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… and the corpse of Osama bin Laden is rotting in the deeps of the Indian Ocean ...
I still think should have put his head on a spike at the memorial site in NYC, or even better in front of the Pentagon as a reminder to those that protect us not to forget what that animal did.
I well remember 9/11. The day before, I had gone to southern MD on a business trip. That day was magnificent - the sky was clear, a true blue, and there was a slight chill to the air. You knew fall was fast approaching. That was the last day of our innocence and freedom.
The next day, I was back in the office, a defense agency down the road from the Pentagon. I watched the planes hit the WTC on television, but there was conflicting information. Several people mentioned that it looked like a movie - it did seem surreal to me. It was not until I heard (over the phone as I was talking to someone) that the Pentagon was hit, did I actually realize the enormity of what had happened. I also realized that we had never prepared well against attack to the homeland, nor did we envision that something like this could ever happen to America.
I remember the smell of smoke for some days to come, (we lived just a few miles away from the Pentagon), I remember that the Army budget office, though almost entirely wiped out, managed to get the budget in by 30 September. I remember churches being packed - we had to bring in folding chairs to line the aisles in our Church!
I remember the tributes in the Washington Post and New York Times, especially a full page tribute from Virginia to New York City, even though Virginia itself was hurting. I remember the help that poured in from US and Canadian rescue and recovery units. I remember Reagan National being closed for three months, and there was talk of it never being opened again. I remember the Pentagon segment that was destroyed. It was rebuilt under budget, in less time than anticipated, and it looked better than new. It was a source of great pride and a labor of love for the team that did this.
I remember so much more, and should we ever forget, the Pentagon displays two massive quilts at the Metro entrance, lovingly made with the names and faces of those who perished. Pennsylvania and New York have their respective memorials, which I have not seen, so I will not comment on them.
I am old enough to recall reminders to "never forget Pearl Harbor" (although I had just been born), but I fear that 9/11 is yet another horrible attack to remember. I hope and pray that this is the very last one.
I didn't even realize some elevators were working after the planes hit. I imagined that everyone would have been required to walk down to safety. "Burst out the contents"? Goodness gracious. That sounds horrific just imagining it. Seeing it with your own eyes, then smelling it & realizing it was burning flesh? My goodness. Reminds me of Eduard Delacroix's death in Stephen King's "The Green Mile".
I think you misread what I wrote. They were in the elevators WHEN the plane hit. These elevators were the big express cars from ground to skylobby. I do believe some of the local elevators were still running though.
Your "imagination" isn't quite accurate. Required by whom? It was every person for himself or herself. There was no magical person in charge of organizing the evacuation of 15,000 people.
If anyone has a genuine interest in a glimpse of what it was like inside the buildings that day, I highly recommend the book named 102 Minutes. There is a documentary movie with the same title, but it's not the same thing.
Last edited by Mightyqueen801; 09-12-2015 at 06:58 AM..
I will yell from every mountaintop about not repeating the mistakes that led us to 9/11... those mistakes are being grossly repeated by Obama
Next time it might be 30 million Americans
So as politely as I can say ... you be quiet ...
Pathetic is some Americans who live in a bubble
We honor our fellow Americans by NOT allowing politicians to fail at keeping our homeland safe.
Mmmm, yes, stupidity reigns. Get back to us when something like this happens during Obama's presidency. In the meantime, shut it.
Last edited by thefragile; 09-12-2015 at 08:12 AM..
Anyone under age 20 can't remember it, even if they want to. In 50 years from now, most everyone will have forgotten about it. Even those who were effected by it.
Before 9/11, Pearl Harbor was the day to remember. Now it's 9/11, until the next big disaster comes along. Thats just the way history is.
It was just a bad day in America. But people die unjustly every day of the year. I don't really see any reason to acknowledge it more then the anniversaries of other disasters.
Have you seen the state of the country today? Wars in middle east still, huge racial divide, NSA spying, unruly cops. All of this has a direct correlation to this event. People NEED TO remember 9/11 and not just for the poor souls that lost their lives that day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by danielj72
I still think should have put his head on a spike at the memorial site in NYC, or even better in front of the Pentagon as a reminder to those that protect us not to forget what that animal did.
