[GeneD]

Aaaaaaa-MEN, sister.

[areafiftyone]

She is such a caring person. Her daughters are lucky to have a mother like her.

[rintense]

Yes, and keep your kids out of public schools where they'll be told that the attacks were OUR fault!

[SouthernFreebird]

The first lady, speaking in English,

Whats up with that?

[Arkinsaw]

I have to disagree. My kids have seen the images and had them explained. They understand fully the price of freedom. I showed them the film of the military personnel fleeing the Pentagon in an almost moblike way, as they leave the fenced in area someone shouts or bullhorns that people are trapped and that volunteers are needed immediately.....that crowd of military personnel TO A MAN (and plenty of women) ALL take one glance back at the Pentagon and then ALL turn back and start RUNNING back to the fire. God that makes me proud and I'm proud for my kids to see it.

The NEA and the television networks are not going to sugarcoat it for my kids. We aren't going to light a memorial candle but are going to fly the Betsy Ross. We will watch the scenes of destruction again and we will talk about it, what it means, what we have done about it in the last year, what we are probably going to do about it in the next year, and how much we owe those who are going to do it for us.

[PoorMuttly]

That's nice and all...very sweet and thoughtful...

but while I was still a very young boy, my father brought me to see "Judgement at Nuremburg" with his G.I. buddies at Fort Dix...and I was horrified...but being with Real men...enlisted men and officers...who actually fought these bums to the death for all of us...

I am still, eternally grateful to him for exposing me to the disgusting truth about what is done in this beautiful and horrible world...while holding my hand.

[Cindy]

Mrs. Bush said (according to this article), "``We saw a handful of people do something so horrible, but then we saw so many other people, on the other hand, do good things. The firemen, policemen, rescue workers -- the children themselves,'' Mrs. Bush said. ``It's really great for families to figure out ways to let their children be involved and be helpful.'' "

FACTS are encouraged on FR. Anyone who has been following this War on Terror this past year KNOW FOR A FACT that there were a lot more bad guys involved in the planning, plotting, propagandizing, recruiting, grooming, training, and funding the September 11th attacks (and future attacks) than just "a handful of people." Any child who studies history should be studying THE FACTS.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: ATTACK ON AMERICA! (click here)

[don-o]

You know what?

I do not look to Washington DC, no matter who is talking from there, to advise me on how to raise my kids.

It is a sad commentary that Mrs Dubya allows herself to be used as the "First Mama."

[Hunble]

Lady Bush - the TV will be OFF!

[Fester Chugabrew]

Sheez. I was considering a cable hook up for just this day. There were so many things I was unable to see when this happened a year ago. I happen to enjoy unedited history.

But then, by this time, the shows will probably be far from "unedited."

[Entropy Squared]

I didn't think the day would come that I would disagree with First Lady Bush, but I disagree. I want the image of what happened a year ago seared into the brains of my children. I don't want them to ever forget. I want them to know why we fight.

[GeneD]

To all those who want to see the WTC disaster replayed on a 24-hour tape loop:

The planes carrying America's horror crashed not just in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, but in living rooms across the country. This disaster was televised, live and in living - and dying - color.

Most of us couldn't stop watching, as the news was constantly updated, the gruesome footage endlessly replayed.

Now the horror is back, in reruns dressed up as first anniversary commemorations. Over the next week, we'll be bombarded with recollections of Sept. 11. Moments of silence will interrupt school days and Major League baseball games. There will be special events of all kinds. Panelists will discuss the state of the world. Newspapers, including this one, will publish page after page of memories and reflection. We'll again be drawn to the TV, like moths to a flame, to join in a national rite of catharsis and recommitment.

Many of these programs and events - most, we hope - will be tasteful and appropriate. They will tell compelling stories and respect shared values. They will give all of us a chance to shed a tear, say a prayer and rekindle the patriotism that swept the nation in the wake of the terrorists' attack.

But a word of warning: If there's one thing television excels at, it's excess. And too much immersion in televised tragedy can be hazardous to your mental health.

The nation saw an upsurge in clinical depression in the wake of Sept. 11. That's a natural reaction for people who lost friends or relatives in the attacks, and there are thousands of these survivors whose grief is real and justified. But there are millions more whose grief came as much from the coverage of the event as the event itself. Mental health professionals have found that more 9/11 coverage people watched, the more likely they were to become depressed.

This is especially true for children. An Oklahoma State University study found that sixth-graders who watched coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing on TV had a 16 percent increase in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Children don't always give voice to their fears, but the response of many children to Sept. 11 was predictable fear, insecurity and nightmares. Wise parents offered hugs, explanations and reassurance - and turned off the TV.

Adults may find value from the national revisitation of Sept. 11, though no one should feel obligated to join the frenzy of commemoration. But there's little to be gained by encouraging children to revisit their nightmares. If they're watching when the towers start falling for the umpteenth time, change the channel.

Forgive me for not thinking Laura Bush a wimp.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

*Bump* for later reading ...

[swarthyguy]

she's wrong. Perhaps for the very young - under 6 -9 -10 but the rest -- they should know the world they are growing up in.

[WyCoKsRepublican]

Laura Bush, what a First Lady! God Bless you and yours and the "class" you've returned to the White House. We love you!.......

[mombonn]

A week ago I would have disagreed. Now, I don't. I seriously doubt I'll watch anything, even Fox.

The only thing I would consider is just a replay, uncut, of the events as they unfolded last year.

I may watch the tape I made of the documentary those French brothers did. I may go to the FR archives and read the threads from last year.

I don't want sentimentality, I want renewed outrage.

NEVER FORGET

[GeneD]

More for the "we-must-replay-these-attacks-on-television-forever-so-we-can-never-forget" brigade:

With the anniversary of September 11th, there may be a lot of stories on television reliving the tragic events. Adults might watch them as a way of showing respect…and appreciation for the heroes. But children might look at those images and become quite confused and even frightened.

You know, any danger on the screen for a child can seem very close to home. After all, it looks like the danger's taking place right in their own living room. Ordinarily, young children can't tell the difference between what's close and what's far away, what's live and what's being rebroadcast.

So, it seems to me that one good idea is to try to limit what children see and hear on television. And, of course, what they need to hear most from us adults is that they can talk with us about anything they want and that we'll do all we can to help keep them safe no matter what goes on in the world.

It's such a good feeling to know that we're neighbors.