CDIH

We are now coming up on six months since the September 11th tragedy. Six full months since The United States suffered it's most devestating attack on it's own soil. A half a year since New York and Washington, as well as the passengers on the plane over Penn., were devestated by the action of zealots who would have wanted to kill even more than the 3000+ they did.

As an American, has your life changed since 9/11? Are you still gung ho about the war in the Middle East now that it has gone longer than first expected? I know our war on terrorism was one that would last a long time, but, are you dissapointed that Bin Laden has yet to be confirmed dead or captured? Since most of us here live in the tri state area, do you feal safe in the city?

Yeah, I know we usually avoid the serious threads around here like the plauge but this one would seem to affect us all and rightfully so. I for one still support the war effort in it's fullest. I still want to see the men and women responsible for these henious actions to be made to suffer and die. It does trouble me a little that in my nieghborhood, I am one of the few people that still has a flag on his/her car. As far as safety goes since I live about 15 minutes from the city and spend alot of time working at JFK airport, I don't feel fear and despair. When I see the national gaurd with thier M16's patroling the airport, I actually feel more relaxed.

I'm the type of person that just won't let anything effect how I live my life. I have some sense of fear when I have to take a flight but anything besides that, I don't think about the possibility of terrorism. Imagine what it must be like to live in a place like say, Isreal. Every other day theres some sort of act of terror taking place. Not to diminish what we and especially the people directly affected by the attack here but we are relatively lucky to not have to deal with the sort of worries that much of the world does.

What disturbs me most is we are not dealing with a situation where the enemy is readily apparent. He could live next door, terrorist cells are all over. How do you locate them all, let alone eliminate them? You're not dealing with armies that choose to make their presence know, you're dealing with the kind of enemy that sneaks up on you when you least expect them to.



Edited By Keyser Soze on Mar. 10 2002 at 2:21

Keyser Soze Wrote:What disturbs me most is we are not dealing with a situation where the enemy is readily apparent. He could live next door, terrorist cells are all over. How do you locate them all, let alone eliminate them? You're not dealing with armies that choose to make their presence know, you're dealing with the kind of enemy that sneaks up on you when you least expect them to.

This I agree with 110%. I can't say I look at some individual and think that they could be a terrorist. It truely never crosses my mind and that is fuckin sad. In this war, we are forced to fight it on thier terms but are unwilling to stoop to thier methods. That aspect truely bothers me. But, what are we, as a country that holds human rights in high regard, supposed to do about cells? Where do we draw the line and say enough is enough? Do we just deport or detain anybody that is even midly suspected of being involved in terrorism?

It is truely a tough fuckin call when it copmes to how to defend our country at home.

This might be a good start.

Quote:As an American, has your life changed since 9/11?

September 11 affected me in a lot of ways, I lost 3 friends in the WTC, and a cousin whom I had never met. My friends still have not had funerals or memorial services, and perhaps that makes me miss them more. I work and go to school downtown, and my school is less than 3/4 of a mile away from where the WTC once stood. I've spent many days since coming back to school at the makeshift memorials reading things left by grieving families as well as tokens of sympathy left by people from all over the country. This past Thursday, I was on Church Street for the first time since and broke down in tears...it was literally the first time I had even had a good cry since 9/11.

I've always been a nervous person, but now there are days where I am literally afraid to go to work or school. There are National Gaurdsmen and US Marshalls all by the courthouses which I go to on a regular basis with M16s which both comfort and frighten me. I'm afraid to ride the subway half the time and feel like there is nothing I can personally do to help anyone.

As far as the war efforts go, I support whatever actions that the military may take in securing the safety of this country. My only issue is that they are fighting a war against people who don't fight like we fight and that's what makes it even scarier.

as awful as this sounds I don't think 9/11 affected me in any significant way. I mean it's bad, I know that, but personally I don't think I've changed in anyway, or at the very least any significant perceptable way. And I guess that confuses me personally as to why I haven't changed or been so outwardly affected.

But there's one thing we can agree on- it was the best thing to happen for the Bush adminstration.

