Anyone interested in sharing where they were on 9/11 and their reactions?
I had sent the three oldest grandchildren to school and the preschooler had just finished breakfast and was watching his morning allotment of TV. I had the local morning radio show on and they announced a small plane had hit one of the towers. I was on my way to turn on the other tv when my daughter called from work to tell me to turn on the tv that we were being attacked. I turned on CNN and pretty much the rest of the day was spent watching tv. After the towers fell the picture I remember most was of the hospital workers standing outside the er of one of the hospitals with gurneys waiting for injured and none were coming. That spoke so much to me. In the next few days what I noticed the most was the absence of airplanes overhead. We are under some flight lines going into Indy and there are always airplanes overhead 24/7.
Hubby and I had been running some errands came home and turned the TV on and that was what we seen. We had been playing a CD in the car so had no idea what had happened. We just sat there in disbelief at what we were watching. It was just before the second plane hit. We, like you, were glued to the TV most of the rest of the day.
thanks for sharing me.
Quote from: Anne on September 10, 2011, 02:54:02 PM
thanks for sharing me.
As I watched the planes fly into the buildings it seem like a science fiction movie. So surreal something unheard of, expect for the Jap suicide planes of World II.
The anger that went through me when I found it was A-Qaeda Muslim killers I wanted to kill all Muslims and I do mean all.
But after it was all over, what really burns me is. This could have been stopped if the Airlines corporations had put armored doors on the cockpit like the FAA wanted to. Again it's all about saving money and look what the total cost was and is costing. :angry:
Thanks for sharing, Troll.
I.
1) I was in class at college (for those that wonder, I went back to school in my fifth decade).
2) As I recall, I assumed it was another attack on the WTC since it had previously been the focal point of terrorists.
3) I wanted to know a) how the authorities charged with overseeing flights and their security didn't appear to know what was going on and how many planes they'd lost track of; b) how the hijackers managed to commandeer the planes - especially since plane hijackings had become relatively commonplace since the 60's; c) why - especially after the first plane flew into the WTC - that the rest weren't forced, or shot, down before they struck the WTC again and the Pentagon (I still applaud the passengers of flight 93 who took matters into their own hands after the authorities had failed them - their concern for others a monument for their sacrifice).
II.
Now some observations about then and now (here's where I'll prolly make everyone mad).
I still lay the blame at the feet of Bush, his administration, and bureaucrats who all abdicated their primary responsibility to the nation and its citizens.
1) Bush for a) not taking the warnings he was given seriously; b) being impotent and inactive in the face of a national emergency - and that's even giving him the benefit of the doubt for the first plane flown into the WTC.
2) Bush's administration for their inability to respond immediately to a national emergency - the primary responsibility every administration is charged with and should be prepared to meet upon taking the reins of power.
3) The bureaucrats - from the NSA, Pentagon, CIA, on down to the FBI and other intelligence and law enforcement agencies - who were more concerned with their own personal fiefdoms and power to coordinate the information and investigations which should have nipped the plot in the bud.
III.
Today on the 10th year since the hijackings, the memorializing should not allow your emotions to shut down your brains - and that is what I think it is designed to do now just as the furor was designed to do 10 years ago. That emotion over intellect got us involved into never-ending war, and now intends to keep us involved as long as America's collective emotions can be stirred against logic.
This country can't step away from its culpability in creating the mindset behind the 9/11 terrorists and goading them into action with the interventionist foreign policy our government has pursued in our name and with our blessing over the past century. America can't meddle in other country's affairs and not expect at least a percentage of their populace to resent it enough to do something about if they can. To understand it, all you have to do is consider how Americans would react if another country was contravening in our affairs - hell, we've fought wars over that very thing, why should other peoples of the world be any different?
The loss of our citizen's lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the ensuing never-ending war is grievous to America, as it should be, but no more grievous than the loss of lives experienced by other countries as a direct result of our interventionist foreign policy - no matter how we cloak it under the guise of a 'just' revenge and spreading 'freedom'.
The emotionalism of today should also not blind us to the consequences our 'just' revenge and spreading 'freedom' has visited upon our country and our fellow citizens - all the way from moving towards a more authoritarian country with the resulting loss of liberty and privacy and the economic consequences of the resulting costs of enforcement and never-ending war, to the personal costs of suspicion of our fellow citizens and the abuse suffered by those fighting that never-ending war and their families.
When is enough, enough? When will we stop being blinded by emotion and allowing a self-centered ideology run this country to ruins, and get to keeping our nose only in our business and run this country for ALL its citizens.
