Nineteen years ago, an AM radio talk show host was growing exasperated. Caller after caller kept referencing the September 11 attacks and saying, "They need to be held accountable," or "Something needs to happen to them."
"Who are they? Who do you mean by them?" the host kept asking.
I understood his frustration. At the time, it wasn't confirmed who had committed the attacks. It didn't accomplish anything for callers to keep saying the same things over and over. And yet...
...that's human nature. After such hateful, unprecedented attacks in this country, the host needed to understand that his job that night wasn't just to provide new information and keep the show moving. It was to be a sounding board for the anger and sadness callers were feeling, even when it was repetitive.
