It's just a "matter of time"

"America's Sheriff," Orange County's Mike Carona, was the guest speaker at today's ceremony commemorating the September 11, 2001, attack on the Twin Towers--held at beautiful Irvine Valley College.

But the celebrated fellow was tardy, so we were entertained with song.

Diane DeVore (wife of Chuck) was on hand with fifteen or so kids who sang patriotic songs, including one, unfamiliar to me, whose chorus was "all-American, me and you." The kids seemed to enjoy that one.

Oddly, DeVore, who seemed nice, mentioned that she home schools her kids.

Perhaps she was unaware that IVC is a public institution.

Master-of-ceremonies Tom Fuentes then started things off by noting that, here in the district, "we begin our time with prayer."

Well, actually, no. We teach here, and classes never start off with prayer (with the exception of certain speech classes, but never mind). Not yet, anyway.

Trustee Don Wagner led the gathered throng of about 75 Irvineites in prayer. People were generally pretty good about it. Even those kids.

Fuentes then led the crowd through a delightful ritual evidently known as the "Orange County 1-clap," a way of identifying dignitaries (i.e., Republicans) with minimum hoopla.

The effort at hoopla-minimization was wise in view of the dignitaries.

I think Fuentes identified the original dog catcher (city manager?) of the city of Irvine. Fuentes noted that the fellow was a pal of Father Junipero Serra's.

The audience liked that one.

County Sheriff Carona commenced his brief patriotic address. He spoke of "barbarism." He spoke of the "hatred" of the 9-11 attackers for America's "values," "beliefs," and "freedoms." He talked of his young son's inability to comprehend these attacks, which occurred for "no reason."

He referred to all the time he spends at the Nixon library. Evidently, he gives speeches there a lot.

We're safer today, he said, than we were six years ago. Not going into specifics, America's Sheriff said that there've been "a lot of attempts" to attack us since then (?), but they've been thwarted.

The crowd emitted a palpable sigh of relief.

Still, added Carona, it's just a "matter of time" before we are attacked.

I heard a yelp.

America's Sheriff spoke of our growing complacency with each year that separates us from that terrible day.

He spoke of heroes: our soldiers abroad, our firemen and policemen at home. We in the audience, too, he said, were "heroes." After all, we showed up for this event, demonstrating that we "care and believe."

I have no idea what he was talking about.

Still, the weather was nice, the crowd was pleased, the kids were having a good time, and we got out of there before the traffic got too bad.

“You are truly the heroes because you care and you believe. You are what's going to make a difference in America and what's going to keep America safe. You are what makes America great.”

--Sheriff Mike Carona

9/11: Speaking Out Loud to Cancel My Silence

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There will be a lot of flags today and speeches, memorial wreaths and remembrances and at Rebel Girl's son's public elementary school, all students, including kindergarteners, will attend a Patriot's Day assembly. At our fair college, Mike Carona, the county sheriff, is taking part in the commemoration to be held in front of the Student Center after which everyone will return to what they had been doing.

The Associated Press estimates that there were 1809 civilian deaths in Iraq during the month of August with at least 81 American service member deaths also that month.

Herself, Rebel Girl opts for poetry of which there is not enough and none of it is perfect for the occasion. Still. Here you go.

by Stephen Dunn:

To a Terrorist

For the historical ache, the ache passed down
which finds its circumstance and becomes
the present ache, I offer this poem

without hope, knowing there's nothing,
not even revenge, which alleviates
a life like yours. I offer it as one

might offer his father's ashes
to the wind, a gesture
when there's nothing else to do.

Still, I must say to you:
I hate your good reasons.
I hate the hatefulness that makes you fall

in love with death, your own included.
Perhaps you're hating me now,
I who own my own house

and live in a country so muscular,
so smug, it thinks its terror is meant
only to mean well, and to protect.

Christ turned his singular cheek,
one man's holiness another's absurdity.
Like you, the rest of us obey the sting,

the surge. I'm just speaking out loud
to cancel my silence. Consider it an old impulse,
doomed to become mere words.

The first poet probably spoke to thunder
and, for a while, believed
thunder had an ear and a choice.

A patriotic performance—plus Sheriff Mikey

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From this morning’s OC Register: Irvine remembers 9/11:

People across the city, county and country will remember 9/11 today. Irvine is home to two remembrances, one at Irvine Valley College and another at Northwood Community Park.

• Irvine Valley College will commemorate the sixth anniversary of 9/11 from 4-4:30 p.m. in front of the college Student Services Center, 5500 Irvine Center Drive. The ceremony will include a patriotic performance and the placement of a wreath. Keynote speaker is Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona. Invocation by Orange County Supervisor Bill Campbell. Info: 949-451-5290.

• Northwood Community Park memorial service will at 6:30 p.m. at the corner of Yale and Bryan avenues. The memorial will remain until Sept. 16.