Blind emotion is dangerous and an anathema to a democratic country.
Thank you for your input, Y.
I was at home. my daughter called me and told me to turn on the television. I moved to CNN and watched. It was horrible to see, but I still watched.
It was impossible for me to quit watching, so much emotion and fear. I can't imagine how the people who were there felt. Thanks for your post.
I was at work. My family has spent the last 10 years in harms way over it; and within 30 minutes of the 2nd plane hitting the towers we were deployed toward the Persian Gulf. (Not many families outside of the military know that). We were turned around several hours later.
I watched some of the memorials over the weekend, until my anger forced me to turn it all off.
I won't disagree with anything Y posted. I can't for therein lies the root cause for it all!
I watch CNN about 9/11. Then that night I dreamed about the people who jumped out of it. I could see them falling. Damn the crazy sonsofbitches. Damn how I would like to kill everyone or them ragheads. :dead:
:(
11 years later and 2 new towers rise from that skyline today.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1151859712001/flashback-911-as-it-happened (http://video.foxnews.com/v/1151859712001/flashback-911-as-it-happened)
This is 18 minutes long. I sat here and watched every second of it. It is still something that leaves me speechless and this time I could not help but fight off a lump in my throat.
The whole Today show episode from that day is available in segments on YouTube. You can create a playlist, and it will automatically play the whole thing for you. It's obviously several hours long, but it opens with the regular news, just as if it were another ordinary news day. They had no idea what was about to transpire. To watch the whole thing start to finish is a very poignant reminder of what transpired that day.
My nephew was 5 at the time, and had no idea why Obama announcing that bin Laden had been killed last year was so significant. I used those segments of the Today show on YouTube to show him why.
Also, it was good reading Y's perspective on the whole thing again a few posts back. It mirrors my thoughts considerably.
Quote from: Locutus on September 11, 2012, 01:30:16 PM
The whole Today show episode from that day is available in segments on YouTube. You can create a playlist, and it will automatically play the whole thing for you. It's obviously several hours long, but it opens with the regular news, just as if it were another ordinary news day. They had no idea what was about to transpire. To watch the whole thing start to finish is a very poignant reminder of what transpired that day.
My nephew was 5 at the time, and had no idea why Obama announcing that bin Laden had been killed last year was so significant. I used those segments of the Today show on YouTube to show him why.
I was not a Zone member last year, so will add what I was doing the day the planes hit in NY and the Pentagon: I was home that day, and after I had my coffee while watching Northern Exposure, I turned to NBC and saw Katie and Matt standing there looking at the Empire State Building when the the second plane hit. Thought maybe they were looking at a blow-up of an old movie. I must've been in shock after I found out what had happened. I don't remember panicking, or any other emotion as I watched it unfold on TV the rest of the day, even when I saw where the plane hit the Pentagon and realized that I knew the area. I'd walked those halls.
I was on top of both of the towers before they were destroyed. I ate at Windows on the World on top of the North Tower twice, and had visited the observatory on the South Tower once.
Windows on the World was open for business that day, and hosting a breakfast event for some financial advisors as well as their normal routine breakfast customers. All staff members and customers present at the time of the AA Flight 11 impact perished.
Amazing food, with an amazing view.
(http://images.nymag.com/news/9-11/10th-anniversary/windows110905_560.jpg)
Quote from: Locutus on September 11, 2012, 05:11:51 PM
I was on top of both of the towers before they were destroyed. I ate at Windows on the World on top of the North Tower twice, and had visited the observatory on the South Tower once.
Windows on the World was open for business that day, and hosting a breakfast event for some financial advisors as well as their normal routine breakfast customers. All staff members and customers present at the time of the AA Flight 11 impact perished.
Amazing food, with an amazing view.
(http://images.nymag.com/news/9-11/10th-anniversary/windows110905_560.jpg)
Creepy!
Quote from: Palehorse on September 11, 2012, 05:44:40 PM
Creepy!
And what's even creepier is that some information that's come forth suggest that the
Falling Man in those graphic images of that day was an employee of the restaurant. From Wikipedia:
"The Falling Man was then suggested by Windows on the World chef Michael Lomonaco to be Jonathan Briley, a 43-year-old employee of the North Tower restaurant.[9] Briley was initially identified by his brother, Timothy.[8] Lomonaco was able to identify Briley by his clothes and body-type. In one of the pictures, The Falling Man's clothes were blown away, revealing an orange undershirt similar to the shirt that Briley wore to work almost every day. His older sister, Gwendolyn, asserted he was wearing that shirt on the day of the attack. She told reporters of The Sunday Mirror, "When I first looked at the picture...and I saw it was a man - tall, slim - I said, 'If I didn't know any better, that could be Jonathan.
