Now don't get me wrong. I think that what happened two years ago was an abominable horror beyond comprehension. I feel bad for those that were lost, but....


When is it time to say enough is enough and move on with our lives?

We have CNN on here in the office, and all morning, all they have been showing are these sappy, sorrowful images of people who seem to be relishing in walking around like brothers in arms, heads bowed, and patting each other on the back, telling each other "I'm soooo sorry".

Then there was the melodramatic touch of having those kids taking turns reading all 2900 names of those who perished.

Give me a freaking break.

It was TWO YEARS AGO.

I know people who have lost loved ones prematurely before, and they weren't in mourning for that long.

I'm sorry, but I just can't share the grief any more. Not this time. We have been paying 'tribute' to these 2900 people and their families for the last two years. They managed to crush the idea of rebuilding the Twin Towers. You know they are going to get the most lavish, expensive, and hideoously overblown fancy memeorial this world has ever seen: reflecting pools, eternal flames, statues, plaques, rose gardens, and all kinds of endless reminders of absence. And now they are going forward with suing everybody and their uncle over this calamity. They are getting round the clock coverage on CNN. Most of them have already received compensatory damage awards to live quite comfortably for the rest of their lives.

WTF more do they want? Why do these people refuse to let go? Are they simply attention whores who relish the limelight? Do they love wallowing in sorrow and attempting to make everyone else miserable too?

CNN is carrying the caption of "moving forward" and "rebuilding", yet judging form these images I'm seeing, we are doing anything BUT.

I understand that "Ground Zero" was the final resting place for many people. But the fact is that their remains are now at Fresh Kills Dump, along with the rubble. Ground Zero is barren now. It is NOT a cemetary. What makes these people suddenly think that they now have proprietary ownership to that land?

Should we follow this precedent and going forward, any time somebody dies somewhere-such as in a car accident-that that loand be deemed "sacred" and "off limits"?

Can you imagine what would happen to our roads and freeways if, every time somebody was killed, that road was closed off permanently so as not to "disrepect his memory" or "the family"? It wouldn't take long before going anywhere would be impossible.

And then there's all of this brave and lofty rhetoric about "we must never forget"....

Does anyone REALLY believe that there's a soul in this country, who is old enough to have witnessed and remembered this tragedy, is NOT going to go to his or her grave and not remember that day?


I shared your pain when this happened. I recognize the importance of the first anniversary. But that should be your point of closure.

I don't share the pain any more. Unlike so many of you who insist on living in the past, I'm moving my life forward.

I just don't care about your loss anymore. You think you're the only one who's lost someone or endured adversity in your life?

And I would imagine that most people would agree with me.


BRING THE TWIN TOWERS BACK

I live in New York City and lost two friends that day; had a close call myself; and eventually would lose my job due to the lingering effects of 9/11. I'm in full agreement with you. This is something I don't want to dwell on anymore.

But don't ever think that we'll forgive or forget...

"Then there was the melodramatic touch of having those kids taking turns reading all 2900 names of those who perished"

I agree, I mean it's terrible what happened but I can't stand when they purpously try to dramatize things even further. Some of those kids sounded like they were reading a script to make it even more dramatic.

We have CNN on here in the office, and all morning, all they have been showing are these sappy, sorrowful images of people who seem to be relishing in walking around like brothers in arms, heads bowed, and patting each other on the back, telling each other "I'm soooo sorry".

Why does this have to be covered on TV it just makes us feel worse. I actually forgot it was 9/11 when I woke up this morning. This will be the last time I say this, today is a normal day and nothing more. Stop over exaggerating what has happened, I could accept it last year but now its too much.

I agree with Matt D. I did not partake in the employee gathering at the flag pole (as many did at the various Harris buildings) to take part in the singing of the National Anthem, and of course I got crap for it. I did not observe a moment of silence. I'm not watching on T.V. what I saw for months and months 2 years ago. I will not forget what happened, but it is and has been time to move on. All those that lost their lives and lost family members and such have my deepest sympathy and respect, but I have moved on.

"They are getting round the clock coverage on CNN."

Punctuated with commercials, no less. Its all a ratings game, and 9-11 memorabilia schlock can pack the viewers in.