IkeaBoy Wrote:as awful as this sounds I don't think 9/11 affected me in any significant way. I mean it's bad, I know that, but personally I don't think I've changed in anyway, or at the very least any significant perceptable way. And I guess that confuses me personally as to why I haven't changed or been so outwardly affected.

But there's one thing we can agree on- it was the best thing to happen for the Bush adminstration.

My day to day life hasn't change either. Granted, I don't live in NY, but either way, neither my life nor my general perception of things has changed.

Yeah, it really doesn't feel like six months. I work in Manhattan just north of Canal Street and watched the whole thing.

What changed? Well, I carry a small maglight in my bag just in case something happens when I'm on the subway and all the power goes out. Otherwise, day-to-day really hasn't changed much.

Then there was the fact I had to get on a plane and fly across the ocean. But, a couple of beers in the airport lounge and everything was good. Looking around the plane, I really couldn't picture a hijacking happen. It was like trying to picture armed burglars in your living room. It just doesn't seem like a possibility.

And the BBC has been showing some really great footage from the battlefield in Afghanistan. They've been interviewing this one soldier who was shot in the chest, but his kevlar vest stopped the bullet and he was unhurt. And they've been showing some close-up footage of Apache's blowing the hell out of mountain tops. Any good footage being shown on U.S. tv?

PollyannaFlower46 Wrote:my school is less than 3/4 of a mile away from where the WTC once stood

PF, I know which school you are talking about, and I know what you mean. I go to the same place, and coming out of the subway and seeing the WTC used to be almost comforting, like you were being protected by these huge sentintals. But, all that has changed.

I work in midtown, close to Grand Central, and not a day goes by where I don't think that they could, and may, strike there. Especially since you are underground from GCT for almost 3 miles before you see daylight....lots of places to do damage. I try not to let it paralyze me, but the thoughts are still strong.

At least watching 9/11 last night, I can understand, albeit a little, of what exactly was happening down there....kinda made me feel protected again!

As I posted in that thread in Entertainment U, I couldn't watch that special. Images of that day just sadden me to no fuckin end at this point.

I am looking foward to go down there for the light Tribute this week. I know it sounds gay, but, thoose lights will be equated to hope of a new begining. I am hoping that since I am in the construction field and because I have two different union cards that I can and will be involved in the rebuilding of whatever is decided will go there.

I watched the second half of the special my cousin taped it and I'm gonna watch it. It was pretty hard to watch and I'm glad I did though, you can say why the fuck are they playing it? But truthfully and honestly look around you and think how many of the 'patriotic' people 6 months ago who wanted blood, where are they now? How many don't even care anymore or have grown so far away from it that it doesn't even register.

We truthfully must never forget.

GonzoStyle Wrote:I watched the second half of the special my cousin taped it and I'm gonna watch it. It was pretty hard to watch and I'm glad I did though, you can say why the fuck are they playing it? But truthfully and honestly look around you and think how many of the 'patriotic' people 6 months ago who wanted blood, where are they now? How many don't even care anymore or have grown so far away from it that it doesn't even register.

We truthfully must never forget.

I think for a lot of people they equate 'moving on' to hiding their head in the sand. Growing up in Ireland, we kind of always accepted the idea that there were terrorists within (o a much smaller scale), but I think that is very hard for a lot of people to do here, because it makes it hard not to be afraid. It is much easier to point the finger at a bunch of strange looking people in a far away place, then to look around your own neighborhood and realize that part of the problem could be right there. I don't know if its as much that people are forgetting, or if they are just not able to deal with the reality. The war that we see on tv over in Afghanistan is only a tiny part of what has to be done. If we really want to prevent this from happening again, we are going to have to look within our own country, and part of this war, even though it will be fought in a different way, will have to be fought on our own turf.

As far as how this has all affected my life..not much practically, but my perceptions have definitely shifted. I realize that the little bullshit things that you deal with every day are just that, and I try to focus on what is important, the people I love. I give a lot more hugs, and say I love you a lot more, and I try to enjoy every moment with them, because you never know when it might be too late

What we are guilty of at times is also forgetting what happened in washington. i only thought of it cause of becky's picture. Maybe cause the death toll was less, the devastation was less, the pentagon is still standing. But we must not forget all of it.

