THE BLOOD OF LIFE: THE HATAT OFFERING AND SEPTEMBER 11, 2001.

This article focuses on finding an analogy between sacrificial rituals and a contemporary practice that makes intuitive sense. On September 11, 2001 many Americans found themselves in need of symbols to grasp. All over the country, the destruction of the World Trade Center, the temple of material progress and success, was a blow to the American sense of self immediately, Americans rushed to do the most meaningful act they could conjure: give blood to the victims. Americans recognized that the attack on September 11 had the intention of draining the life energy of the nation, and that it had the very real potential for doing so. By offering the strength within their own bodies, Americans tried to demonstrate that their collective energy would not be drained.