CNN the most trusted name in news my @$$!!!!

I agree. People making a big fuss after one year was understandable, but if it's going to be like this every year then it's just too much... and I'm in the UK.. anybody would think it's America with all the '9/11' stuff.
That's an odd thing... 9/11 is 9th November here, but people keep saying 9/11 on TV... it's 11/9!   We're not in the US!

 

Josh

I dont know. I disagree a bit with the "It was two years ago" take. For someone like me, who at age 20, is almost too young to remember the Cold War and Gulf War I, this is really a serious day for me. I dont think we should ever forget what happened on 9/11, nor should we ever forget about the thousands of innocent civilians killed.

Jcs. We should never forget, but we do not 24-7 coverage of it. We do not need to "celebrate" it. Fact is, it was 2 years ago. We have dealt with it, well most have, and most have moved on. There is no need or reason to dwell on this. Never forget...absolutely, but we do not need to all the media attention, this, that and the other thing.

This is another way for CNN to make some $$$$$, as well as the other national news channels.

None of us will ever forget, just as those around the world that have endured similar tragedies will never forget.

However, I want to remember it in my own way. I did take time this morning to remember not only 9/11, but the troops that are currently in the middle east, but that was my decision to do that and to bastardize the process and "celebrate" it does not make sense.

Rgds,

Greg

I think each person should choose to remember however they wish, but I have to agree that it's being exploited by the media. My God, It's like Super Bowl Sunday (all day long) but in a somber and reverent mood.

LoneStarMike

I am with all of you on this. Having been apart of the United Airlines family for over 15 years we have known the victims of flight 175 and 93. It was horrible to see how bad my mom was emotionally hurt over losing co-workers. It was horrible that my dad had to relocate to Washington D.C. to be able to support his families life style when the economy went to hell in a hand basket. It was always hard to go back to New York City for a few occasions right after 9/11 to try and comprehend what happend in Lower Manhattan. A year later it was hard to focus. However two years later I am beyond it all. I will always remember how that day changed our lives. I will always remember the faces of Captain Victor Saracini and Captain Jason Dahl. But I will not let that day dictate me anymore and obligate me to focus my attention on such horrific events as CNN is attempting today. A true shame that many feel we have to hump the nightmare of 9/11 for all its worth even two years later.

Have some respect for others misfortune. Though it doesn't jive with your timeline for mourning, please don't equate this watershed event with CNN profitability. Show some decency, please.

It would seem for most people the significance of this tragic day diminishes the further one resides from ground zero. Though the vast majority in my area don't obsess over 9/11, it is still fresh in our minds. Perhaps the *get over it crowd* are jeolous more attention isn't lavished upon them on this date. Don't despair, tomorrow will come and you will once again be the center of our attention.

I'll agree. It's been two years but they make it to have happened yesterday. We all know what happened, we've seen all the videos, we've heard all the speaches. Just let it go. Rememberance is fine, paying homage is fine, but this over-dramatized digitally enhanced sorrowful garbage the news is playing has got to end. Never forget what happened, but don't drag it out either. Beating the 9-11 thing into the ground only demeans the true value of this day.

Today I wore a small ribbon on my bookbag and I reflected on what happened some. I feel like what I did was plenty to remember those we lost.

I take a different perspective. I support the 9-11 remembrances for one reason:

It serves to remind those (mainly Muslim) Al-Qaeda sympathizers within the US that the US has not & will not forget what happened.

It was only because the US is an open society that encouraged Muslim immigration that enabled these 19 killers to walk undetected thru-out the US.

Make no mistake......there are THOUSANDS of sleeper cells with Al-Qaeda sympathizers in the US ready to pounce again. These 9-11 remembrances serve to remind those people that the US is still hurting....and watching.....

I couldn't agree more with you Matt D. Enough is enough, and it's way past time to "move on."

I am happy to say that I flew today too...not the airlines, but some awesome aerobatics over Massachusetts. 9/11 is just another day now...the grieving period is over.

Nick

Don't we have memorials every Dec 7 for an event that happened 60 years ago?

