Five years ago today…
My wife was still my fiance; we wouldn’t tie the knot for another 3 months.
On Sept. 11, 2001 we drove to work together, something we hardly ever did because of our conflicting schedules.
Our morning radio show was interrupted to report that a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Center buildings. My first reaction was that it must have been a small private plane, and that this must have been some freak pilot-caused tragedy.
Just as my wife was getting out of the car, the radio reported that another plane had crashed into the other building. Two planes crashing into the World Trade Centers in a matter of minutes? I thought that something must have gone horribley wrong at an air control tower.
Moments after I pulled out of my wife’s company parking lot, for the first time someone on my radio used the word “terrorism” — and my gut sank to the bottom of my stomach, because I instantly knew that they were right.
My office was only about 10 minutes from my wife’s office. When I got to work everybody was huddled around a radio in the conference room — it was there that I heard that a third plane had just crashed into the Pentagon.
I remember that the overwhelming emotion of the moment was confusion.
Our office was directly across the street from the state capitol building in Austin, and not knowing what was going on, or what the targets might have been, our CEO told everybody to go home, be with their families, and to take care of whatever they needed to take care of.
On my way home, the radio announcer reported that people were jumping from the top floors of the towers. I remember that I couldn’t wrap my mind around that. A few moments later, the reporter said that one of the towers had collapsed.
Even without seeing the images on television, I knew that the loss of American lives was going to be devastating. The mental image of that tower collapsing was more than I was prepared for.
I pulled my Jeep Cherokee off to the side of the road in a quite urban neighborhood, and for the first time that day I cried. For a few moments I sobbed.
______________________________
Five years later, I have not forgotten.
I have not forgotten that we were attacked, and terrorists declared war on the United States.
I have not forgotten that we are still at war with those who attacked us, and that we are winning that war.
I have not fogotten the sight of American citizens jumping from those twin burning buildings, even though our own MSM would rather we did forget.
I have not forgotten the brave Americans whose deaths in a Pennsylvania field saved the lives of untold other Americans…even though those on the Left would turn that field into a memorial for those who we are at war with.
Today, five years after 3000+ Americans were killed by Islamofacist terrorists, my resolve to destroy our enemies is stronger than ever. And my resolve to oppose those—even our own citizens—who would apologize for or side with those terrorists, is just as strong.
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I’ll take the opportunity to share:
I was in Brooklyn. My girlfriend of the time and I were having breakfast in Williamsburg when she heard a crash of an accident. We put it out of our minds until we took the L train to Union Square. There were dozens of people standing on the sidewalks and in the street looking south down University Place. I thought there must have been a car accident but I couldn’t see anything on the street when I looked down the street towards Washington Square Park. Finally, I looked up and both towers were on fire and pouring smoke. At that point it was obvious that it was terrorism but I thought it was a bomb. Other bystanders told us they had heard it was a plane.
My girlfriend immediately felt the towers might collapse but I reassured her (with my architectural experience ) that the Empire State Building has withstood a plane crash and that there is fireproofing on the steel. Alas.
After watching for a while I went to my office at 20th street and 5th Avenue where hundreds of people were gathered on the streets looking down to the WTC. (It’s amazing how each avenue seemed to have the WTC at the end of it.) A man had a portable television that he set on his car giving us the surreal experience of watching the event on tv then lifting our heads to see the smoke filling the sky.
During this time a dozen firetrucks passed us heading to the scene- a memory that still haunts me today.
Finally, the buildings collapsed. I didn’t see either one fall- I had gone inside to contact my family and to find out more information. Also, I think I felt too hopeless and a little guilty to watch as so many people must have been dying.
I didn’t expect to know any of the victims in the WTC. But, we soon learned that a man, Manuel Da Mota, that had done woodwork for many of projects in my office had been at a meeting at Windows on the World and was lost that day. I won’t claim that he was a friend of mine but it was clear that he was a good man and I’m sad and angry at his loss.
