UPI columnist Jim Bennett suggests that:

There is now some discussion that Osama bin Laden may be nominated Time's Man of the Year. As you may recall, the criterion for that honor is to be the person who had the biggest impact on events during the past year.

It would be worthwhile to spread the meme, via emails, postings, and weblogs, that the nomination ought to go to the passengers and crew of United Flight 93. The Era of Osama lasted about an hour and half or so, from the time the first plane hit the tower to the moment the General Militia of Flight 93 reported for duty. At that point the Era of the Victim Fighting Back began.

Osama's shadow on history is short. The shadow of the heroes of Flight 93 will be long. They deserve the nomination as People of the Year.

I agree that they're more worthy than bin Laden, but while it's early in the decade to make such an assessment, when we look back over it nine years from now, we may find that they deserve a People Of The Decade award, if such a thing exists.

Don't expect Time to pick up on the suggestion, though--it's still too politically incorrect (as demonstrated by the ongoing airline-security insanity), which means that the full impact of their actions hasn't been societally felt yet.