My reaction to Tuesday and what I have seen, heard, and read since.

Posted by Doc from spider-wl041.proxy.aol.com (205.188.199.36) on Thursday, September 13, 2001 at 9:39am :

In Reply to: Just to share... posted by Patterson from adsl-63-201-103-106.dsl.lsan03.pacbell.net (63.201.103.106) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 at 3:08pm :

Patterson, I hope and pray that the number of names on your contact list that you haven't heard from grows smaller every day. Your heart-rending message touched a nerve with me, too.

With every passing day it becomes more apparent to me that none of us will escape this tragedy unharmed. I too have a friend who works in lower Manhattan; her office is at the corner of Pine and Wall Streets, a mere 4 blocks away from the World Trade Center. Every morning before work, she walks to One World Trade Center to pick up a packet of documents.

I was lucky. She walked out of the building fifteen minutes before the first plane hit. Although it took her until nearly midnight to get home on Tuesday, she made it home safe. I didn't lose my friend. But so many others did.

Never before have I witnessed horrors like I saw on Tuesday. I saw hundreds die instantly in a massive fireball as a jet aircraft hit the tower. I watched on television as innumerable people plummeted eighty stories. I saw New York City's two tallest buildings vanish in enormous clouds of dust, taking possibly thousands with them. I feel somehow less human today, and I'm not sure when, if ever, I will feel the way I did before.

It is impossible to describe in words the quagmire of emotions that I feel, and suspect most Americans do. Rage, sorrow, grief, confusion and fear are only a few. Do I want to see action taken by our government against those responsible? Of course. Do I want to see the entire Middle East turned into a parking lot? No. There has already been violence against Arab-American citizens, and talk of indiscriminately killing those of Middle Eastern descent. What we need now more than ever is rational thought. I am sickened by what has already happened; to spill more innocent blood will accomplish nothing. We need to punish those responsible.

In the midst of what the Pope described as "unspeakable horror", there have been glimmers of light, however. Witness the hundreds of brave New York firefighters who, without regard to their own safety, charged into the World Trade Center to save the lives of strangers. The passengers on the fourth airliner who bravely prevented the terrorists from reaching their intended target, possibly the White House. Or the Manhattan shoe store manager who, upon seeing dozens of women trying to run from the catastrophe in high heeled shoes, began giving away pairs of sneakers.

These are the stories of sacrifice, some large, some small, that we need to remember and be proud of. In the annals of history, September 11, 2001 will rank as one of America's darkest days. I believe that the weeks and months that follow will be one of her finest hours.

-Doc

"He who saves one life, saves the world entire."

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: Patterson, I hope and pray that the number of names on your contact list that you haven't heard from grows smaller every day. Your heart-rending message touched a nerve with me, too. : With every passing day it becomes more apparent to me that none of us will escape this tragedy unharmed. I too have a friend who works in lower Manhattan; her office is at the corner of Pine and Wall Streets, a mere 4 blocks away from the World Trade Center. Every morning before work, she walks to One World Trade Center to pick up a packet of documents. : I was lucky. She walked out of the building fifteen minutes before the first plane hit. Although it took her until nearly midnight to get home on Tuesday, she made it home safe. I didn't lose my friend. But so many others did. : Never before have I witnessed horrors like I saw on Tuesday. I saw hundreds die instantly in a massive fireball as a jet aircraft hit the tower. I watched on television as innumerable people plummeted eighty stories. I saw New York City's two tallest buildings vanish in enormous clouds of dust, taking possibly thousands with them. I feel somehow less human today, and I'm not sure when, if ever, I will feel the way I did before. : It is impossible to describe in words the quagmire of emotions that I feel, and suspect most Americans do. Rage, sorrow, grief, confusion and fear are only a few. Do I want to see action taken by our government against those responsible? Of course. Do I want to see the entire Middle East turned into a parking lot? No. There has already been violence against Arab-American citizens, and talk of indiscriminately killing those of Middle Eastern descent. What we need now more than ever is rational thought. I am sickened by what has already happened; to spill more innocent blood will accomplish nothing. We need to punish those responsible. : In the midst of what the Pope described as "unspeakable horror", there have been glimmers of light, however. Witness the hundreds of brave New York firefighters who, without regard to their own safety, charged into the World Trade Center to save the lives of strangers. The passengers on the fourth airliner who bravely prevented the terrorists from reaching their intended target, possibly the White House. Or the Manhattan shoe store manager who, upon seeing dozens of women trying to run from the catastrophe in high heeled shoes, began giving away pairs of sneakers. : These are the stories of sacrifice, some large, some small, that we need to remember and be proud of. In the annals of history, September 11, 2001 will rank as one of America's darkest days. I believe that the weeks and months that follow will be one of her finest hours. : -Doc : "He who saves one life, saves the world entire."

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