A first-hand account of a friend of mine from 9/11/01

[abckidsmom]

http://bgiltner.wiki.zoho.com/WTC-Firsthand-Account.html

It's long, but well-written and very detailed. I will read it to my oldest two girls tomorrow for the first time. As time passes, it's easy to forget what a deep impact the events of that day had on our country.

 

[Sassafras]

Do you really think it's easy to forget? I know I cry every year at the senselessness of it all and I wasn't even there. I was moving across state quasi close to Sommerset and had all our loved ones panicking that a plane fell out of the sky and landed on our car, but remember vividly not seeing any traffic for tens of miles headed eastbound on the turnpike, only to pass the Sommerset exit and see the largest traffic jam I'd ever seen with more EMS vehicles than civilian cars. I doubt I ever will forget it. And my children will know from infancy that extremism, regardless of the faith or world view will always have disasterous effects.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

...extremism, regardless of the faith or world view will always have disasterous effects.

That right there would solve so many problems, it's not even funny.

 

[abckidsmom]

Do you really think it's easy to forget? I know I cry every year at the senselessness of it all and I wasn't even there. I was moving across state quasi close to Sommerset and had all our loved ones panicking that a plane fell out of the sky and landed on our car, but remember vividly not seeing any traffic for tens of miles headed eastbound on the turnpike, only to pass the Sommerset exit and see the largest traffic jam I'd ever seen with more EMS vehicles than civilian cars. I doubt I ever will forget it. And my children will know from infancy that extremism, regardless of the faith or world view will always have disasterous effects.

There are people who are not struck by it, and there are people (fringe groups, but still people with a voice out there) who insist it didn't happen the way it was told, and who believe it was a govt conspiracy. The revisionists get to tell the story if the people who witnessed it don't do the story telling.

I'm with you on the extremism, too, but we can't swing too far the other way into apathy. If there's nothing you believe strongly in, if you're willing to compromise on everything, the cumulative effect can be as widespread as a few acts of extremism.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

There are people who are not struck by it, and there are people (fringe groups, but still people with a voice out there) who insist it didn't happen the way it was told, and who believe it was a govt conspiracy. The revisionists get to tell the story if the people who witnessed it don't do the story telling.

I'm with you on the extremism, too, but we can't swing too far the other way into apathy. If there's nothing you believe strongly in, if you're willing to compromise on everything, the cumulative effect can be as widespread as a few acts of extremism.

I know I keep posting here just agreeing with you, but oh well...... I hope you don't mind.

I do agree with you 100%.


Warning!!! If you are easily offended or could in any way be offended by a view of 9-11-01 that differs from yours, please stop reading. Actually I want you to keep reading, but I don't need half the internet mad at me for saying some of this.


Revisionist history, especially about 9-11-01 is one thing I hate with a passion. You would not believe the number of people I run into who pretty much flat out deny that the US was attacked by Islamic Terrorists that day. (Most don't outright say "It is a gov't conspiracy.") I hate it when they get out their little diagrams, videos and "official" documents and try to prove that it was not a civilian airliner that struck the Pentagon or the WTC, or that that United 93 was shot down. I can't stand when they are all "Well, look here how you can see thins thing hit the side of the building and then there are no slices in the building from the wings." Or "Well you can see as the building falls there are progressive puffs of smoke just like when they demolish a building, so the WTC was actually destroyed by these explosions because simply flying a plane into a building that massive could not possibly destroy it. It was only on fire and that can't make a building fall like that!" Or whatever. I have actually asked several people words to the effect of, "Oh, so you are an expert on building design and construction, aircraft design and construction, physics, aerodynamics, explosives, skyscraper demolition, fire and thermal loading, investigative research and skepticism? And you deduced all of this from grainy, 30 second long, hand held, digital cam-corder video clips from youtube? I want whatever degrees you have, cause I'd solve tons of problems."

And on your extremism vs. apathy, I'd argue that apathy is an extreme. And I do agree that we cannot afford to swing that direction. I do see this country rapidly heading that way though. It is up to those of us who still remember and care about what happened to try to keep this country from going there.

Yes, compromise can be as bad as extremism. "All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." If you don't stand up for what you believe in, evil will triumph. But I do not see flying loaded airliners into occupied structures as standing up for what you believe in. That is in violation of the "Two Laws." #1) Do all that you have agreed to do. And #2) Encroach on no man or his property. If the whole world followed those two principals, we would not have events like September 11th. If you feel like flying a plane into a building to make a point or stand up for something, well fine, go ahead and do that. Providing you own you own empty airliner, you own empty skyscraper, plenty of jet fuel, and plenty of room to not bug other people. I have some pretty strong beliefs myself, we all do, everyone has something they are willing to die for. (At least I hope you all do.) But you beliefs should NEVER be at the expense of other people. I know I am preaching to the choir here, but anyhow, had to say it........

So to those who still truly remember, keep that memory and tell the story. To those who have forgotten or who refuse to remember or believe, shame on you.

To those who may have been bothered by that #1, there is more where that came from and #2, you were warned. See red text earlier on in my post.

 

[Sassafras]

I'm not seeing how my post was misconstrued as apathetic. But revisionists be damned. They tried to claim the holocaust never happened too. I find them irritating to say the least. Our problem here is the fear of anything Islamic as if Islam as a whole was represented that day. Xenophobia is rampant here and I challenge it daily with my children. Extremists attacked that day. We didn't differentiate that the Oklahoma city bomber was attacking in the name of Christianity. He was merely a terrorist. An extremist and he harmed many as well. What happened was bad and I recognize it but just because I'm anti extremism does not make me apathetic in the slightest. I happen to have strong opinions about the situation but none of them revolve around removing the religious freedoms from innocent people just because they worship differently than I do.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

I'm not seeing how my post was misconstrued as apathetic. But revisionists be damned. They tried to claim the holocaust never happened too. I find them irritating to say the least. Our problem here is the fear of anything Islamic as if Islam as a whole was represented that day. Xenophobia is rampant here and ichallange it daily with my children. Extremists attacked that day. We didn't differentiate that the Oklahoma city bomber was attacking in the name of Christianity. He was merely a terrorist. And extremist and he harmed many as well. What happened was bad and I recognize it but just because I'm anti extremism does not make me apathetic in the slightest.

I wasn't accusing *you* of apathy in the least!!! Your post just set me off on they whole revisionist and apathist (is that a word?) tangent.

Good point on Timothy McVeigh by the way. Hadn't thought about that angle.

 

[Sassafras]

Oh shwoo. LOL I was head scratching for a second. I do agree about revisionists. They are a crazy bunch. They even tried rewriting history books stating the holocaust never occured and hirroschema (sp?). Kind of feel bad for Japan when I think about it.

ETA: apathist is a word. I have friends that claim it is their religion LOL

 

[firecoins]

I agree with lightsandsirens5. The terror attacks on 9/11/01 was a long line of Al Qeida attacks against the US. The Truth movement as its called are 9/11 denyers much in the line of holocaust deniers.

 

[piranah]

they have a right to have their views..they also have a right to have a chronic lapse of logic..

 

[firecoins]

they have a right to have their views..they also have a right to have a chronic lapse of logic..

Yes, they have the right to be morons. I also have the right to call them morons.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Yes, they have the right to be morons. I also have the right to call them morons.

lol!!!:lol:

 

[piranah]

Lol yes you do without a doubt..gotta love free speech as it is a two way road..