No matter how hard you try, you can't escape the tributes to 9/11. On TV, the internet, and even the radio. I can understand having the tributes, but do we really need to make the second anniversary of the attacks the top news story? The world isn't stopping, so why must we rehash the events of two years ago; they have been showing footage of 9/11 all day on CNN, Fox News, and even on the local news. Reshowing the footage does not help those that were traumatized by the events, it just reopens those wounds. We cannot forget what happened on that Tuesday morning two years ago, but we run the risk of cheapening the day by overly memorializing those who lost their lives.

Don't we have memorials every Dec 7 for an event that happened 60 years ago?

Yes, but does the news spend 4 hours showing us sappy overdone tapes of the attack? Do schools still have a minute of silence and the playing of taps? Do flags still fly at half staff all over the country? No. This is the kind of rememberance I advocate. Solemn, quiet, and in honor of those who died- not at their expense.

Personally, I believe that a company just north of New Orleans is assisting in one of the more fitting tributes to 9/11. A portion of the steel from the WTC has been shipped to a forge in Amite, LA, where it will be reformed to create the bow portion of a new warship that is being built.

As for December 7 yearly memorials, they get about as much play around here as does a Veterans Days memorial or similar. In other words, not a whole lot.

I agree with Matt. We'll never, ever forget. But we do move on.

Tom at MSY

I do agree that the media goes way overboard. However, there is nothing wrong just to think about what happened (not all day, just for a short time) and observe a moment of silence. I did, but I'm not watching the TV coverage or dwelling on it.

-GD727

I don't know if I agree or not....but 9/11 is a very important and still a very emotional day for me. I don't need to describe fully how much that incident change my life, because it changed everyone's, forever. But the memory is still in my mind, perhaps a little more faded than it was last year, the absolute pain I felt on the first anniversary isn't as prominent now. But I still care.

Last year I wept as our high school student boy sang the national anthem, even a year after the attacks, hearing the star spangled banner brought back all those memories of everything that happened on that day and the days following....the collapse of the towers...the huge american flag that hung over ground zero....that moment in time where all the pettiness and divisiveness between people were set aside as they all reached out to each other....as brothers. We were unified in a way we probably hadn't been in 60 years. It was the first true moment in my life where I witnessed a cataclysmic world changing event. For me, it was something that I could never forget.

Perhaps it was seeing all of it happen live that impacted me so much. I didn't see the first plane hit, but I did see the second. That does something to you, to know that it's happening right now. rumours were flying that day about who was attacking us, but the event unfolding was like nothing I, we, had ever seen. And it remained extremely vivid for me last year.

Last year I felt offended when during that (important to me) assembly marking the anniversary, two students in a row behind me were playing with handheld nintendo games, as if this was just another boring assembly to sit through. Maybe they moved on, but I considered it an ultimate disrespect to those who lost their lives. A nintendo game is more important than the lives of 3,000 of your fellow countrymen. They didn't care. but I cared. That entire day was memories and tears for me. Somehow, I felt that this year would be the same.


Come this year....it isn't the same. I'm not as emotional as I once was...though reading the comments in the newspaper from people remembering where they were on that day, did bring back a flood of memories that almost forced a tear. I suppose it would only be right to get out the American flag and put it on our flag holder that hangs on the side of the house, the way we did last year, and in the weeks following the attack. It's a sign of respect, it's the least I can do.

But as for the Tv programs, the moment of silence or taking a day off....I'm not employed, so I won't be taking a day off...but I'm not going to interrupt my plans for today for too long. I will bow my head in silence and say a small prayer of respect. It's only right. but it's right to me because it's in my heart, and what's "only right" for me, may not be for someone else. But I follow my feelings, and the feelings of sadness still exist. And in my heart, in my mind, the least I can do is pay a silent respect to all those lost. I posted a vocal respect a week or so ago...it didn't get much response, but I expected that. What mattered is that I had said my piece, paid my respects, and remembered those people who gave the ultimate sacrifice that day. The voice transcripts of 9/11 are important in remembering them. And yeah, there's a part of me that says that we all have to move on.

