So, here we are, three months after the terrorist attacks against the United States, the greatest single tragedy our country has ever faced. More than 5,000 dead, the World Trade Center toppled and crushed under its own weight and practically the entire country galvanized in a way not seen since Pearl Harbor against a common, if nebulous, enemy.

We?re waging a militarily successful war against a country that has harbored Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda group, our terrorist enemies. A great show has been made of how tough we?ve been through this, as a nation ? how we?ve been knocked around a bit, but have come back swinging.

If we?re so tough, then, why is it that it?s getting harder to find pictures of the World Trade Center before the attacks, pictures minus the expanding fireballs of exploding jet fuel, minus the billowing smoke of the fires they caused, minus the dust and debris of the buildings? collapse? Because they?re being edited out one by one, along with references to exploding planes and terrorist activities.

The entertainment industry at large, and Hollywood especially, have been particularly subject to this trend, editing any picture of the World Trade Center ? or terrorism plot elements ? out of movies and advertisements, from the comedy “Serendipity” and the action movie “Collateral Damage,” to the “Spiderman” movie trailer and the television series “24,” elements deemed potentially offensive are being carefully excised.

Some changes are small ? the producers of”24″ only removed an explicit scene of an exploding plane, but kept the plot intact, while “Serendipity” had New York skyline shots removed. Others have been edited more heavily, or pulled completely ? “Collateral Damage,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a man out for revenge against a terrorist bomber, has been indefinitely postponed.

So if we?re so tough, why the weak knees when it comes to imagery that could remind people of the World Trade Center or the attacks on it and the Pentagon? Do most people throw away pictures of dead loved ones because it?s too painful to be reminded of them? Usually not; instead, most people leave them displayed or within easy reach, so as to remind themselves of the better times.

It makes some sense to postpone the release of films with terrorism as a plot conceit, as such films usually use terrorism as an excuse to have the good guy blow stuff up; there is no higher purpose or commentary. But editing out the old New York skyline from anything showing it is reactionary and unrealistic. Pretending the buildings were never there makes it pointless to mourn them and trivializes the people they entomb.

Justin Hoeger is our assistant arts and entertainment editor. E-mail him at [email protected]