Discussing the events of September 11th

[MaidenUSA]

I want to say hello and thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread thus far. I hope that our discussion will continue even after the anniversary has passed. Anyone who has viewed my profile may have noticed that my birthday falls just a few days before 9/11. As fate would have it, my round numbers (I just turned 30) now coincide with the round numbers of today's anniversary. Some people might be bummed by that, but I chose to embrace it, and to embrace the idea that those who fight for us, and die for us, do so in order that we might live our lives to the fullest. I count myself lucky to be here and lucky to have my family.

 

I like to think that God, whoever he or she may be to you, views us all as equals. It is my fondest hope that one day, all of us will view each other the same way.

 

God bless America, God bless the U.K., and God bless all the people of this very small and fragile planet.

[MrSeptim]

I've just gotten home from school, we're 6 hours ahead of New York in timeline, and i remember watching the planes crashing into the buildings one after the other, then the people jumping out of the towers. It was all so suerreal i actually started crying because i refused to accept that it was real. And then the towers just collapsed and that sent me in a weeklong shock! That's my story, i was 12 years at the time. :O

In hopes of not getting this terribly wrong I am going to assume you are somewhere in Europe. How do others in Europe feel about the events of September 11th? On a certain image board (which shall go nameless to keep the peace) the Europeans there a very insensitive and basically mock us Americans over the whole thing.

 

Yes, i'm from Norway, and me and my friends back then were shocked over the happening, other then that i haven't heard any opinions about that, well not mocking at least. :)

[agoon69]

I was just about to go to school and i walked in to the living room and saw my mom staring at the tv in shock. so i looked at it and then a minute or so after i saw the second plane hit and thats when it got really real for me. I don't remember much after that due to the fact i was a young child but even at that young age i knew what was happening and it made me feel sick someone could due that to people.

[hoofhearted4]

on September 11th, i remember my teacher was watching the TV. i couldnt see it and only later put 2 and 2 together and realized thats what she was saying. when i got home, my parents had it on Cartoons (i was in 5th grade btw) i knew something was fishy. then they turned it over and showed me what happened. my first thought was, "i wonder if my friend Brandon knows" you see, my friend brandon had a fascination with tall buildings, those were his favorites lol. so thats my memoir of remembering that day

 

 

now as of today, im freaking sick of this 9/11 bull. ever seen the Family Guy episode, where Lois runs for mayor and finds that all she has to do is say 9/11 and the crowd flips out and cheers and stuff? well 10 years later, thats what 9/11 has turned into. a big political event, where politicians speak of it as a god damn holy event to get on ppls soft side. they preach 9/11 put it into ppls head that if they dont celebrate it they are traitors to the US and are un-patriotic. we "Remember 9/11" but why dont we remember other tragic dates in American history. what about 4/19? anyone even know that date? it was the most destructive attack of terrorism on American Soil until 9/11. what about 12/7. a day that will live in infamy? 2400 ppl died that day.

 

so basically, ive been saying, ill remember 9/11 when you rememeber 12/7.

[ginnyfizz]

I don't think the fact that people are remembering 9/11 necessarily means that they forget all other tragedies. The events of 4/19 are still etched on the memory. And after all, 7/12 would be commemorated every year on Remembrance Day/Veterans Day,as it rightly should be.

 

I don't think there is any need to turn it into a case of which is the worst tragedy. What grabbed the world by the throat about 9/11 was, as jim_uk and I have mentioned, the fact that the age of mass media meant that we all sat there aghast watching thousands of people die, on our TV's or on our PC's. It was really right up there before your eyes and unavoidable.

[MaidenUSA]

I don't think the fact that people are remembering 9/11 necessarily means that they forget all other tragedies. The events of 4/19 are still etched on the memory. And after all, 7/12 would be commemorated every year on Remembrance Day/Veterans Day,as it rightly should be.

 

I don't think there is any need to turn it into a case of which is the worst tragedy. What grabbed the world by the throat about 9/11 was, as jim_uk and I have mentioned, the fact that the age of mass media meant that we all sat there aghast watching thousands of people die, on our TV's or on our PC's. It was really right up there before your eyes and unavoidable.

 

I agree. I think it is safe to say that was the first time in American history where we all sat and actually watched a tragedy of that magnitude unfold in real time. We were all actually watching these people die. No event (Pearl Harbor, Oklahoma City, etc.) is any less significant. But mass media has given us a unique perspective into real time events, and therefore has the ability to make us feel connected to them in a very direct and personal way.

Edited September 11, 2011 by MaidenUSA

[BarefootWarrior]

I think you both are right, that is, watching this event unfold on TV. But what I remember most is the next two days. I was starting college in Seattle during this time and classes has just started on Monday. As an older student I was a bit nervous that first day. I had orientation in the computer lab where I had gotten a job for the school year and felt a bit out of place with the younger students.

 

The next morning as I turned on the TV, I saw one of the towers go down first thing. All classes had been canceled until further notice. What sticks in my mind is that afternoon, the order went out to evacuate the entire city center of Seattle. That started about noon if I remember right. By late afternoon, Seattle was shut down and virtually empty, I remember seeing all the traffic heading out on I-5 and no one coming in. That evening, as I watched out of the windows of my apartment I saw the most amazing thing. I was fortunate that I got an apartment close to the down town area and had a view of the city, I saw the the lights go out in the buildings. The tallest buildings lights went out in ten floor blocks...one by one, starting at the top of each building and working down, the lights went out and in less then a half hour....the entire down town area was dark, no lights of any kind and all the streets leading into the city center were blocked off.

 

I was up almost all night (as were many of us), staring in awe at the blackness. No lights, and most of all...no sound, I will never forget this. Seattle in total darkness and dead quiet. If I remember right, they did this for two nights. That night, two fighter jets would make a fly by about every hour, you could hear them, but not see them...I think they were flying with their navigation lights off as well. And if any of you remember, all air traffic was grounded, so only military aircraft were in the air, I don't even recall seeing any helicopters flying to any of the hospitals.

 

I will never forget this and...I hope I never see anything like it again.

[quicksilverva]

I was in my sophomore year in high school, waiting for biology class to start, when the teacher from the next room over came in and told my teacher to turn on the TV. we all stared in disbelief, with many of us thinking it was a movie we were watching, until the second plane hit and the towers collapsed. found out about an hour or so later that the area i live in (Hampton Roads, VA) was targeted for an attack as well, since we have a high concentration of military bases/installations

 

my dad was on the USS. Theodore Roosevelt, on his way home from Med. Sea when they received orders to turn around and go back to begin the air strikes. a standard 6 month deployment turned 11 month deployment

 

i also had friends that were staying a block or so from the WTC that day....and i still dont know if they made it through or not....

[zomorph]

Aurielius is right, appeasement won't stop them. They want to destroy the west and inflict a twisted version of Islam on large parts of the Islamic world by force if need be. There is nothing to discuss with them and they should be fought every step of the way. We can't let them take control of Saudi Arabia which will give them control over a large percentage of the worlds oil and we certainly cannot let them destroy Israel who are a close ally of the west and who share our values.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldgbOxDX6DE

israel is an ally of israel it has nukes it gets billions from usa if you lived in gaza i think you would be pissed remember it was there country till israel was formed also they teat black jews realy bad look into it first