In Memory of 09-11-2001

I was sitting in my office two miles away waiting to start a conference call with some UK parties. I was the only one in the conference and nobody else ever got on. Apparently, the Brits had heard about it before I knew what was going on.

Within minutes, someone came by my office and told me what was going on. I saw nothing because my office on the 32nd floor faced northeast. When I walked around to the southwest corner of our office I could see everything. Flames and lots of smoke, and later, the collape of buildings. Traffic was stopped and soon disappeared and was replaced by police cars and fire engines racing through empty streets with sirens blaring. Nobody knew what was going on (how bad an attack?), and all our employees were confined to the office.

Hours later, I couldn't stand it anymore and went dowstairs at about 3pm. By then, all the stores were closed and the place looked like a ghost town, except that mobs of people were waliking uptown (from the direction of WTC) on foot.
Hours later public transportation resumed and I foud my way back to New Jersey. I vowed right then that I would be back the next day and every day after that, and I was. We had smoke and a awful smell of burning insulation for a month. The city was empty for the rest of the week all we could hear is emergency vehicles racing up and down.

It wasn't till I listened to the news and got home later that night that I heard how bad it was. I knew lots of people in that building that didn't survive, and I commuted into the city with some of them. My friends had a son in his late 20s that was killed on the upper floors of the first tower.

I'm telling you this not just because it was an instant recollection, but to let you know that I'm no stranger to the situation. The next morning I received hundreds of faxes from overseas, as there was a tremendous outpouring of support from all over the world. Just like we have now (right!). When your friends crticize you, it's time to listen.

It's great to support your country, but if the kind of blind patriotism I see here is what the 9/11 disaster produces, it's an insult to all the fine people that died at the WTC and at the Pentagon. And it's not supporting the country at all. Separate yourself from the politics and rhetoric and open your eyes to what may be going on. Maybe our foreign colleagues are far enough removed to see it, because you guys scare me. Our way of life is based on a Constitution that all our leaders are sworn to defend and all too easily ignore. I say this from the point of view someone who has studied and admired that document all his life.

This unbecoming treatment of a foreign colleague who may be seeing things we are not willing to. That is unpatriotic. Our system is all about letting others have their say without jumping on their backs. Those of us who were closes to the WTC and are in the most danger of another attack don't consider Ilyas remark as being in any way out of line. Our friends and relatives didn't die to support repression.

The truth about our whole situation is far from known. Someday after there's some investigation Ilya could turn out to be right, and then you'll owe him an apology. In the mean time let's let him have his say and keep our minds open.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by drsch3

The reasons and validity of the 9-11 attacks should be discussed and kept alive on all days but today.

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Now you've said something that we all can take offense to. Why don't you start a separate thread and tell us all about a system of values that considers an attack on an unquestionable civilian target as valid.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

This unbecoming treatment of a foreign colleague who may be seeing things we are not willing to. That is unpatriotic. Our system is all about letting others have their say without jumping on their backs. Those of us who were closes to the WTC and are in the most danger of another attack don't consider Ilyas remark as being in any way out of line. Our friends and relatives didn't die to support repression.

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Huh? What "unbecoming treatment" are you talking about? Did I miss some comments that have been deleted? I don't consider his comments "out of line" at all, merely tacky. However, my rather mild statement of disagreement is hardly repression.

Joe...

How about starting your own thread on blind patriots. Thank you.

Of all the things I would like not to argue about, its the political aspect of 9-11. Regardless of what we all think, feel, or believe, I am sure all of us grieve for the families of the fallen, and for the heroes that gave their lives and/or lost their friends when we needed them most, not just in NYC, but around the country and the world. That is what this thread was intended to be about, not a debate on politics or patriotism. I distinctly remember MANY MANY grieved throughout the world who never even set foot on American soil. This is not about patriotism it is about remembering all of those that gave all they had for their friends and those that they didnt know and never had a chance to meet, anyone should be able to identify or at least sympathize with this.

If this thread turns into a place to argue and not a place to remember and mourn, I will simply delete it, the last thing I want to remember about the 5th anniversary of 9-11 is an argument on politics and patriotism, especially when many of us (including myself) lost friends, family and/or coworkers that day. I have seen ground zero, and I have seen the mangled remains of the Pentagon from both inside and out. I have seen pictures that I wish I had not, and heard things that I would love to be able to forget. I cannot imagine feeling anything but pain and pride when I remember this day, and if you don't agree with me thats fine, just do me a favor and keep your political agendas to yourselves today.