I’m not in the habit of turning on television during the day. I’m not much of a tv viewer anyway. That morning it was the usual chaos of getting the boys off to school. I sat down while they were eating breakfast to check my email. As soon as the browser opened to my yahoo homepage, there was a blurb about planes hiting the WTC.
That was when I turned on CNN. By the time I got back from taking the boys to school, the first tower had fallen. The beds didn’t get made, the dishes didn’t get done – I sat in front of the tv all day. Shock and horror are the words to best describe my feelings. And another word that seemed so odd at the time: Pride. The NYPD and NYFD. They were the face of America on that day. They gave everything they had, including their lives in too many instances.
I am so sad that there is still so much division in this country. I am sad that some people are so blinded by partisan politics that they cannot see the forest for the trees…. I am unhappy with the current administration and the status quo in Washington. But I want a STRONG alternative. I am tired of waiting for someone to emerge a strong leader, and I don’t care what party that person represents. There is one thing that must be at the forefront of our next administration: security. I don’t want an appeaser. I don’t want a cowboy. I want strength of conviction and someone who is blessed with a love for this country and a pride in our ideals, and will fight for them without regard to political correctness. I don’t think that person exists.
Wow, very powerful stories.
I had just been at a United Way rally cross town at one of our company sites. It was as beautiful a day here in Kansas as it was in NY..not a cloud in the sky, until the sky was flooded with all the black clouds of death and destruction that were to follow.
I drove to my office, only to be told by a co-worker getting out of his car in the parking lot that he had just heard on the radio that the World Trade Center had been struck by a plane. The rumor was that it was terrorism. I was stunned. I ran into my office, dropped off my stuff and ran up to the conference room and turned on the t.v. I could hardly believe my eyes. For the next several hours, dozens of us were watching the world forever change. There were tears, gasps, and sometimes just silence. I totally forgot that anyone would be trying to get ahold of me and when I finally went back to my office, my voicemail was full of calls from my family in Wisconsin, worried to death that I might have been on one of the planes. They knew I traveled to and from D.C. a lot. I called and apologized for not calling them back right away, but I honestly hadn’t even thought about it.
No one worked. Everything was cancelled by default as no one even thought of any meetings that had been scheduled, etc. We ended up leaving to go home and hug our families, and to watch more of the sad events of the day.
In the days that followed, I couldn’t get over how accustomed we get to planes flying overhead.. that distant sound we hear all the time, even though thousands of miles above us .. was gone.
I was more afraid to travel after that…still am. Life has forever changed.
God bless those who protect us.
I am so sad that there is still so much division in this country. I am sad that some people are so blinded by partisan politics that they cannot see the forest for the trees….
This is simply democracy. Even during World War II and the Civil War we had elections. We had rival ideas during George Washington’s administration. Without debate there is no democracy.
I agree that there’s a certain variety of politics that says split the country in two and take the bigger half but most of us want to see our country tomorrow better than it is today. That’s an issue that it is reasonable to feel passionate about.
One difference in the memory of many Americans is that the persistance of Jim Crow for decades caused the parties to not be ideologically pure: it was likely that a Northern Republican was more liberal than a Southern Democrat on any number of issues. Now that that is behind us partisanship and ideology are on the same side and the yellling is louder.
Ideologically purity is a scary thing with regards to our two parties. If you look at the extreme (and loudest and wealthiest) elements in both parties, it is a very frightening group of fanatics.
The Democrats and Republicans need to tell their fringe “bases” to f*ck off and consider the larger picture, i.e. a neutral and inconlusive middle ground.
But that ain’t gonna happen anytime soon….
9/11/2001 is a day that almost everyone in the world remembers where they were and what they were doing when the first plane struck the WTC. And does anyone remember the unity and determination we all felt in the months to follow to find and kill the enemy?