As far as I'm concerned, I've moved on....but I haven't moved so far away as to not care about what happened 2 years ago. It will always matter to me. And every year, I imagine I'll pay a silent respect, in some way or another. I don't need to see all the images again, they only make me weep, I have their memory burned into me, I'll never forget what I saw. It's up to me now to place those memories in an important place inside, and move on, and recall them when needed, or when I feel it is right. Though with the constant problems in the world today, one can hardly help but remember the unity we had 2 years ago....now lost in the past. I may join in a few select things. Not as much as last year. But I believe, that all of us, should pay our respects in our own personal way. You don't need a public event to pay respect, but for some, participating in that is important. I have my own way of remembering, and today I plan to, while carrying on with the life after 9/11 that I have. That's all I have to say.

i agree matt, it is getting increasingly annoying that the media is dwelling on this. i lost freinds that day to, 71 to be exact. them repeating shit makes it hard to forget, not that i ever will.

I have to agree with Matt D on this as well.
How long do we need to relive this?

Matt D,

I respect you greatly for having the balls to post this. I couldn't possibly agree more. Sure, we all feel sorry for the victims and their families, but enough is enough.

Jcs17,

You say you want to forget the "thousands of innocent civilians killed". I sure hope you plan on remembering the "thousands of innocent civilians killed" as a form of payback in Afghanistan. Remember, not all who died were members of the Taliban.

EmiratesA345  

[Edited 2003-09-11 23:08:37]

You know, without meaning to offend, I find it funny how some people are quick to say that America murdered thousands of civilians in the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. It's like they're saying we went out of our way to kill innocents. That is flat out untrue. Plus, let's not forget that the effort in Afghanistan was an international coalition effort which was backed by 90% of the world (I dont know the exact figure). In every military conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq we went out of our absolute way to prevent deaths of innocent civilians.

Sometimes you guys make it sound like we just haphazardly bombed anything that moved over there. give us some more credit, eh. We're not Bin Laden, we didn't have a blood lust. Nor did we EVER murder 3,000 civilians in cold blood. I dont belive the outlandish claims of Saddam's and the Taliban's governments about us deliberately dropping bombs on civilians. What do you expect from them...they're spreading propaganda to rally more support against the coaliton or US forces...of COURSE they're going to say we are targeting civilians.

Would you call Al Jazeera a credible news source?

Honestly. I kind request that we stop saying "Yeah but you guys killed thousands of innocents in the ME!" No, we didn't, and those that did die were not intentional targets and it is deeply unfortunate they lost their lives. Yes, some civilians died, there were setbacks. Did we turn Afghanistan into the crater that everyone thought it would be at the end of the conflict? No. Did we go out of our way to protect the lives of innocents? Yes. We did nothing that can be compared to what Bin Laden did to us.

This is not aimed on Emirates 345, but it is something that does get under my skin.

[Edited 2003-09-11 23:28:34]

>>>I respect you greatly for having the balls to post this. I couldn't possibly agree more. Sure, we all feel sorry for the victims and their families, but enough is enough.<<<

Man, the prerequisite for having "balls" has sure degenerated over time. Used to be someone going out on the limb meant you had *balls*.
Though I suppose now it means being peeved because your favorite episode of "Laverne and Shirley" was preempted in lieu of children reading the names of their deceased loved ones, and having the *balls* to complain in public.

Do us a favor, change the channel and get a life.

>>>You say you want to forget the "thousands of innocent civilians killed". I sure hope you plan on remembering the "thousands of innocent civilians killed" as a form of payback in Afghanistan. Remember, not all who died were members of the Taliban.<<<

If Afganistan was "payback", it would have been turned into a parking lot. The US was attacked and we were justified in going after the attackers. I don't know how many innocents, regretably, were killed in Afganistan. But they unlike the thousands murdered on 9/11 were not deliberately made the target.

All rememberances are personal things. My memories of September 11, 2001 are far too personal and intense for me to need to watch some staged CNN drama to bring them up again. Those who have real reasons to remember the events of that horrific day will carry that rememberance with them every single moment of every single day. That goes for the witnesses, the survivors and the families of those killed.

September 11, 2003 is like any other day to me. September 11, 2001 was not. I don't need CNN or USA Today to remind me of that.

Where is the sympathy for the dead Afghans killed by the Taliban? I see none. There never was any. Emirates, why didn't you protest their plight?

