The Age-Gating of History
20 days ago
- The author describes feeling a dark place and anger during the anniversary week of September 11.
- They are disgusted that archival September 11 footage is being age-gated and restricted as 'mature' or 'sensitive/adult' content.
- The author insists this footage is real history and a real event, not manufactured 'content' like gore, pornography, or clickbait.
- They say the day is 'skin'—something survivors carry with them for life, and that those who lived through it had no choice but to witness it.
- Archival news footage has been therapeutic for many survivors, offering a chance to revisit the day with hindsight and heal.
- The author criticizes the 'pearl-clutching brigade' for treating history as age-inappropriate and requiring identity verification to view it.
- They warn that censoring 9/11 footage sets a dangerous precedent and could lead to more historical archives being hidden, including Holocaust material.
- The author feels that silencing that day silences the voices of those who lived through it, and ultimately 'finishes the job' of erasing history.
- The essay ends with a personal note about a header photo taken by the author as a teenager, symbolizing their lifelong connection to that moment.