Should Adrian Grenier's 9/11 tribute have included Iraq war dead?
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Within days of the attacks on September 11, 2001, Americans told each other, 鈥淲e will never forget鈥: a wish, and command, as much as a statement of fact. But how should we remember?
An sparked both appreciation and outrage, setting the tone for an anniversary weekend of not only mourning, but controversy, as Americans wrestled with the day's legacy fourteen years after the attacks in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
Mr. Grenier, best known for his lead role in HBO鈥檚 "Entourage," posted a somber drawing of the Twin Towers on Friday, September 11, accompanied by a brief message:
R.I.P. the 2,996 Americans who died in 9/11. R.I.P. the 1,455,590 innocent Iraqis who died during the U.S. invasion for something they didn't do.
Although some viewers , most of the flood of comments were inspired by gratitude or fury that he dared mention Iraqi deaths in the same breath. The image soon disappeared, replaced by new photographs and messages, likely intended to soothe his critics, and :听
In challenging moments and times of mourning, we must seek perspective to help us find peace within our choices forward. #911.
However, the debate continued in users鈥 comments, soon carrying over into mainstream media.
Grenier鈥檚 tribute was not the only one to get people talking on social media. After the Lumberton, Texas high school cheer squad posted a , meant to honor those killed on 9/11, it quickly went viral, viewed over 23 million times on Facebook.听
The squad鈥檚 intent seems unabashedly patriotic: the 9/11 tribute is an annual team tradition, and ends in a 鈥淯SA鈥 formation with the American flag flying behind. Throughout, a remix of Lee Greenwood鈥檚 鈥淕od Bless The U.S.A.鈥 plays, remixed with sound clips from 9/11 broadcasts and George W. Bush鈥檚 public address.
While plenty of fans loved the tribute, others criticized it as 鈥渃ringeworthy鈥 and 鈥渢asteless,鈥 although comments were not as explicitly political as Grenier鈥檚 detractors'.
Meanwhile, at ground zero in New York City, mourners assembled for the traditional, and traditionally solemn, reading of names. While the ceremony is held at the Twin Towers鈥 empty footprints, now reflecting pools, this year brought two new backdrops: the National September 11 Memorial Museum, which opened last May, and the recently-finished 1 World Trade Center skyscraper.
According to The Washington Post, victims' families voiced concerns that the Museum, which hosted 2.7 million visitors in its first year, threatened to change the character of what many consider their loved ones鈥 burial ground, a place for sanctuary and reflection.
Ground Zero is undoubtably a "site to see" in New York, but some families have long feared that it would one day feel more "touristy," and 听
Joe Daniels, president and CEO, as an 鈥渋ncredible educational tool to show the broader context of this event.鈥 Its historic purpose, however, may reveal a rift between those ready to consider 9/11 in 鈥渂roader context鈥 and those for whom it remains a personal tragedy.
Among Grenier鈥檚 later Instragram posts for the anniversary is 听A reminder to remember, but also, perhaps, a call to reflect on how we do so.