorials serve, and who is excluded from commemoration.

Special thanks to Claire Panetta for guiding us through the museum.

We also drew on Benjamin Smith’s MERIP article “The Great Ports Panic of 2006” and Setha Low’s article “The Memorialization of 9/11” for background on debates and controversies.

We played clips from The Budweiser 9/11 Super Bowl commercial and U2’s bizarre post 9/11 Super Bowl halftime show.

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/night-drift/pastel

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