Briley, who lived in Mount Vernon, New York, was also a sound engineer. Another of Briley's brothers, Alex, was an original member of the 1970s disco group Village People. A charity has been set up for Briley's family."For those that don't remember the falling man, here is a link to the picture. I won't embed it just in case some may be disturbed by looking at it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Falling_Man.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/The_Falling_Man.jpg)
All of this and we have people in this country crying about the drone attacks on the lousy bastards that were in on this senseless killing of innocent people. I say keep up the drone attacks until we kill all of these raghead bastards.
But for some reason I sorta believe that Osama Bin Laden won. He is the one who cause all of the security problems we have in the country. If you don't believe me take a airplane trip and see what he did. I think Obama has done a good job of protecting this country. He gave the order to kill the rotten bastard. I am glad he is on the bottom of the sea where the crabs and worms can eat him. No heaven or no virgins. Thanks to Obama and the Navy Seals. :salute: :flag:
Quote from: Locutus on September 11, 2012, 05:59:09 PM
And what's even creepier is that some information that's come forth suggest that the Falling Man in those graphic images of that day was an employee of the restaurant. From Wikipedia:
"The Falling Man was then suggested by Windows on the World chef Michael Lomonaco to be Jonathan Briley, a 43-year-old employee of the North Tower restaurant.[9] Briley was initially identified by his brother, Timothy.[8] Lomonaco was able to identify Briley by his clothes and body-type. In one of the pictures, The Falling Man's clothes were blown away, revealing an orange undershirt similar to the shirt that Briley wore to work almost every day. His older sister, Gwendolyn, asserted he was wearing that shirt on the day of the attack. She told reporters of The Sunday Mirror, "When I first looked at the picture...and I saw it was a man - tall, slim - I said, 'If I didn't know any better, that could be Jonathan.
Briley, who lived in Mount Vernon, New York, was also a sound engineer. Another of Briley's brothers, Alex, was an original member of the 1970s disco group Village People. A charity has been set up for Briley's family."
For those that don't remember the falling man, here is a link to the picture. I won't embed it just in case some may be disturbed by looking at it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Falling_Man.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/The_Falling_Man.jpg)
So that begs the question; did he really jump or was he thrown out of the facility by the impact? IIRC he did in fact jump, since he was caught falling well after the impact. So how did he jump given that the facility had closed windows that did not open? Was there a broken window? Likely. . .
At any rate, that is indeed
creepier!
I purposely avoided all coverage of the anniversary, and only spoke of it in passing today.
While I do not believe we should ever forget; what happened, why it happened, and the lives sacrificed in the event as well as the aftermath, life is for the living and we must move forward!
I did however, find cause to reflect upon the event as I arrived home this evening. I looked up into the sky as I was walking to the house and spied an airplane in the sky leaving contrails. The thought popped into my head, "11 years ago today you would not have been up there flying, whoever you are." And I recalled the surreal days afterwards where the skies were empty save for military aircraft. . .
Quote from: Palehorse on September 11, 2012, 07:57:13 PM
So that begs the question; did he really jump or was he thrown out of the facility by the impact? IIRC he did in fact jump, since he was caught falling well after the impact. So how did he jump given that the facility had closed windows that did not open? Was there a broken window? Likely. . .
At any rate, that is indeed creepier!
Oh he jumped alright, as well as a lot of other people. There are videos of that day on YouTube all with various disclaimers that they aren't for the faint of heart. If you recall, there were people literally hanging out of those windows trying to breathe fresh air. I think the assumption is that some may have fallen, but most jumped recognizing the finality of the situation in which they found themselves. I'm sure in the jumper's minds, they made a conscious decision to jump. They were faced with either death by jumping, suffocation, or being burned alive. Although they didn't know at the time, there was another method by which the grim reaper would reach the indecisive. They would be crushed by the building collapse. Sad, sad, day.
Quote from: Palehorse on September 11, 2012, 07:59:39 PM
I purposely avoided all coverage of the anniversary, and only spoke of it in passing today.
While I do not believe we should ever forget; what happened, why it happened, and the lives sacrificed in the event as well as the aftermath, life is for the living and we must move forward!
I did however, find cause to reflect upon the event as I arrived home this evening. I looked up into the sky as I was walking to the house and spied an airplane in the sky leaving contrails. The thought popped into my head, "11 years ago today you would not have been up there flying, whoever you are." And I recalled the surreal days afterwards where the skies were empty save for military aircraft. . .