Today, that unity is gone and we’re reduced to mindless obstruction by the “left party” otherwise known as the Democrats. They, & the MSM who hate George Bush so much they are blinded by rational action, would rather see our country fail in the war on terror, even if it means endangering the entire nation.
The left is against the NSA wiretapping program, the Patriot Act, border security, and boy, I can’t wait till “profiling” is brought up in the House or Senate as a means to further our safety. But, no, wait. The good old ACLU will jump in (for the Dems) on profiling so they won’t have to raise a finger while someone else does their dirty work for them. Harry Reid (D-Nev) bragged the other day that he defeated the Patriot Act! That’s so damned scary it give me nightmares.
As fed up as I am with the obstructionist Democrats, I’m also not especially happy with the way the war in Iraq is going, even tho I support the effort. I agree with Terr about needing a strong alternative and the right person for the job hasn’t announced yet but I think he will: Newt Gringrich.
In the meantime, if the Dems take the House or Senate in the November elections, start building yourself a bomb shelter.
Leah- I would have preferred to leave this thread as a somewhat non-partisan rest but let me respond.
Today, that unity is gone and we’re reduced to mindless obstruction by the “left party†otherwise known as the Democrats.
Your phrase ‘obrstruction’ presumes that the whatever the other party wants should be implemented. Why is that so? Perhaps you should take a step back and realize that the Republicans are making decisions that they feel they can ram through Congress rather than making consensus legislation.
Let me point to the Department of Homeland Security. Several months after the unity you miss was established Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman and Republican Senator Arlen Specter co-sponsored the new department. However it was resisted by the President. At a certain point the President got behind this plan but added a poison pill that revoked the employment protections that FEMA workers had already enjoyed.
I hope you aren’t so naive to believe that these workplace protections were removed to enhance our security in any way. George Bush attacked the workplace security of the men and women who we ask to respond to national disasters because he knew that Democrats would find these changes unacceptable. Instantly, the public perceived that no longer was the President ‘obstructionist’- now Democrats were ‘obstructionist’.
Regarding your other programs that Democrats have proposed changes to. You, of course, realize that Republicans actively opposed President Clinton’s much more modest attempts to modernize wiretapping? Yet, now that they have a President they trust they don’t even want FISA oversight that has existed under 5 Presidents.
As for the Patriot Act- (just because it has the word ‘patriot’ in it doesn’t mean that it is good). In fact, Democrats nearly unanimously voted for the Patriot Act and most would keep it. However, they would like to refine it to balance security issues with a protection of the rights found in the Bill of Rights.
I’m sure that there is very little obstructionism in China or Cuba. However in a democracy we run things a little differently.
Let me formally introduce you two… Leah, Preston. Preston, Leah.
(Hi Mom! Glad you finally checked out Robbie’s blog!)
So, we can expect Pressy to get a two generation asskicking? Fantastic!
Thank you KW.
hahah! No, Anonymous… while I don’t agree with Preston’s views, I do appreciate and respect his input, and enjoy learning how the other-half thinks.
But my momma, on the other hand… well, I made her promise to play nice.
(j/k)
O/T Hey Preston, my house is finished..it really turned out nice.
Preston: Your response to my post leads me to believe you are an ideologue, not that that’s a bad thing, except in a time of war when national security should be a priority.
[Obstruction: The act of causing a delay or an attempt to cause a delay in the conduct of business, especially in a legislative body. ] Obviously you are confused about the definition of obstruction so thought I would clear it up for you. Also, look up Tom Daschle for another definition to this word if you’re still confused.
And when you make reference to some esoteric “employment protections for FEMA” it makes me wonder if you or a family member have been affected by this “poison pill.” I’ve always found it interesting that government workers enjoy job protection while those of us in the real world are subject to reviews and job performance ratings to keep us employed.
As for the past five presidents that were content with FISA as it existed? How many of those presidents were fighting a war on terror? Unfortunately, Clinton was but he was too preoccupied to know it because he was tripping thru LaLa Land with Monica.
