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was on my way to work in midtown that day. train i was on was passing below wtc after first tower hit, before second tower was hit. we were supposed to have a meeting at port authority (wtc 1) 9am that morning that was cancelled the day before. most of our office would have been at that meeting. reality completely changed that day.
I was working in my office in the U.S. Capitol when the Towers and the Pentagon were hit. All of us were evacuated and learned later about Flight 93 that the passengers brought down in Shanksville, PA. To this day I'm convinced the Capitol was the target and I and hundreds if not thousands of others were saved by those brave souls.
I lost several friends and acquaintances that day as did so many others. Plus those killed and wounded in the horrific decade-plus of wars afterwards. The world changed that day, so much so for the worse. I hate what it has done to our country, it's politics and values. So much waste, as well as the construct of a governmental system and national security/intelligence complex in our country which I once proudly served, and which now tarnishes the best of American values with its rampant greed, self-aggrandizement and disdain for individual rights.
Sorry for the rant. This is not meant to besmirch those who put their lives on the line in service, to the contrary. I am just so dismayed at the multiple aftermaths of 9/11. It truly made the world and our country a worse place.
TimesFour was such a lifeline that day to those of us who were at work and could not get into overwhelmed websites such as the networks and CNN easily. And it was such a community, as people checked in about relatives and other TimesFour members who were in that area. Somewhere I have the transcript of that day on x4. No, it does not seem like that long.
The entire country was a community for a few remarkable days. Sad it took the darkest day in US history to bring it about. Sad it went away as quickly as it did.
I got to work that day and someone had mentioned a plane hit one of the WTC towers. My first thought was, "What idiot would have screwed up and flown a plane into the towers?". Well the idiot was me obviously as it was no accident.
Was just weird to know that the day started just like any other Tuesday after having watched some Monday Night football the night before. By the end of the day, essentially I think every American knew this was the start of a war, but we really weren't 100% sure who we would be at war with.
Daughter called from Tallahasee and asked if I was watching the news. Everything after that was a blur. I remember going out on apointments and being in a complete fog. I kept wondering how many other planes were being commandeered by the cowards. Reports that day were several other planes were hijacked but proved to be wrong. I remember the the WTC went down thinking OMG, how many people are in there.
I remember Kennedy getting shot and thinking the world was coming to an end. I remember the Challenger exploding and thinking how something so automatic turned so tragic, and then 9/11 wondering how many people were killed on American Soil. I went to Lambeau for the first time two months after 9/11. I remember them taking a 90 year old lady off to a side room to search her before boarding. How everything changed that day.
I lost several friends and acquaintances that day as did so many others. Plus those killed and wounded in the horrific decade-plus of wars afterwards. The world changed that day, so much so for the worse. I hate what it has done to our country, it's politics and values. So much waste, as well as the construct of a governmental system and national security/intelligence complex in our country which I once proudly served, and which now tarnishes the best of American values with its rampant greed, self-aggrandizement and disdain for individual rights.
Sorry for the rant. This is not meant to besmirch those who put their lives on the line in service, to the contrary. I am just so dismayed at the multiple aftermaths of 9/11. It truly made the world and our country a worse place.
Hear, hear!
What Legacy said. For years that thread was in the archives. It was a must read on every anniversary.
Disagree. It really sucks but the truth (and irony) of the matter is every time we make a big deal out of it we give the terrorists exactly what they wanted. That's how terrorism works.
Yeah terrorism has nothing to do with terror and everything to do with remembrance.
"Hey Amir, we made America think about 9/11 again!! Take that you stinking infidels!! Stow the bomb vest till Christmas"
Showing them that we're still "in awe" of it year after year lends creedence to those who engage in such tactics. "They still live in the shadow of the blow we dealt them."
Showing them that we're still "in awe" of it year after year lends creedence to those who engage in such tactics. "They still live in the shadow of the blow we dealt them."
Does this mean every December 7th you jerk off while watching The Last Samurai?
FDR - Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy
Lombardi - It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.
We remember them in our hearts and in our minds every day, they deserve that. Honor how they lived, not how they were taken.
Sure.
I won't speak for 300 million Americans, but do you believe they are honoring how the 9/11 victims died? I remember 9/11 and Dec. 7th for what it means to this country. A day where we were knocked down, got back up, and kicked ass.
Though I'm still waiting for the post 9/11 ass-kicking.
Getting the 6'4" rat helped but agree that there should have been more.
We'll never really get one. Bin Laden is dead, as are many of his commanders (and followers). There's no nation or unified group to surrender to us, just pockets of zealots willing to take up "the cause" when one falls.
Want a really crappy (and ironic) fact? Since we removed Hussein from power in 2003, almost as many people have been killed by terrorist attacks in Iraq as were killed 9/11. Not open skirmishe with military forcess, but terrorist bombings and attacks. We see why HW and Clinton did not make an attempt to actually remove Hussein. He was an utter bastard, but a stable, predictable one.
They're cowards. They hide behind human shields. We're never going to get that "victory" like defeating Hitler & the Germans. They're like the flu virus, we treat it but can't (or won't) cure it & we hold ourselves to a higher standard, otherwise the Middle East would be a desolate wasteland right now.
"As The Tower Fell, He Turned To His Wife And Said, 'I Have To Do What I Have To Do Right Now'"
