The Canadian memorial service was held at noon today on Parliament Hill. It’s estimated that a hundred-thousand carpeted the lawn of the hill to see Prime Minister Chretien, U.S. Ambassador Paul Celucci, and Governor General Adrienne Clarkson speak about the tragedy, the terrible loss, and how despite the terrorist’s best efforts, we’re far from broken. Quite the contrary. I especially appreciated Ambassador Celucci’s heartfelt words describing the closeness he feels the U.S. and Canada share.

When the Governor General called for everyone to stand and observe three minutes of silence, I stood without thinking and joined the thousands downtown in spirit despite being alone in my apartment. After watching the Canadian memorial and then some of the American memorial ceremony, I switched to Space and took in the afternoon Trek line-up. I feel like I’m somehow betraying the dead and the rescuers, if I turn away. Still though, I have to do it. The continual barrage of news about this disaster pounds down my psyche and too much could lead to a really depressed mood.

Interestingly enough, I read a blurb in today’s IMDb Movie/TV News that discusses something very similar to this:

In Thailand, a psychiatrist working for the country’s Department of Mental Health, urged TV stations to stop repeating the footage of the attack on the World Trade Center, saying that it was causing stress and shock to many local people. “The stress and shock may make them forget that the incident took place far away from Thailand and that we would not be directly affected, psychiatrist Thanu Chathananon told the Bangkok Post.

I don’t think that watching makes me forget where it took place, but at the same time I’m a lot closer to it than Thailand. I mean closer in both a physical sense, and a cultural sense. Since the U.S. and Canada have cultural similarities, it would follow I’m more at risk because the attacks were based on the supposed depraved capitalist culture.

As much as it still bothers me to watch fluff on television now, I have to do it if I’m to continue functioning normally.