The Catastrophic Legacy of 9/11:  Unending Wars, Allied Disunity, Environmental Hazards, Government Distrust

Who could have imagined, while experiencing the shock and horror and sheer terror of 9/11, that the loss of 3000 innocent souls, the devastation of a major American City, and attack on our Pentagon were just the tip of the iceberg? 

As heartbreaking, soul-wrenching and physically devastating were the days and weeks and months in the immediate aftermath, who would have thought that the real legacy of 9/11 would take far more lives at home and abroad, and wreak far more devastation in the world over the following decades?

Immediately following 9/11, President George W. Bush squandered the sympathy and good will of the world, which could have empowered us to narrowly target our enemies and bring nations together for the greater good. Instead, thanks to deception and hubris, greed and misguided revenge, we were led into war after war in the "War on Terror" whose indiscriminate "Shock and Awe" bombings cost thousands of U.S. lives, killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people, and alienated Americans around the world.

The U.S. decimated and failed to protect ancient antiquities and the cultural heritage of a nation, even constructing a military base on the site of ancient Babylon. Our ill-conceived policies undermined the balance of power in the Middle East, generating at least two unintended consequences: an increase in terrorists and a flood of refugees from war-torn Middle Eastern countries.

Sadly, the generation born into a post-9/11 world, though lacking a visceral memory of the events, has nevertheless inherited a legacy of unending wars, increasing threats to our Country from all quarters, health problems resulting from our Administration's failure to even acknowledge, let alone address, for far too long, the environmental impacts of 9/11. As a consequence, thousands of first responders and residents suffer and continue to die, and will for some time.

So how is this new generation to understand the complex truths of 9/11?  It is THEY who will ultimately be tasked with extrapolating from these events the policies of the future. From textbooks, which keep changing with the revelation of each new tranche of information? From Social Media? From years of electronic print or TV specials? Or from word of mouth of those who remember?

Ultimately, it often falls to the artist to interpret the most incomprehensible or tragic events in a way that enlightens and provides hope or healing, courage or comfort.  Through the filmmaker or poet's eyes, future generations can experience and understand historical events on a more intimate level, and, with new perspective, create a better world.

The 9/11 Memorial poem and 8-minute video "Angels Over America" celebrate the courage and resilience that are hallmarks of the American Spirit, while providing perspective, healing, and hope.

"The events of September 11, 2001, will be a part of the American consciousness forever," says writer and poet Carolyn Long. "The lens through which we view them will shape our future and determine how we heal as a people"

Award-winning New York arranger and composer Mark Freeh co-produced the video from Carolyn Long's poem, "Angels Over America," against the backdrop of powerful 9/11 images and his stirring arrangement of "America the Beautiful" and moving renditions of "Amazing Grace" and "My Country 'Tis of Thee"

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