On 9/11 my family had only been in Vancouver, BC a few yrs. We’d spent most of the 90s displaced by the Bosnian War. We understood the feeling of normalcy suddenly, ferociously shattered. Yet the outpouring of grief & support for the U.S, in Canada also renewed so much faith.
Watching the scenes of Operation Yellow Ribbon play out, in particular, had a lasting effect on me. I was a cynical, angry kid. But there was something so powerful about the collective effort of ordinary Canadians, & political leaders too, to support the U.S. in that dark hour.
Today, as a Bosnian-Canadian living in America, I teach the Canada-U.S. relationship as the encapsulation of the idea of a “liberal democratic peace” & the joint response to 9/11 as its distillation. My students are often puzzled by the urgency & emotion in my voice when I do.
It’s bc that terrible day, shrouded in pain & its painful ongoing consequences, was also marked by so much genuine humanity & solidarity. That response reshaped my view of the world — for the better.
Let’s remember that today as we attempt to steer a new course, together. ☮️
Let’s remember that today as we attempt to steer a new course, together. ☮️
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