Thanks, Gonz...so true

BeckyDC Wrote:Thanks, Gonz...so true

Well most people have totally blanked out on the plane that went down near pittsburgh. But they missed hitting the whitehouse by mere luck (on our side). They simply overflew the white house and the pentagon was only right across the way.

I just got in a discussion of the whole "special" thing with some chick who lives in the city. I said that it was appauling that they were commemorating the 6 month anniversary. She said it was because from CT and not a New Yorker. (That seems to be the reply I alway get from New Yorkers.) I have a different attitude. 6 months is not an anniversary. It is a made up passage of time that a girlfriend wants to celebrate, a point in time where she either sleeps with you for the first time, expects a ring if you have been sleeping together,.... IT IS NOT AN ANNIVERSARY. I was also dismayed that all the news stations were basically showing reruns; I was so sick this morning that I had to fight my wife's wishes of knowing the temperature that I put on Sportscenter because ESPN was the only station that was not showing the footage.

Then it hit me. Although they fail by comparison in level of importance, but I hate to see Scott Norwood's kick miss and Brett Hull Score his OT goal. I am physically sickened by the footage and I don't need to relive the emotional anguish. Even if I did not feel anything immediately, I have had plenty of time to comprehend what has happend and I do not want to relive it with the guise of innocence lost. I simply don't want to go through it again. I don't want to have children because my grandchildren will ask me about it. I want to move on, I do not want to relive the horror.

As for how it changed me, I am full of hate. I now hate people who are different from me. I no longer trust the black teenager in Hillfanger jeans and I will not try to bury that mistrust by saying "now don't be a racists, whitey". I now notice that my Chinesse coworkers do smell bad. I now say "fuck the considerations for your diet that you religion puts apon you! I could have had my fucking food 5 minutes ago." And, finally, I no longer respect Muslims for their piety and religious disipline.

I don't know, either I have changed, or against all devices otherwise I have devolved into a New Yorker (or I became an Italian immigrant).

GonzoStyle Wrote:What we are guilty of at times is also forgetting what happened in washington. i only thought of it cause of becky's picture. Maybe cause the death toll was less, the devastation was less, the pentagon is still standing. But we must not forget all of it.

I do believe I touched on both tragedies in my opening post. I have not and probally never forget the broadened scope of all the events of 9/11. Now, the media in general is beyond guilty of forgetting the magnitude of the days events. I watch CNN alot for my news fix and there is nary a mention of Washington or Penn. for that matter.

As far as the Patriotism of this country, GS, you were right about something you and I argued about. It is no longer the "vouge" thing to do as in expressing your pride in your country. You were beyond right when you said we are a fickle society.

Sean Cold Wrote:As far as the Patriotism of this country, GS, you were right about something you and I argued about. It is no longer the "vouge" thing to do as in expressing your pride in your country. You were beyond right when you said we are a fickle society.

I know these two things have nothing to do with eachother but it kinda shows what I mean.

I used to love hockey when I was younger around 12 - 16 cause of my uncle who was a hardcore fan. He loved the devils I naturally picked the Rangers I loved Leetch and Zubov the most. When they won in 1994 I was so happy I cut school and went to the parade etc.

Anyway comes 1995 they don't repeat. then in 1996 I am wearing my rangers sweater and the rangers are doing horrible. I am in a bank and the teller says "hey you should throw that stinking sweater out, they suck." I said that I am a fan and you don't just love a team when they are winning. He starts telling me he was a huge fan cause he owned this and that and all this bullshit. So he considered he was a bigger fan than me cause he owned more jersey's and he owned this and that. This is actually how most people think, that they can buy a few things and that makes them a part of the cause so to speak. I have an american flag in my home and it was there before 9/11 it's a tattered old thing but still I love this land. Just like I wear my Star Of David with pride of my religion. I am not saying the outburst of patriotism and love was not beautiful and wonderful, but buying a flag or giving blood or 20 bucks to the red cross wasn't enough. It's not something you can just do one little thing and then walk around with it like a reciept as a proff of purchase that you did your part. You don't have to walk around like Captain America but still you can walk around with some fuckin pride.