January 17, 2009

Historical illiteracy

By: Sonny Bunch

How historically illiterate do you have to be to write a post like this, a post that ignores some pretty basic, fundamental, and scarring moments from very recent American history…unless, of course, enough people weren’t killed in the Oklahoma City bombing for Matt’s taste. And if that domestic terrorist attack doesn’t pass muster, then there’s no way we should even consider the 1,048* casualties from the original WTC bombing. Since he did specifically say “domestic” attacks we can leave aside the Khobar Towers bombings, the destruction of the African embassies, and the attack on the USS Cole.

There’s no serious case to be made that 9/11 was the first “mass casualty” terrorist attack on American soil. And I don’t think there’s any serious argument that, for a long time, the United States ignored terrorist attacks abroad on the grounds that “Hey, it’s just the military being attacked” or “Hey, no one cares about those embassies in Africa, so let’s just let this one go.” Yes, 9/11 happened under Bush’s watch, but does anyone think that it was entirely (or even mostly) his fault? Or, more importantly, that he’s the only president to see a massive terrorist attack under his watch?

Seriously, Matt, think before you write something this monumentally stupid. We’ll all be better off in the long run.

*6 dead, 1,042 injured