Absolutely!
Aircraft stranded at Halifax, Nova Scotia (September 11th, 2001)
(http://www.avweb.com/newspics/halifax_ny4aerial.jpg)
Quote from: Locutus on September 11, 2012, 08:02:52 PM
Oh he jumped alright, as well as a lot of other people. There are videos of that day on YouTube all with various disclaimers that they aren't for the faint of heart. If you recall, there were people literally hanging out of those windows trying to breathe fresh air. I think the assumption is that some may have fallen, but most jumped recognizing the finality of the situation in which they found themselves. I'm sure in the jumper's minds, they made a conscious decision to jump. They were faced with either death by jumping, suffocation, or being burned alive. Although they didn't know at the time, there was another method by which the grim reaper would reach the indecisive. They would be crushed by the building collapse. Sad, sad, day.
Lest we forget, the grim reaper is still at work; dooming the survivors and first responders to a slow and agonizing death thanks to his faithful companion the big "C", among other maladies. :mad:
Quote from: Locutus on September 11, 2012, 08:02:52 PM
Oh he jumped alright, as well as a lot of other people. There are videos of that day on YouTube all with various disclaimers that they aren't for the faint of heart. If you recall, there were people literally hanging out of those windows trying to breathe fresh air. I think the assumption is that some may have fallen, but most jumped recognizing the finality of the situation in which they found themselves. I'm sure in the jumper's minds, they made a conscious decision to jump. They were faced with either death by jumping, suffocation, or being burned alive. Although they didn't know at the time, there was another method by which the grim reaper would reach the indecisive. They would be crushed by the building collapse. Sad, sad, day.
I don't care if he jumped or not. He was in an uncontrollable situation, it was just one step out the window and a quick instant death instead of a slow death by burning. Being consumed by a raging fire. He died the way I would have wanted to go. Quick!
It was just like the man who told me that he was a tail gunner in a B-17 the plane was on fire and going down. The plane captain gave to order to bail out and all of the men did but him. He was going to jump. He was looking out the door a about 18,000 feet in the air over France and until he looked down and his pant's legs were on fire did he jump. Out into the cold air at 18,000 feet about 150 miles per hour. The cold air and the 150 mile per wind put out the fire. You will jump if you are on fire. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on September 11, 2012, 08:05:28 PM
Absolutely!
Aircraft stranded at Halifax, Nova Scotia (September 11th, 2001)
(http://www.avweb.com/newspics/halifax_ny4aerial.jpg)
Dude, that is an awesome picture. (I've seen O'Hare like that in the winter, for natural reasons though).
I know the horror and such of those who jumped and the collapse etc., are the "memories" the media burns into our respective consciousness, and they were indeed horrific to see and live through, but for me the surreal atmosphere of life in the days following are what stick with me the most. The utter and complete change in our day-to-day lives that just happened as if someone had flipped a switch and everything that was normal on 9-11-2001 was lost to the ages by the dawn of 9-12-2001; and we will never be the same people again.
I remember a meeting I was attending the next day with a group of colleagues with whom I'd enjoyed a very good working relationship with. One of them was an Egyptian and for whatever reason he began spewing hatred of America and Americans, and especially the military and their families.
I took extreme exception to his commentary, and everyone in the meeting knew the fact that mine was and is a military family; including him. Uncharacteristically I kept my pie-hole clamped shut, unlike the balance of my colleagues who let him have it with both barrels. . . I never saw him in the same perspective again after that, and 5 years later he moved back to Egypt. (Although he did eventually apologize for his outburst and for offending me). I cannot help but to wonder how he is and whether or not he is involved in the Egyptian uprisings that have been in the news over the last few years. (Including today's take-over of the US Embassy).
It changed relationships, it changed everything about my professional life, and it changed a lot of things in everyone's personal lives as well. And continues to.
I miss the days of our self-deceptions and the panacea of happiness it instilled in the masses. Those were our generation's "good old days", and looking back I blanche at our ignorance. . .
Quote from: The Troll on September 11, 2012, 08:18:55 PM
I don't care if he jumped or not. He was in an uncontrollable situation, it was just one step out the window and a quick instant death instead of a slow death by burning. Being consumed by a raging fire. He died the way I would have wanted to go. Quick!
