I just got back from seeing the documentary aftermath, unanswered questions from 9/11 made by the Guerrilla News Network and hosted tonight by Chicago Media Action. The documentary along with the two shorts were well done, mixing provocative information, with well-edited footage, and with a clean presentation style. Shown downtown in the heart of Chicago’s financial and governmental distict at a really beautiful Methodist church, the turnout was decent and definitely more diverse than what you would see at a similar event in San Francisco, the eternaly youthful city. Notably missing though were young people between the ages of 15-30… In some ways this was refreshing in other ways disturbing because Chicago is teeming full with young people. I guess it was refreshing because there was a better cross section of people from little old ladies to mothers with kids. But given the size of this city, I was surprised at the lack of young people at an event like this.

I have more to say about the fears, apathy, and frustrations that keep interested folks from actively seeking new avenues for expression, information, and change but I am too tired right now and somewhat down about the current state of affairs. It bothers me so that there is so much active protest and voices of dissent but that mainstream channels for media, expression, and politics can so effectively silence and earse primarily by tactics of ignoring. Who needs supression when you can ignore so effectively? It bothers me how easily the politicians and media have been able to conflate ( and with this seamless sickening perfection), 9/11 with terrorism, with the war on Iraq, and all though a simple language of good, evil, freedom, and terrorism, all the while social and economic conditions here and world over just worsen. But despite this people are actively demanding for other scenarios and options whether in the protests in Cancun or in the demand for the formation of a 911 Truth Commission…