I fear that the long shadow of 9/11 will be with us for years to come. It has stretched over our politics, our wars, our ‘defense’ of the homeland, our immigration policy, etc. etc. etc.
And it now stretches over the narrative of the race for Governor of Vermont.
From the Freeps:
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was heading to work at Boston’s Logan airport, where I have flown as a captain for Americans Airlines since 1989. At about 8:20, I received a message that one of our flight attendants in the air had reported a hijacking. I knew my friend, Capt. John Ogonowski, was in the cockpit on Flight 11 that day.
…I had seen the TV coverage of the devastation at ground zero and expected the worst, but nothing had prepared me for the overwhelming psychological and spiritual shock of seeing that dark expanse of twisted, smoking wreckage that held the remains of thousands of human beings.
And with the shadow of 9/11, of course comes the line ‘Duty to country…’ and the dramatic vision of our fearless co-pilot springing into action.
…To ensure that rescue workers at ground zero were able to communicate, a Motorola factory in Fort Lauderdale pre-programmed 2,000 radios, but were told to wait for the proper authority before we could act. With a choice of waiting for approval or bucking the chain of command, I decided to act. I called the aircraft commander of the Florida Air Guard, gave him my social security number, and said, “I take full responsibility, just get those radios to the people in need right now.”
I honor and respect Mr. Dubie (and his family’s) service to country.
But I’m always wondering what this man of action has been doing the last 8 years? Does he take full (or even partial) responsibility for the state of the state? For the ‘tough’ choices he’s had to make? For helping to grow local businesses? Address issues of spiraling health care costs to our citizens and businesses?
Could he stand up and order action that gets services, food, jobs, benefits, and compassion to those Vermonters in dire need of help – those ‘targeted’ most vulnerable citizens who have lost jobs, businesses and homes? Those people who now need their government to help them through a crisis? Who calls in the radio’s for Vermont’s citizens in time of need? Who makes the tough decisions to just get it done? Mr. Dubie has been sitting in the co-pilot’s chair for a long time. Has he ever asked to take the controls for a bit? Has he ever been given the chance? Where’s his voice? What has he done?
Vermonters may not be buried in rubble and in shock from a heinous act of murder – but many need to dig out from the mismanagement of the past and from a financial disaster unlike any in recent history. While our finances have crumbled – our roads and bridges are doing the same, and our schools are on the very same path.
Mr. Dubie – can you call in those radios for Vermonters? Can you ditch protocol and sidestep the chain of command, the ideology of party, the talking points? Can you do what is right for Vermonters?
Based on 8 years in the co-pilot seat – I’d have to guess – probably not.