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09/11
I've been thinking about a "911 post"—and the fact is that I am at a literal loss for words. Our world flipped upside down five years ago today—and there are few signs that it will right itself any time soon, perhaps not even in my stepkids' lifetimes, let alone my own. I ruefully admit that during the Lebanon fray/debacle, I thought more than once: "Enough. What's the point of carrying on with my mundane affairs?" But I am, and I shall.
What's my "911 Post"?
Silence.
That seems the most appropriate personal memorial and tribute—since indeed no words will be adequate to the task of remembrance. Silence also serves as a prayer for the thousands upon thousands, from Soldiers to TSA screeners, who are working in Iraq and Albuquerque to thwart the nefarious plans of our invisible and insane opponents.
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From my post today:
God Bless the United States of America. God Bless those families, all over the world, who have lost loved ones to terror. And God Bless those folks who have decided to stand up and fight for all of us, regardless of our opposition or support of this terrible war. Please allow yourself a moment of silence today to pray for those who have paid the ultimate price. And pray that somehow, the insanity of terrorism will end so that our children can live in peace.
Posted by Doug Karr at September 11, 2006 8:32 AM
The horrific loss of life, such a tragedy - AND now such seemingly permanent hate for Islam Fascism ... always in the minds of Free World citizens.
Besides the insane life loss - the fact the Towers CAME ALL THE WAY down was shocking ... different feel HAD they stayed UP with rebuild.
And the Pentagon FAST 1 year total rebuild vs. Ground Zero about the same 5 YEARS later is noteworthy. Radicals in HELL is heartening.
Posted by sean at September 11, 2006 8:47 AM
I think an old-time but profoundly enduring rocker, Ian Hunter, addressed it best right after 9/11 and the words still fit today.
I don’t know what I can say
To help you take the hurt away
Another one Dead on the battlefield
Of twisted steel, Twisted Steel
I don’t know what can do
To take the hurt right outta you
I can’t believe this is real
Twisted steel, Twisted Steel
If I cry it makes no difference
And if I don’t I’ll loose my innocence
I can’t imagine how a mother must feel
Twisted steel, Twisted Steel
Can you hear your mother calling
Can you hear your mother calling
Can you hear your mother.. she’s at her knees on
Twisted steel, twisted steel
Thi s wasn’t sacred, this was profane
You took off and you took aim
I saw you laughin' on the newsreel
Twisted steel,Twisted steel
If I die I don’t know where that is
If I live im gonna live with this
I can’t imagine how a mother must feel
Twisted steel,Twisted steel
Can you hear your mother calling
Can you hear your mother calling
Can you hear your mother.. she’s at her knees on
Twisted Steelx8
Twisted people with twisted minds
Twisted logic in twisted times
I can’t imagine how a mother must feel
Twisted steel, Twisted Steel
Posted by Ed Di Gangi at September 11, 2006 8:51 AM
Posted by Mark JF at September 11, 2006 9:36 AM
Mr. Peters:
You are right.
Silence is a way to make a tribute to inocent people.
Our world is not good. We are now in 21st century and there are big differences between a lot of things. Just to mention one: Rich people and poor people.
But worst is that seems to be that we have the highest technology in computers, telecomunications, cars, airplanes, space shuttles...but we are not enough intelligents to help others.
War wins again instead of intelligence. And this will happen everytime that a group of people who have the higher political power and no moral controls a nation.
Peace is a result of intelligence in action. Not only action with no intelligence at all.
God bless the people who died because of this tragedy.
And God help us to change the world and truly make it better.
With best regards
Juan Miguel Robles
Posted by Juan Miguel Robles at September 11, 2006 1:31 PM
(the sound of silence)
Fitting.
Posted by Randy Cantrell at September 11, 2006 1:36 PM
When the world is flat, terrorism has no borders.
So does courage, forbearance, tolerance.
which is how Mahatma Gandhi would have fought these terrorists
On this day, I'd request readers to go out and rent the movie Gandhi starring Ben Kingsley, and watch it instead of the mind-numbing coverage of the event on CNN and other channels.
