Quote Originally Posted by Noir View Post
Forgetting events? No.
But forgetting emotions? Yes, and in the most part that is a healthy and inevitable outcome.

There’s also a wave of about-to-be college students who weren’t alive before 9/11, who’s emotions are about as detached as it is possible to be, that changes conversations.
Re-reading this thread and thinking about this, and wanted to add a few things.

Vietnam for example. Was long over and a part of history before we were taught anything about that war. Same of course goes for the World Wars and a bunch of battles. The revolutionary war & the civil war...

Now, while I don't get the "same" emotion going over and remembering those events, as I do with 9/11, as I simply wasn't alive back then. But, I surely do feel an emotional connection to the events. I KNOW that these men and women fought and so many gave their lives for my freedoms. I feel VERY emotional about Vietnam, the wall and other connected memorials and events. Not because I was there or lived through it, but because it was such a HUGE part of our history, and over 58,000 brave soldiers killed in action. 150,000+ wounded. 1,500+ missing in action. And I know just SO many people that were in Vietnam, or have a parent or relative that was there.

WW1 and WW2. Not many left, but sure were some brave soldiers, once again fighting for our freedoms.

So yeah, no doubt that kids that weren't alive during the events of 9/11, or the events of various wars, won't feel or will have detached emotions. I know I have them. I have a lot of pride in these brave soldiers, so many of them lying in Arlington right now. I have a lot of sadness for the amount of deaths, and for the loss the families had to deal with.

And I think that this national pride should apply to everyone. Maybe not everyone has been in the amount or the size of the wars we have seen, or the losses. But I think folks should still all be understanding of those losses, and sacrifices & emotions that can be invoked.