Thanks,

Josh

Josh,

Well put. Let's remember that THIS thread is an honorarium to the fallen. I had relatives who were close by, and when they discuss that day, they weep, as does everyone else in the room. The events of that day have forever changed our lives. And for those there, or with family members and friends there, they have had their lives altlered in ways most of us cannot imagine.

I totally understand why this brings out such emotional input. Let's keep this thread on the right track. We can have other threads for politacal commentary, opinion and thoughts.

RT

I apologize for sparking so much controversy in this thread. My take on it is that I grieve for both the lost lives and lost liberties in America. To clarify a couple of things on my attitudes:
1) I don't think 9/11 attacks were a good thing by any means.
2) IMO there's no valid reason to kill thousands of innocent civilians.

On a different note I would like to point out the silver lining to the cloud. The emergency crews, especially the firemen earned themselves tons of respect from the general population. They are a special breed of people, putting their lives on the line to guard their communities. Even if you are not a resident of New York, do not think for a moment that your local firemen would have done any less had something similar (God forbid) happened in your community. I would like for all of us to remember that and keep giving them their due respect for choosing guarding our lives as their life's work.

Edit: I misread a statement and corrected my reply duly.

The week before 9/11 I was actually in New York City visiting a friend on Manhattan Island and stood at the Twin Towers the Thursday before 9/11. The Saturday before 9/11 I flew home. 9/10 he got married. 9/11 I saw the footage of the airplanes flying into the Twin Towers when on a home visit.

We were all very shocked and still are when the footage is shown on TV as it has been the last couple of days.

I was in Washington on 9/11/2001, and for those that know the territory, I was on my way to Boling AFB and the DIAC to work that morning. I have worked in Defense Department facilities for years as part of my job. I didn't get there that morning, for obvious reasons.

As many of you have experienced, that day is indelibly etched in my mind. Every detail is as vivid as it was the day it happened. A lot of things have changed in the five years since, but some things never change. I am still an American, and I still bleed red, white, and blue. I am a veteran, as many of you are, and like many others, I took an oath to Protect, Preserve, and Defend the Constitution of the United Sates of America. That oath doesn't have an exit clause!

It is unfortunate that many of the people of this country, and many in the rest of the world, fail to percieve that at 8:46 AM, Sept. 11, 2001, after the first aiplane hit the World Trade Center, America was at war, and still is. The war isn't over, and probably won't be for many years. These people believe that the war ended when the Taliban fell, or when Saddam Hussein was captured. Nothing could be further from the truth.

September 11, 2001, for Americans, is just like December 7, 1941. It signaled the end of a period of tension and wondering what the future would bring, and replaced it with a time of war. In times of war, things have to change in order to protect the country and it's citizens. In WW II, we essentially lived under martial law for 5 years. After Sept. 11, 2001, several controversial laws were enacted, and security measures for all Americans were elevated significantly. No martial law was declared, however.

When, after Dec. 7, 1941, the security of the country was placed as first priority, no one questioned it. When personal freedoms were restrained to protect the security of the country, no one complained. They understood that they were at war, and that sacrifices had to be made.

After Sept. 11, 2001, security was raised to priority one. A lot of people complained about losing their freedoms, but in fact, far less restriction was placed on their personal freedoms than what were in place during WW II. I guess that is why people here don't think we are still at war.

This isn't a political statement, nor intended to inflame anyone, but in the real scheme of things, after all of these security changes, American citizens still enjoy more freedoms than anyone else in the world. There are far greater threats to the freedoms of American citizens than any of the security measures that have been enacted, and people need to remember that we are still at war!

Let us not discuss politics in this thread, nor anything other than Honoring those that died on September 11, and those that have died since, defending the flag of the United States of America.

For those who have a problem with what America has done, just think through what would happen if it had been YOUR largest city, and almost 3000 of YOUR countrymen and women had died that day in an UNPROVOKED ATTACK from an enemy that HAS NO COUNTRY to defend.

Be honest, because if you're not honest with yourself, who are you honest with??

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

Yes; nothing is, or should be, more American than that we can mourn together the tragedy of 9/11/01, while choosing to respect (not just tolerate, but respect) our _various_, closely-held, well-intentioned, thoughtful ideas about our country's responses to such awful threats.

Thanks, Josh, Firestart, Bill, Joe, and all.