Probably everyone reading this (actually, probably everyone in the country) remembers where they were on September 11, 2001. You probably even remember specifically how you spent that day -- maybe even the following few days as well.
Rudy Giuliani certainly does. Arguably the most identifiable voice of leadership in the immediate wake of 9/11, Giuliani's calm, take-charge attitude is legendary.
But, as outlined in this Village Voice story, the way Giuliani remembers that fateful day doesn't exactly jibe with reality:
He articulated our grief, shored up our confidence, and insisted on a level- headed response that gave no berth to intolerance. We resist knowing anything more--about the eight-year history of error and indifference that preceded that moment, or the toxic disengagement that followed it....
Giuliani has been allowed to be his own solitary storyteller, and his unexamined 102 minutes transformed him into an international brand of public courage.
The article details the confusion and lack of organization on the morning of 9/11 -- and Giuliani's somewhat revisionist remembrances of it.
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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