It was just like the man who told me that he was a tail gunner in a B-17 the plane was on fire and going down. The plane captain gave to order to bail out and all of the men did but him. He was going to jump. He was looking out the door a about 18,000 feet in the air over France and until he looked down and his pant's legs were on fire did he jump. Out into the cold air at 18,000 feet about 150 miles per hour. The cold air and the 150 mile per wind put out the fire. You will jump if you are on fire. :yes:
Yes, it's unimaginable to us that any of our fellow men and women be placed into a situation where they would have to choose how to die. Like I said previously, I think most of those jumpers chose to do so because of the situation in which they found themselves. They recognized they were in the final moments of life, and that they were going to die that day. Either by suffocation, by fire, or by jumping. Some chose to jump. I'm not sure which I would choose if fate ever places me in a similar situation. Taking one's own life is a hard thing for most of us to do, but when you're faced with a situation like that, and a choice presents itself, I guess each has to act in his own best interest, and with his own convictions.
Quote from: Palehorse on September 11, 2012, 08:21:51 PM
Dude, that is an awesome picture. (I've seen O'Hare like that in the winter, for natural reasons though).
I know the horror and such of those who jumped and the collapse etc., are the "memories" the media burns into our respective consciousness, and they were indeed horrific to see and live through, but for me the surreal atmosphere of life in the days following are what stick with me the most. The utter and complete change in our day-to-day lives that just happened as if someone had flipped a switch and everything that was normal on 9-11-2001 was lost to the ages by the dawn of 9-12-2001; and we will never be the same people again.
I remember a meeting I was attending the next day with a group of colleagues with whom I'd enjoyed a very good working relationship with. One of them was an Egyptian and for whatever reason he began spewing hatred of America and Americans, and especially the military and their families.
I took extreme exception to his commentary, and everyone in the meeting knew the fact that mine was and is a military family; including him. Uncharacteristically I kept my pie-hole clamped shut, unlike the balance of my colleagues who let him have it with both barrels. . . I never saw him in the same perspective again after that, and 5 years later he moved back to Egypt. (Although he did eventually apologize for his outburst and for offending me). I cannot help but to wonder how he is and whether or not he is involved in the Egyptian uprisings that have been in the news over the last few years. (Including today's take-over of the US Embassy).
It changed relationships, it changed everything about my professional life, and it changed a lot of things in everyone's personal lives as well. And continues to.
I miss the days of our self-deceptions and the panacea of happiness it instilled in the masses. Those were our generation's "good old days", and looking back I blanche at our ignorance. . .
Yep. Good commentary PH.
Looking back on the ensuing months and years since that time, a lot of things have happened, and most of them have been bad. 9/11 led directly to the Patriot Act which is one of the biggest intrusions into personal liberty ever passed by Congress. And it was done out of fear and paranoia. It led the to creation of a
massive new department of the Executive Branch, the Department of Homeland Security. And perhaps most sadly, it led us into a fool's folly in Iraq by capitalizing on the baffling belief by some in this country that Saddam Hussein was somehow involved in the 9/11 attacks, possessed weapons of mass destruction, and was a direct threat to the United States and its security.
As sad as that day was, some of the reactions by our government, and our populace, are even sadder.
"A society that will trade a little liberty for a little order will lose both, and deserve neither."
-- Thomas Jefferson
Quote from: Locutus on September 11, 2012, 08:57:11 PM
"A society that will trade a little liberty for a little order will lose both, and deserve neither."
-- Thomas Jefferson
8) As applicable toward the terrorist as it was toward the British! :yes:
Quote from: Palehorse on September 11, 2012, 08:59:54 PM
8) As applicable toward the terrorist as it was toward the British! :yes:
:wink:
Jefferson articulated so well the dangers of government intrusion.
Quote from: Locutus on September 11, 2012, 08:38:39 PM
Yep. Good commentary PH.
Looking back on the ensuing months and years since that time, a lot of things have happened, and most of them have been bad. 9/11 led directly to the Patriot Act which is one of the biggest intrusions into personal liberty ever passed by Congress. And it was done out of fear and paranoia. It led the to creation of a massive new department of the Executive Branch, the Department of Homeland Security. And perhaps most sadly, it led us into a fool's folly in Iraq by capitalizing on the baffling belief by some in this country that Saddam Hussein was somehow involved in the 9/11 attacks, possessed weapons of mass destruction, and was a direct threat to the United States and its security.
As sad as that day was, some of the reactions by our government, and our populace, are even sadder.
Thanks! And I couldn't agree more with your posting. It is sickening to see how paranoia has served to erode the liberties of the citizens of this nation, and to stoke the embers of persecution this nations founders fought so hard to eliminate.