Cashing in on 9/11

I was thinking a bit more about the Caner scandal. At one level, there is Caner's generic fraud. That's bad enough. But there are aggravating factors.

Because the 9/11 attack was a dozen years ago, it fades from consciousness for most of us–except for those they left behind. But I think back on some of the images. Widowed spouses. Orphaned children. Stranded office-workers diving to their death from fiery skyscrapers–choosing instant death over burning alive. Cars in park-and-rides waiting for murdered office-workers who never return to drive them home. Pentagon employees frantically digging through rubble in search of survivors.

And along comes Ergun Caner to cash in on this tragedy. For him, this is a career opportunity. He's like a grifter posing as an insurance adjuster after a natural disaster. 

In addition, given the fact that he has a Muslim background–even though he was never the devoutly observant Muslim, much less jihadist in training, that he made himself out to be–he of all people ought to respect the significance of this tragedy rather than exploit it for ill-gotten gain. How dare he speak before American audiences, bilking his scam for all it's worth.

But one of life's ironies in a fallen world is how often the wicked have diehard friends while a righteous man may be deserted in his extremity.