Posted by Arun Sadhashivan at September 11, 2006 3:51 PM
Rather than silence, I suggest a better alternative is for each of us to actively use what power we have as individuals and work toward developing politicians (most likely new generations, although there's potential with some of the current crop) who have the moral courage to genuinely work toward a saner world.
Posted by gulliver at September 11, 2006 6:15 PM
"On this day, I'd request readers to go out and rent the movie Gandhi starring Ben Kingsley, and watch it instead of the mind-numbing coverage of the event on CNN and other channels"--Arun, great idea.
Posted by tom peters at September 11, 2006 10:27 PM
Strangely perhaps, whatever they might be, suicide bombers are not insane. The leaders of the suicide bombers of September 11 2001 brought off the most spectacular suicide bombing ever. Robert Pape's study suggest that suicide bombers are motivated by resistance to military intervention and occupation, and not, for example, religion. So these events, that may or may not have changed the world, arise on this basis arising from cause and effect with mediating variables.
However, I wish they would have had more mind and heart to consider the people they murder, and the same might be said for the examples since 911, of for example, aerial bombing campaigns.
Posted by wmmbb at September 12, 2006 6:34 AM
Tom
I feel compelled to write some thing in memory of those who died at work on 9/11.....
Change is rarely both “quick and permanentâ€. The fact of the matter is that personal and organisational change is slow to develop and easily undone. We all go on diets, go to gyms, hire coaches, buy books, read blogs, and otherwise expend large amounts of resources and energy in search of the “quick and permanent†change. Experience tells me however that such changes rarely come solely from inside a person, organisation, country, or entity. So why do we continue to spend so much time, money, and effort on our seemingly futile attempts to achieve such dramatic changes from the “inside outâ€?
Change can be “quick and permanent†however when it is forced on us from the “outside inâ€. External or environmental events can result in “quick and permanent†change. Wars, peak oil, 9/11, global warming, regime change, accidental death, etc are the type of external events that can force us to change the way we do things both “quickly and permanentlyâ€.
Richard Lipscombe.
Posted by Richard Lipscombe at September 12, 2006 6:55 AM
Yes, a moment of silence is most appropriate. But after that I say we make some serious noise and demand to know why we still haven't smoked OBL out of his hole.
Posted by GraceAnn at September 12, 2006 8:47 AM
A nice tribute, Tom, thanks.
My son leaves for his second tour in Iraq on Sunday. All of this hits home.
It is a nefarious and insane enemy. And he hits all of us.
Posted by Joe Ely at September 12, 2006 9:49 AM
Arun, What are we supposed to "tolerate" regarding these murderers? Don't understand what negotiating points exist when their baseline position is the death of all who disagree with their fanatical interpretation of Islam and destruction of our way of life.
Maybe after you watch "Gandhi" you should view "The Path to 9/11" to understand how futile tolerance will be with these fanatics.
Posted by Chuck at September 12, 2006 3:27 PM
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nefarious and insane enemy - this kind of vocab and thinking is exactly why the US and us unfortunate 'fellow travellers' are where we are today - try and understand your enemy - they are not insane - this is not a Bond movie - they have grievances and an agenda - please try and understand the entire planet does not view capitalism and "Democracy" as a panacea for their ills
Posted by cathalt at September 14, 2006 5:47 AM
Perhaps this is a 'We Have Seen The Enemy... and it is us' issue whereby our own selfish complacency renders us ignorant of a balanced perspective... and 'a man sees what he wants to see and disregards the rest' in failing to take account of the underlying cause of 'the route to now' we simply lash out at the effect.
Self analysis is a hard route few are willing to walk.
Posted by gulliver at September 14, 2006 8:13 AM
Cathalt - You're right: they're not insane.
They're just fascists and cold-blooded murderers.
"They have grievances": Yes, they do. And their grievance is that people don't kow-tow to their preconceived notion of religion. Their position is non-negotiable and the penalty they'll impose for non-compliance with their grievance is murder and mayhem.
Posted by Chuck at September 14, 2006 3:47 PM
My corporate blog I left blank: silence. My personal blog I wrote a humorous piece. No silence there. When people expected sadness I tried to give readers a brief rest from anxiety and societal fears. -n.l.
Posted by n.l. belardes at September 14, 2006 6:28 PM