How could we best honor the tragedy of 9/11?

Become a nation and people of peace.

Art is our path to that too often ignored goal.

I recommend Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver, a collection of essays spawned by 9/11. From the wonderful essay “And Our Flag was Still There”:

In one stunning statement uttered by a fundamentalist religious leader, this brand of patriotism specifically blamed homosexuals, feminists, and the American Civil Liberties Union for the horrors of September 11. In other words, these hoodlum-Americans were asking me to believe that their flag stood for intimidation, censorship, violence, bigotry, sexism, homophobia, and shoving the Constitution through a paper shredder? Well, our flag does not, and I’m determined that it never will. Outsiders can destroy airplanes and buildings, but only we the people have the power to demolish our own ideals. (p. 238)

Also Kurt Vonnegut’s A Man without a Country. From “Do unto others”:

So the America I loved still exists, if not in the White House, the Supreme Court, the Senate, the House of Representatives, or the media. The America I loved still exists at the front desks of our public libraries. (p. 103)

And a film—Remember Me.

Peace?