The Road to Cultural Illiteracy

Democrats are right to push back against the Disney/ABC mockumentary, The Road to 9/11, to be shown Sunday and Monday nights. It's obviously a set-up, a four hour infomercial for Karl Rove's War on Terror. And what the hell was Scholastic thinking when it sent out companion workbooks to 25,000 teachers? The whole thing doesn't pass the smell test.

But Democrats are way overplaying their hand when they call for ABC to pull the show altogether. It's more politically advantageous for the show to go on, without charges of censorship, and with ABC's promised edits. ABC is obviously embarrassed by the publicity, and has all but confessed to turning the fiery deaths of 3,000 Americans into a four-bucket popcorn fest.

Have they no shame?

It really takes some historical perspective to put this sham in the proper light. President Bush tells us that his stupid War on Terror wil be vindicated in time. Well, how much time does it take to turn a national heartache like 9/11 into entertainment? It's only been five years since the towers fell. It took longer than that for the first decent Pearl Harbor joke*. Are there even any historical equivalents for ABC's mini-series?

The Road to Dealy Plaza
first shown Nov. 22, 1968

Scene: Lincoln Bedroom of White House. Marilyn Monroe, in her see-through nightie, primps in a mirror.

Kennedy: Now let me get this straight. Your cousin Harvey will sign up 50,000 illegal Mexican immigrants to vote for me in the Texas primary?

Monroe: Silly John John. His name is Lee. Harvey's his middle name.

Kennedy: Yeah, whatever baby. So tell me about these Mexicans. Can they read English?

Monroe: Not yet. But Lee has access to a whole schoolbook warehouse, and he says he'll pass out free lesson books to all of your (giggle) constituents.

Kennedy (skeptically): What do I have to do?

Monroe: Not much. Just go to Dallas, and meet cousin Lee at work. He'll be waiting for you in the park across the street, near the man with an umbrella.

And scene...

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*Why was Dec. 7, 1941, such a chilly day? Because there was a little nip in the air.