Saturday, September 11, 2010

September 11, 2001- Nine Years Later.

This would actually be my first 9/11 observance of any kind since I started up this blog. There are those out there who are much better at this sort thing than I am, but I'll do my best nonetheless. Everybody seems to have their own story to tell about where they were that day. Mine is particularly anticlimactic- I literally slept through the whole thing since I had the day off and slept in and was functioning on West Coast time. On top of that, I decided to busy myself with some paperwork for awhile before I even bothered turning on a TV, radio or computer. On the radio, the 'Morning Zoo' FM DJs were solemnly trying to estimate how many people were in the World Trade Center Complex on any given workday. It was an odd line of discussion, but I didn't give it much thought until I heard one of them interject without the slightest trace of whimsy '...and the Pentagon is still burning'. By that time, I figured I better turn on the TV and see what the hell was going on. No matter what channel I was watching, they were showing the skyline of lower Manhattan minus the WTC towers- just a giant incomprehensible sprawl of smoke, dust and rubble.


I was in a daze for awhile as I tried absorbing what had taken place while I was slumbering. Although I have relatives in Massachusetts and New York, I figured the odds of them being on one of the planes or in lower Manhattan were remote. Almost in a daze, I left for the grocery store and local pizza place, getting cans of soda and two extra large pizzas. From there, I went to the local chapter of the Red Cross, and sure enough, there was a line of people coiled around the block, volunteering to donate blood (this IS America, after all). Since I'm a total wuss who prefers to avoid needles, I simply started passing out slices of pizza and soda to the people waiting in line to give blood.
I wasn't sure what else I should do- although it would be reassuring to hear from some of my relatives (I have a few who are first responders in Upstate NY), I figured the courtesy call could wait, since they were reporting that almost 400 FDNY firefighters and NYPD officers were among those killed by the muslim terrorists that day. A death toll of hundreds- let alone thousands- was hard for me to comprehend (then again, so is rushing into a burning building of any size) and it looked as though some of my relatives would need to fill in for their besieged New York City counterparts. I was also getting word that there were people celebrating the attacks on the WTC towers and Pentagon. 'What kind of sick, vile, sociopathic fuckers would be celebrating this?' I asked myself.

I soon got my answer. Juxtapose the image of a man who decided he was BETTER OFF jumping to his death with the video from below that day.

The shock and sorrow was replaced by a smoldering anger that seemed to gradually intensify when CNN introduced these patronizing 'Islam is a Religion of Peace' puff pieces in the following days along with the occasional reminder that Timothy McVeigh (may he rot in hell) was a terrorist too. As important as it is that we never forget those who were murdered that day, it's just as important to keep in mind who was dancing on their graves.
It's also important to avoid sugar-coating the events of September 11, 2001, such as many in the entertainment industry referring to it in neutral terms like 'tragedy' or 'disaster'. No doubt the end result is tragic, but the Towers didn't collapse in a stiff breeze. The Pentagon didn't get that chunk torn out of due to a ruptured water main. Flight 93 didn't crash in a field in Western Pennsylvania because a bird got sucked into the engine. These were calculated, meticulously planned acts of mass murder by muslim extremists- to gloss over that or say otherwise is a piss-poor attempt at re-writing history.

This is what so many mean when they say 'NEVER FORGET'


Thomas E Franklin/Bergen County Record
I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my appreciation and gratitude for the first responders in police and fire departments nationwide. Although I have rambled on for quite a bit, I don't think there are adequate words to describe the professionalism and selflessness it takes to endanger your own life and rush into a burning building or lead people to safety as exemplified by those in the FDNY and NYPD that September day.

10 comments:

  1. Thank you FN for sharing and caring.

    I will never FORGET, nor FORGIVE and I will never stop trying to educate those around me about just who the enemy is. We can not "coexist" with people that wish to eliminate us. We must be vigilant in watching out for those, foreign and domestic, that would take away our freedoms. Let this day be a reminder of what is most precious to us all, our Liberty.