And thank you for p0inting out to me, among other things, that “the Patriot Act (just because it has the word ‘patriot’ in it doesn’t mean that it is good)” shows how uninformed you are. You are a pompous, arrogant liberal who would rather enbable the terrorists and our enemies than give up a few liberties to keep our country safe. And I’m quite sure our founding fathers would never have envisioned the fervor called political correctness when they were drafting our Bill of Rights.
We need every tool in our arsenal to fight the evils we are confronted with today and frankly, the ideologues of the world scare the hell out of me.
Your response to my post leads me to believe you are an ideologue
Not really. A radicalized moderate maybe. I believe that government has a responsibility to establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty.
[Obstruction: The act of causing a delay or an attempt to cause a delay in the conduct of business, especially in a legislative body. ]
The Republicans have been pretty obstructionist in the investigation of intelligence failures leading to the Iraq war; in providing health care for 45 million Americans; and securing our nations borders by that definition.
it makes me wonder if you or a family member have been affected by this “poison pill.â€
Nope- I’ve never worked for the government.
How many of those presidents were fighting a war on terror?
I consider the Cold War to be a much greater threat to our nation than a bunch of thugs with box cutters. Somehow Ronald Reagan was able to get a warrant before spying on Americans and still managed not to lose to the Soviets.
You are a pompous, arrogant liberal
I’m sorry you feel that way. We all have our opinions, most of us have them very strongly.
We need every tool in our arsenal to fight the evils we are confronted with today and frankly,
No. We don’t need to jeopardize what this country stands for to appease terrorists. Sadly the Republican Party manipulates the fear of Americans rather than the strengths of America.
O/T Hey Preston, my house is finished..it really turned out nice.
Congratulations, Dianne. As it happens my mom is about to build a house in Texas soon.
Thank you. I’m sure your mom had a good architect
I’d like to take a moment to address the fear of terrorism. That fear is very real for most people in this country. The DNC has tried to say that this fear is irrational and due to Bush and the RNC using it to scare people into giving their rights away, but, Preston, that doesn’t wash with hardly anybody but the Kos Kids. The rest of us are wise enough to know that if biological weapons had been unleased on NY instead of airplanes, we still would not have recovered as a country. Many biological weapons can be made and transported easily in backpacks. We are wise enough to know that the affects of biologicals last for years. Quoting from this website, “It has been estimated that 1 gram of toxin could kill 3 million people.”
http://www.wilpf.int.ch/disarmament/biologicalweapons.htm
Damn right I’m scared and I want our government to be able to prevent such a travesty. I am not as concerned with giving up some of my privacy rights if it means we will be safer. Of course I do not want a police state, but I know that will never happen UNLESS we find ourselves in complete chaos AFTER an attack. Then, we will have a police state.
Not a single law-abiding US citizen has had any of their rights stripped or violated via the Patriot Act.
It truly is a case of the only people who have anything to worry about the Patriot Act are terrorists and those who support them.
I agree that we need to be vigilant. I would definitely like to see port security stepped up. Did we ever get around to putting chemical ‘fingerprints’ in fertilizer as was proposed back in the Clinton Administration? We need to shut down the Taliban in Afghanistan where the poppy production is going to double this year- putting more money in the pockets of terrorists. We should be sparing no expense to secure the nuclear weapons from former Soviet states.
However a biological attack is not all that simple:
We have witnessed that terrorists can obtain anthrax and other agents. Years before the current wave of anthrax-tainted letters, the wealthy and well-organized Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo secured anthrax, botulinum toxin, and Q fever. They tried to release deadly clouds over Tokyo as many as a dozen times, but without success. They turned instead to sarin gas, which they sprayed in the Tokyo subway, killing roughly a dozen people and injuring thousands.
