Sept. 11 was orchestrated by our own government, at least according to the film “Loose Change: 2nd edition.” Although conspiracy theories have become the natural American tendency of interpreting inexplicable events, these claims shocked me. Maybe it’s too close to Sept. 11. This year will mark the five year anniversary and for most of us, Sept. 11 seems extremely close, yet distant. We live in the post Sept. 11 world and this event is our generation’s Pearl Harbor or Kennedy assassination.

Whether you are extremely far right, far left, or somewhere in between, you should watch this film (you can download it with Google video). You don’t have to believe it: just listen to its arguments. A conspiracy theory tests our democracy. We have the responsibility of engaging in the discourse, either for or against it. Those conspiracy theorists could be hailed as model citizens – they independently participate in democracy by questioning and challenging the government’s reports. However, it is our duty to follow up on their claims and also question our government.

I do not believe that our government kills our own people, but the film does have some compelling arguments. The strongest argument, “Loose Change,” relies on the structure of the World Trade Center. In 1945, a plane (B-25 bomber) crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building and, unlike the twin towers, the building never tumbled to the ground. In 2001, the second plane hit the south tower between the 78th and 82nd floor, and this building tumbled first. Although the government claims the towers collapsed due to temperature of the jet fuel burning, steel has a much higher melting point than a kerosene fire can ever produce. Several eye witnesses and firefighters reported that there were several explosions within the tower; media companies recorded all of their claims that day. Also, “Loose Change” zooms in on alleged explosions that can be seen in the video of the collapsing tower.

Furthermore, “Loose Change” claims that the Comex metal trading division of the New York Mercantile Exchange was storing 950 million dollars worth of gold bars. This is only one company and allegedly billions of dollars worth of gold were stored under the WTC. However, only 230 million dollars in gold was recovered from ground zero and this gold was found in the back of a ten-wheeled truck surrounded by several cars but there were no bodies discovered. Was this gold on its way out before the attack happened?

“Loose Change” finds evidence from the plane crashing into the Pentagon more ambiguous. According to official reports, the plane crash-landed, skidding into the pentagon. However, no skid marks can be seen on the lawn before the wreckage. No wing section, tail section or engines were discovered. The official report claims that the intense heat from the jet fuel vaporized the plane, yet DNA sampling identified 184 people. Also, several cameras of nearby businesses captured the whole event but the tapes were confiscated by the FBI minutes after the crash.

And the final explanation “Loose Change” gives for the government’s motive in Sept. 11: money and power. Days before the attack, put-options (investments that benefit when a stock declines) placed on American airlines, Boeing, and United Airlines were more than four times the daily average. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, more than 2.5 million dollars in profits due to trading options benefiting from Sept. 11 remain unclaimed. Not to mention, immediately after Sept. 11, President Bush had unchallenged power in instituting the Patriot Act and the war in Iraq. With the mention of Sept. 11 and terrorism, our fear allows the government to take away our liberties.

Like any conspiracy theory, paranoia motivates explanations and eliminates uncertainty. President Bush’s simplified rhetoric of good versus evil after the attacks also eliminated any uncertainty. However, both of these extremes are dangerous. We must question both Sept. 11 conspiracy theories and the rhetoric of our leaders with the same skeptical eye. We must carry a reasonable doubt in either propaganda, because in uncertainty, we engage in dialogue to find the truth.

Renee Thessing is a junior in LAS. Her column appears on Thursdays. She can be reached at [email protected].