The New York Times ran an article a few days ago about the curious reality of the computerized mail industry that sends junk and other mail to us whether we like it or not. The World Trade Center is still receiving mail, six years after the tragedy of 9/11. At last count, about 200 pieces of mail each day are arriving at the post office addressed to the businesses that formerly occupied the Twin Towers. According to the post office, that number continues to diminish as people update their mailing lists.

The inertia surrounding old mail is no surprise to us who continue to recieve mail intended for people who used to live in our current apartments and houses. We are slow to change, and so are computers.

It's understandable when computers still think it's September 10, 2001. But it's not so understandable when American citizens fail to update their mental hard drives accordingly. This morning's Times reports that a substantial portion of the American public still thinks that Iraq bombed us on 9/11: "Six in 10 Americans said in the poll that administration officials deliberately misled the public in making a case for the war; 33 percent of all Americans, including 40 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of Democrats, say Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001."

Notice that more Republicans than Democrats still blame Saddam for 9/11. When the Iraq war started, 70 percent of Americans thought that Saddam's fingerprints were on the terror attacks. That number is gradually falling, but like the mail that continues to arrive at the WTC, some still think that Iraq bombed us that day. As the President begs the American public for more time to finish off Iraq and kill more American soldiers, remember that this war continues, in part, because many among us still think that we are fighting back for the tragedy of 9/11. There is no doubt in my mind that this war was an easier sell because Americans thought that Iraq was responsible for 9/11. If our fellow countrymen and women learned how to read, maybe this horrible war never would have happened.