It is not easy to acquire, handle, and disperse deadly biologic agents in quantities that would cause disease epidemics. However, 12 countries considered potential enemies of the U.S. have biological weapons programs. And there are individuals worldwide, including in Iraq and the former Soviet Republics, who have expertise.
Even your own link is remarkably free of actual attacks. I don’t mean this any derogatory way but Kansas would be much more difficult to attack than Tokyo.
Not a single law-abiding US citizen has had any of their rights stripped or violated via the Patriot Act.
Definitely the spirit of the Bill of Rights.
I can’t wait until we get a Democratic president so that the ‘conservative’ defenders of Constitutional rights come out of the woodwork again.
Clinton’s much milder attempts to increase Presidential power were met with howls from the right if I recall.
FYI Preston: The senate republicans tried to pass a port security bill today that would insure that 100% of containers would be radiographed within the next two years. Currently about 80% are being inspected.
Harry Reid (Dem house minority leader) came out of the senate with a thick stack of white papers in his hand, gloating that the dems had shot down the port security bill and instead would present their own version, outlined in the sheaf of papers he was holding. [Reid acknowledged that the port security bill, even without his additions, would be better than nothing. "But why don't we try to improve that? And that's my point. Try to improve it. That's all I'm trying to do," he said.]
This was a bi-partisan bill that both sides agreed upon until the dems shot it down at the last minute, much to the surprise of senators on both sides of the aisle. Now the dems plan to go back to their constituents with the news that the GOP won’t pass a port security bill and are not serious about terrorism; and now we’re left with no port security law. Games by the far left.
The average person believes everything they read in the MSM so they will never hear about what I’ve just told you. The MSM has an agenda (which is liberal left) and will never report honestly or fully to the public, who continues to buy into their swill. And so, the average person remains ignorant to the truth.
You’re lucky,tho – if you listen, I will try to educate you.
So, rather than get a bill passed that would make us safer, the dems once again obstructed passage of a viable tool to be used in the fight against terrorism.
This was a bi-partisan bill that both sides agreed upon until the dems shot it down at the last minute, much to the surprise of senators on both sides of the aisle.
The Democrats did not ‘shoot it down’. They have offered amendments to the bill. In fact, there are quite a number of Republican sponsored amendments on the table as well. If the amendments are bad they will not be attached to the bill. If the amendments are good they will be attached to the bill.
You’re lucky,tho – if you listen, I will try to educate you.
Excellent.
So, rather than get a bill passed that would make us safer, the dems once again obstructed passage of a viable tool to be used in the fight against terrorism.
Is this a joke? Democrats have been pushing this issue at least since 2001 but the shipping industry and the recipients of their political donations in Congress fought this tooth and nail. It wasn’t until the Dubai Ports World fiasco broke that the Republicans finally came to the table. This bill would have been free from election year politicking if it had been passed in 2001, 2003, or 2005. Maybe we’ll have to wait until 2007.
Interesting that Dubai offered to inspect every single cargo at their expense at the port of shipment to the U.S….but they were branded as terrorists…
Come on people…this is nothing but pure politics…and I am sick to death of it.
The joke is why the port security bill didn’t get passed. When the senate is finally ready to pass a bill, and both sides were in agreement, little Harry Reid shows up with a stack full of admendments. If security were the real issue, a core bill would’ve passed that day, to get funding in place, and the admendments would’ve come later.
Wake up and smell the coffee, people. Diane is right. It’s pure politics and the safety of Americans be damned.
Leah, Dianne-
I’m sure you’re both well-meaning but it is incredibly ironic that you are condemning ‘politics’ as a roadblock to US port security yet the first time I have ever heard anyone on the right push this issue was after the Republican leadership finally got off their asses and worked to put together a bill. Now, all of a sudden, you chastise Democrats as obstructionist.
I apologize if I have mischaracterized your support of this issue over the last five years- perhaps you have been protesting in silent vigil in front of the White House every weekend but the coordination of your righteous anger and the GOP legislative schedule belies your crusade against partisanship.