ABSTRACT
It has been over a year since I have written this chapter, and the United States is once again at war. It is a troublingly indeterminate war: “Operation Enduring Freedom,” it’s called, and that “-ing” bothers me, suggesting as it does a long, maybe even perpetual, period of violence, suspicion, and circumscribed civil liberties. Having been given the chance to update my chapter in light of these events, I am tempted simply to retell the story of September 11, 2001, as one of close calls and witnessing, of the guilt of nonparticipation promoting entrance into a vast universe of obligation. After experiencing the outpouring of generosity and rage in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the United States, who can doubt the potency of these themes?
