Too soon? Should campaign events be designed around 9/11 anniversary?
Had this image pop up on my facebook this morning advertising the Pennington County Lincoln Day dinner on September 11, accompanied by the following text:
“Almost 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks… Come join us for the 9/11 – 20th anniversary at Pennington County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner.”
I’m not quite sure what to say about that.
Back during the 2002 campaign for Governor in South Dakota, when I was working on the Rounds campaign, I know we shut down all campaigning on 9/11. And reached out to advertising venues to make sure nothing ran on that day to the best of our ability.
As recently as the presidential campaigns in 2016 and again in 2020, I don’t believe the campaigns were active that day, and all the candidates, including President Donald Trump as well as his Democrat opponents suspended campaign activities to mark the anniversary of the event as a solemn occasion.
Now with the attack on our country 20 years past this year, 20 years after an attack that was directed at our fellow countrymen as well as our military, have we reached the point where it’s a picnicking occasion?
I’m not sure we ever have reached that with Pearl Harbor day, which resides in our nation’s collective memory as a day of infamy. Should 9/11 be similarly off limits?
What are your thoughts?