Fortunately, we are NOT animals like they are and we do not need to do that to prove a point.
Anyone under age 20 can't remember it, even if they want to. In 50 years from now, most everyone will have forgotten about it. Even those who were effected by it.
Before 9/11, Pearl Harbor was the day to remember. Now it's 9/11, until the next big disaster comes along. Thats just the way history is.
It was just a bad day in America. But people die unjustly every day of the year. I don't really see any reason to acknowledge it more then the anniversaries of other disasters.
Exactly this. It was a tragic day in America, but our continuing feelings of victimization about that day is rather sad, IMO. It's also a contradictory attitude for us to have, considering our government and citizens belive we are the strongest country in the world, and now have this constant paranoia about terrorism. We cause people of other countries suffering and death and think nothing of it because they are the "enemy". To me people are people, and lives are important, whether they are Americans or not.
Were they trying to instill fear and uncertainty in the U.S.? Check that box off.
Were they trying to forever change and infringe upon the manner in which your country enjoyed it's various freedoms and rights? Check off another box.
Were they trying to foment discord and mistrust on behalf of the U.S. towards it's friends and staunchest allies, causing the U.S. to outright accuse incorrectly other nations for maleficence as regards their security? Yet another box checked.
Were they trying to cause the U.S. to implement a bureaucratic nightmare of security protocols unheard of anywhere in the free world? Jeez; another box checked.
Were they trying to poke a stick in the lions cage, riling the beast into attacking everything and everybody it deemed even a possible threat? Gad's, this is getting boring checking off all these WIN boxes.
How about instilling a sense of fear to the extent spying on your own citizens was authorized and accepted without any resistance at all? Another checked box.
How about possibly the worst one of all; removing the oft expressed tendency for Americans to provide stability to it's governing agencies by limiting their ability to run roughshod over citizens rights? That's another big ten four and another box checked.
Those terrorists were set on a mission to forever change your ability to go about your daily lives without a concern in the world, as you had been able to for generations............they WON! Mission accomplished.
Exactly this. It was a tragic day in America, but our continuing feelings of victimization about that day is rather sad, IMO. It's also a contradictory attitude for us to have, considering our government and citizens belive we are the strongest country in the world, and now have this constant paranoia about terrorism. We cause people of other countries suffering and death and think nothing of it because they are the "enemy". To me people are people, and lives are important, whether they are Americans or not.
This seems like a good place to jump back in......the day after.
"This constant paranoia about terrorism"...............where have you been?
In no particular order, Beirut, Khobar, Rome, Roosevelt Roads, the Achille Lauro, Lockerbie, the Entebbe hijacking, General Dozier, General Haig, the parking garage bombing of the WTC, Oklahoma, the Cole,etc, etc, etc..............all situations where either Americans or American interests were attacked....and those are just off the top of my head without much research.
Or how about the various briefings about how to conduct yourself on an airliner or overseas, to conceal that you are an American or at least a tourist, to hide that you are a potential high value hostage, of what to do, how to act, who not to trust if your airliner is hijacked. I was writing those lesson plans in the 80's.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rmm0484
I well remember 9/11. The day before, I had gone to southern MD on a business trip. That day was magnificent - the sky was clear, a true blue, and there was a slight chill to the air. You knew fall was fast approaching. That was the last day of our innocence and freedom.....
I suppose (and it is not easy for me to say this) innocence must be lost some time; I lost my innocence to the world around age 12 when my father told his family, when we were on diplomatic passports, that if captured, taken hostage, the country will not be sacrificed for our ransom.
Indeed, people find me very 'odd' when I tell them that the answer to, say if my father (when he was alive) were taken hostage, "Do this or we kill him."...........
"GO AHEAD! We have already picked the wine for the wake!".......and I know they would say that, too, if I were the one taken. But, perhaps, that is too harsh of an approach for many to understand, let alone commit to.
As I said in my first post in this thread, so many of my countrymen seem to think that it all started on that day and just like Munich was for me (shortly before my loss of innocence), it didn't and it was so much before. Personally, I, at least, acknowledge that.
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