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  2. Good job, Fenway. Thank you. Yes, the "tragedy" thing is very upsetting. It was an atrocity. Calculated mass murder.

    Centaur

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  3. I had just started my terminal leave. It took alot of persuading and many threats of divorce from the Mrs. to keep me from going right back to the First Cav, America's fist at the time. This is 9 years later, if you asked me 50 years from now those awful pictures will be burned into my mind. So to all of those Islamist apologists, ask yourself how forgiving you would be if I took your child and threw them fropm a 70+ story building, because that is basically what they did to all those poor souls who jumped to their death rather than wait for the fire to consume them. I will never forget or forgive.

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  4. We are all so sorry. You know why? Because I am muslim and this is not a religion. A man who believes in God never hurt a living being. By making this attacks some people aimed to disparage and finish Islam which is also a religion shelters pease in it but unfortunatelly those terrorists ( who are not real muslim but evils ) manage the people off each other around the world.Terrorism is terrorism. Please try to look this way and don't blame innocent peaceful real muslims. I believe that real cristians and real jewish never hurt others. I am Turkish and you can see in Turkey all those people live in peace for centuries. Please believe me that Politics and huge companies govern the World and they shape the people's point of wievs. For those, nothing but money is the God. Please....

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  5. I am only 13 years old this happened when i was 3 i was so scared my little sister was born 5 days after 9/11 the same year. I was afraid she was going to be born on that day. I am so happy she wasn't born on 9/11 god bless you. And god bless all of those people who tired their best to save everyone.I would rather have die then one of those people. If i were stuck in a sitution like this i would let everyone out so i was left in their t die and let everyone else live. My mom and dad knew someone who died during that event. So god bless everyone who helped out.

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  6. I was 4 years old when the four planes were hi-jacked. My earliest memory of my life is watching a news report of this event as it happened, and asking, "Mummy, are those people jumping out going to be ok?" And my mother answered "Yes, they will be fine."

    Just yesterday I watched a news report of it again online, having never seen it since when I was four. Here in England our schools aren't taught of terrorism, ever. Not the 7th of July London attacks or 9/11 or any others. To be honest we aren't allowed to mention anything of the sort where I go to school. It is tragic that some don't realise how important it is to remember for those that lost their lives, and those that gave them up for others.

    Only until recently I was still unaware of how awful that day was. I hope that those extremist realise how far they have wandered from their religion, and how unconnected they are from their god when they think these are acceptable acts that their god wants carried out.

    RIP all those innocents who perished in the 9/11 attacks, and to all those heroes who died also. It is amazing how brave they are, I know I wouldn't be able to do a job like they do.

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  7. I am the person who said i am 13 but 3 years old on 9/11. I just wanted to say god bless all of those people who help us out during 9/11. I would have gave up my life for one of them who died. I don't care if i was only 3 years old i would have done it but i was in maryland because i live in maryland.

    If i were to be stuck in that situation i would jump out of a window if i was in a high level. Thanks everyone for listening to me. In the future i want to help i want to be in the military. I want to help i want to make a diffreence but i will never ever be able to do a jod like that either.

    GOD BLESS EVERYONE WHO HELPED AND GAVE UP THEIR LIFE TO HELP SOMEONE THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HELPED.

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  8. To everyone in New York, Washington and around the world, we are Americans. We are strong, we endure, and when pushed become a force to be reckoned with. We will never forget and we will never back down from the hate that ravages this world. We Are United.

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  9. I was around 3 when it happened and my mom was watching the news and it said somthing hit the WTC and trust me when i watcha video of september 11 2001 it was not a tragedy i was a terorist attck and if i join the corps i vow to show them evil people what i think of what they did

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  10. Hey it's the person who wrote on the days september 9 and september 11. When my name is jennifer. My mom was at home with me and she was pregnant with my little sister (her name is tori and she was born 5 days after september 9,2001) she was born on september 16,2001. My older sister was in kindergarden and my older brother was in 6th grade. And my dad was at work. He works in a hospital and the other person who wrote today what do you mean that you are a terroist. Please answer me and thanks.

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