At my suggestion, Tom Danehy, Renée Downing, Dave Devine and Connie Tuttle each tackled 9/11 from their own particular--no doubt some will say peculiar--points of view.
In addition, Irene Messina wrote of the growth of interfaith initiatives in the wake of the tragedy. And Joan Schuman included major local events commemorating the anniversary in her City Week column.
While most Americans will spend considerable time and energy this week on the 9/11 anniversary, there are other events of interest, notably a primary election in Arizona on 9/10. We're also devoted to election news--from Chris Limberis' interview with Jesus Christ to Jim Nintzel's take on major state and local races.
Voting, one of the privileges and responsibilities of a democracy, qualifies as a patriotic act even when compared to the outpouring of sentiment over 9/11.
I don't mean to diminish the individual or collective urgings that drive us to memorialize that awful day. But had those Saudis been able to express themselves in a democratic society, they might not have felt compelled to do so with box cutters and jet airplanes.