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Phil Garber

Phil Garber

Journalist for 40 years and now a creative writer

4 min readSep 8, 2021

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Photo by Jesse Mills on Unsplash

‘Never Forget’

Tune in to Hear Trump at Ringside

I have always thought the mantra “Never Forget,” that sprang up everywhere after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was about the most cynical thing I’ve heard and now it seems to be the one thing that the ex-president and I agree on as I see that while millions of Americans will gather in cities and hamlets to remember that terrible day, trump will solemnly honor the memories of the 2,996 Americans who were killed 20 years ago, by forgetting to honor the day as he joins with his son, Donald Jr., for an undisclosed paycheck, to do ringside commentary on the Sept. 11 anniversary for a fight between Evander Holyfield, a 58-year-old, over the hill boxer who lost an ear to Mike Tyson and Vitor Belfort, a former mixed martial arts champ who quit after he was knocked out in his last fight three years ago.

The fight will be at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., a stone’s throw, 57 minute drive, from trump’s obscenity-laden Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. You can watch it on a pay-per-view broadcast on FiteTV, if you have absolutely nothing going on in your left prefrontal cortex, left temporal cortex and left parietal cortex or any other cortexes in your brain and you want to help support trump’s 2024 campaign to return to the scene of his crimes.

As usual, whenever trump is involved, there is more than a bit of irony as the original opponent for Holyfield was supposed to be the former boxing champ, Oscar De La Hoya, who had to cancel the fight with Holyfield because he has COVID-19 and maybe he wouldn’t have gotten sick if he had followed trump’s advice to ignore it and it will simply go away, something like a lot of people wished about trump.

Holyfield hasn’t fought professionally in 10 years so the fight should be a doozy or should I say it will have the punch of a wet firecracker lit in the hind quarters of the former leader, especially for those who watched Holyfield fight Mike Tyson in 1997 when the fight ended because Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield’s ear. But it will put money in Gen. Bone Spurs’ election coffers.

You have to admit that the ex-president has class, getting hired to do ringside commentary so that people can get ripped off while they watch a non-fight that will be more a circus than a fight, something like trump’s presidency.

On Sept. 11, you will see Americans throughout the nation reliving the pain and suffering of that fateful day, in solemn commemorations, hoping it is a lesson to become a stronger country. But you won’t see trump unless you pay to see a farcical excuse for a boxing match.

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The website 11-Sept.org says it is a day “To keep eye on those who survived and to recall of those who didn’t. We will stay online as long as there is the internet and we will guarantee you support, safe heaven and any other help you may need.”

“Choosing to forget is not an option. If you were present at the scene on this sad date, share your story and help pothers understand the terror that occurred without any reason. Your choice can inspire, help, cure and so much more only if and when shared. Thank you for remembering and visiting the site. Thank you for your time and your suffering,” the website notes.

Hey, trump, check out the website or have someone read it to you.

As for the phrase, “Never Forget,” to me it means to never forget the tragedy of thousands of families that were torn asunder and the innocent Americans who were murdered by a band of bloodthirsty terrorists. We should never forget the incredible bravery of the firefighters and other first responders who died while trying to rescue the victims.

We should remember not with xenophobic, flag waving, violent rhetoric but with heartfelt, deep thought on the violence that grips much of the world. There has been much said about how the terrorist attacks brought a nation together, bound by a common culture, and noted by Rudy Giuliani, who cashed in on the attacks to gain fame as the Sept. 11 mayor and who has come to exemplify the worst in American politics while he benefited heavily with paid speaking engagements about the attacks.

“The lesson of 9/11 is that America is truly exceptional. We withstood the worst attack of our history, intended by our enemies to destroy us. Instead, it drew us closer and made us more united. Our love for freedom and one another has given us a strength that surprised even ourselves,” Giuliani said.

Baloney.

Shortly after the attacks, I recall “Never Forget” directed at Muslims and I recall all of those oversized American flags draped in front of the 7–11 and other convenience stores that were owned by Muslims who feared for their lives. I will never forget the violence aimed Muslims and the ignorance of so many Americans who blamed all Muslims for the actions of a relative few crazy zealots. And I will never forget a war that went on for 20 years, costing countless lives and maiming and destroying the lives of so many before the war ended exactly where it started. And I will never forget how an ex-president tried to rile up anger and hatred toward Muslims and how this leader in disguise tried unsuccessfully to ban Muslims from immigrating to the U.S. and how this same ex-president lied about seeing hundreds of people on the roofs of Jersey City high rises, cheering for the terrorists.

So if you care to honor Sept. 11, don’t watch a boxing match.

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Phil Garber
Phil Garber

Written by Phil Garber

Journalist for 40 years and now a creative writer