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NEVER FORGET! Requirement to Think of Someone Besides Oneself Hinders 9–11 Remembrances
Five minutes into a lone vigil, Russ Tillkop’s phone chirped. “Dang! They just deactivated one of the starters on my fantasy football team!”
“Usually, by the end of the morning, I’ve posted a bunch of pix to my socials,” said influencer Kristi McKannen. “I always drop a few selfies to start. Then I add in a couple of my poodle, Ritzi. But today, to remember 9–11, I posted exactly twenty (because that’s nine plus eleven) photos of soldiers deploying to Iraq.”
When reminded that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 attacks, McKannen shrugged and said, “It doesn’t matter anyway. I support the troops. Hashtag Never Forget. Now, let’s see some more snaps of Ritzi!”
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In a nearby park, Russ Tillkop stood at a memorial to the lives lost during the September 11, 2001 terror attack.
“Someone needs to remember these people,” he said. “I’m going to stand here and hold a salute for nine minutes and eleven seconds.”
Five minutes into his lone vigil, Tillkop’s phone chirped.
“Damn it,” he said, digging in his pocket. “I turned off all notifications. This must be an…
