NPR: Preparing to Remember Yesterday...

Preparing to Remember Yesterday...

Well -- I am back -- I took a couple of days off so I could take the kids to their first two days of school (I normally come in too early to take the kids to school now), and I am proud to report that there was no crying, no grabbing of pants legs, no having to be peeled out of somebody's arms. And the kids did great, too!

Thanks to Lynn Neary for sitting-in and thanks for her powerful blog posts. If you haven't read them yet, please do me a favor and check them out, especially Thursday's.

The great thing about being a solo host is getting to put my stamp on the show; the bad thing about being a solo host is...well...being a solo host. So thanks to all those who sat in the chair this summer so I could attend to some of these important milestones in my family's life.

So, milestones. We may disagree about how often and how much to observe them, but I think we can all agree that certain events -- be they anniversaries, be they happy ones or sad ones -- have a way of taking up space in our heads, whether we acknowledge them or not. Sept. 11 is a day that most of us cannot forget, however much we would like to. And while no one has the right to tell another person whether -- or how long -- to grieve, there's a sense that we are now starting to disagree about how much, as a society, we should mark that day.

We have chosen to mark the day because it resonates with us as a way to acknowledge the transformations, both personal and political, that sprang from that morning. As you know, there will be some important reports to lawmakers, coming from commanders in the field and the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. NPR will have full coverage and we will certainly do our part with the guests on our program.

We began today with former Homeland Security Inspector General Clark Kent Irvin. He considers himself a friend and ally of the President, but has been critical of the pace at which he believes the administration has acted. You can hear his report this morning...

Later in the week, we have asked several key individuals to listen to the reports being delivered to Congress and to give their impressions. One, a former Undersecretary of Defense -- you will have heard him on the program before. We also have a former cabinet minister in the interim Iraqi government. Those of you who followed the program when we were only available in podcast form will remember her unique perspective; we're delighted to have an occasion to call upon her again.

We hope you'll join us throughout the week...

I should pause to acknowledge a conversation we had this morning with Ralph Anwan Glover. Fans of HBO's The Wire know him as Drug Crew chief "Slim Charles." DC residents and readers of the Washington Post will know that his brother Tayon's murder, a few weeks ago, was very much real. In a summer of gun violence, here is a man who is taking a stand and trying to stop the killings.

To all those who mourn the loss of loved ones on this day -- whether through disease, through aging, through street violence, through acts of terror, through service to their country...we are so sorry for your loss.

Michel Martin

3:46 PM ET | 09-10-2007 | permalink

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3:46 PM ET | 09-10-2007 | permalink

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Thanks for the show today. I must admit the show took me through a gamut of emotions. On one part, it had me being reflective on the remembrance of September 11 and the sad case of gun violence in various cities. The other part was the laugh out loud coming out story of Lorraine Barr on Newsweek at the "mature" age of 88.

Here's my two cents for those who debunk the notion of having a day of remembrance for the victims of 9/11: I believe that just as we honor fallen soldiers on Memorial Day and/or D-Day, we can show the same dignity to innocent citizens who were victims of a similar attack.

Now to a more lighter fare, as I said before, Lorraine Barr was hilarious. At first I thought why would she wait that long to reveal such a private side of herself? Then, I couldn't help but give her mad props for the way she did it; write an essay for Newsweek - that was ingenious.

Also, I laughed when she said her late partner's son already knew her preference before she told him. It amazes me how some folks think people around them are clueless about those matters. A couple of years ago, I was at a dinner with three friends of mine. One of the ladies talked about a close guy friend of hers, who we all knew because we went to the same church and how she wanted to set him up with a lady friend of hers. No one on the table said anything until I gave my friend, the matchmaker a look and just said one word, "Why?" Immediately, the two others (both male and female) started laughing. Those two and I knew she made a mistake (or was in denial) on the right gender with her matchmaking efforts.

Sent by Moji | 7:16 PM ET | 09-10-2007

I found the story about Daniel Mangini and Steven Roberts fascinating. When it comes to the gay marriage debate I knew that beyond societal acceptance same-sex couples also wanted to more formal recognition for insurance and child custody reasons, but some also want to see each other after they've been convicted. It is always interesting to learn about different angles of complex issues like this. Thanks, Tell Me More!

Sent by Steve Petersen | 11:54 PM ET | 09-11-2007

Oh, another summer story. For Labor Day, my girlfriend and I took our bikes and rode out to the Crescent Trail and had a picnic near the boathouse. While there a cute little boy of about 4 or 5 came up to us and said in a very casual voice, "Where's my daddy?"

We said, "Don't know, kid. Is that him over there?" and we pointed to the nearest guy. "Nope, that's not him," he said.

Then he started to talk to us about how pretty the tree was near our picnic blanket and then said, "You have to be quiet now."

We laughed, figuring that this was something he had been told more than once.

Then he sort of wandered off a little ways. Then we hear a woman yell a name and there was his mama running at full speed to come and get him. I think she though he was getting a little to close to the water and maybe also she was expressing her anxiousness about his having walked off from their picnic area.

It wasn't until the next day that we realized that the little boy was essentially saying to us, "Hey, I'm lost. Can you help me?"

Guess you don't really pick up on those signals until you have kids of your own.

Sent by Stanley | 5:37 PM ET | 09-13-2007

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'Tell Me More' with Michel Martin

"Nothing is assumed." That's the unofficial motto of Tell Me More, the new Monday-Friday talk show with host Michel Martin. Grounded in lively interviewing and compelling storytelling, the program seeks to present diverse new voices, cross borders, challenge conventional wisdom and discover how other people think.