Aloha,

Sure, they intended on killing only the Taliban. The truth is, more than only the Taliban were killed. As for the Iraqi conflict, its quite uncertain what the real reason was why they went there. Was it to disarm Saddam? He's probably still alive. Was it to ensure there were no weapons of mass destruction? Bush knew full well that none existed. Maybe it was just a blood lust. Don't say it wasn't. You don't know that, then again either do I. I'm just speculating.

""Yeah but you guys killed thousands of innocents in the ME!" No, we didn't, and those that did die were not intentional targets and it is deeply unfortunate they lost their lives."

Yes you (the American troops) did. Just because they were not "intentional targets" does not excuse the matter. It did happen.

EmiratesA345  

FDXmech,

You should be happy to know that I don't watch television. You're the one who needs to get a life. If saying "I respect you greatly for having the balls to post this" offends you, you have problems.

Most people here would not post this simply in fear of being bashed. It is quite clear that the majority feel the same way about the situation, but only MattD was able to post a topic about it. That is why I said what I said. If you don't like it, suggest deletion. If it doesn't get deleted, too bad for you.

"were not deliberately made the target."

Like I said earlier, that doesn't excuse the matter.

EmiratesA345  

Like I said earlier, that doesn't excuse the matter.

And what about all those innocent deaths under Saddam and the Taliban? Were they not just as awful? Why do you not cry for them? Don't avoid the question.

In my lifetime, I have seen Kennedy assassinated, the Apollo 1 fire, man walk on the moon, the Challenger explosion, 9/11 and the Columbia disaster. Each is etched in my mind as a defining point (much like Pearl Harbor is for the older generation) and I can recall where I was, what I was doing, for each of these events but we don't have national holidays or 24-hour CNN coverage for any of these other events - they were milestones on our journey through life - we mourned (or celebrated the triumphs) and moved on. Its time to move on from 9/11, stop giving bin Laden credibility and viability by "mourning the dead" and rebuild the Twin Towers - EXACTLY AS THEY WERE PRE-9/11! Only this will send the proper message to bin Laden, et al - you may destroy our buildings and kill our people but WE WILL SURVIVE, PERSEVERE and THRIVE! To do anything less would be "trampling on their memories" and a "slap in the face of the families".

MxCtrlr  
Freight Dogs Anonymous - O.O.T.S.K.  

September 11, 2003 is like any other day to me. September 11, 2001 was not. I don't need CNN or USA Today to remind me of that.

Yes so will Sept 11, 04,05,06,07 and so on. When I woke up today I forgot momentarily that it was 9/11 that is until the I went to MSN.com and the headline was "9/11 two years later"

>>>You should be happy to know that I don't watch television. You're the one who needs to get a life. If saying "I respect you greatly for having the balls to post this" offends you, you have problems.<<<

Actually, my *balls* reference wasn't aimed at you but rather the topic starter.

Captain,

Yes that was awful. That went on in their country and was stopped. For how long? You don't know. Either do I. What if the Taliban comes back? Don't tell me they won't, because you don't know that either.

Did I cry for the victims of September 11? No. Did I think about it and feel horrible for the victims and families for a brief time in my life? Yes. Did I cry for those killed by the Taliban? No. Did I think about it and feel sorry for them? Of course.

EmiratesA345

FDXmech,

Well then I hope you accept my apology, if one is even needed. I did write that so I figured it was directed at me.

EmiratesA345  

All I can say Matt D, is that people remember-and grieve-in all different ways and styles. If you do not wish to participate, that's cool, but, as with some of those who were trying to use this anniversary to bash Americans by trying to belittle this anniversary, I hope you will respect those that decide to remember, and to mourn. That's all anyone should require.

Sure, they intended on killing only the Taliban. The truth is, more than only the Taliban were killed.

Just like the Al Qaeda bastards who pulled off 9/11 only meant to kill Americans, but others died. If you haven't figured this out by now, that happens in war.

there's nothing wrong with observing a minute's silence. I don't think that's over the top.

Just to add my own personal point to STT757's words-

I was flying on the 11th, we set down early in the day, but due to the events and how the potential existed for me to actually know some of the victims (I unfortunately lost several friends and acquaintances), I notified Continental in the middle of the day of the 11th that I needed to get home ASAP due to personal reasons. After they had made arrangements for a reserve pilot to go on standby to finish the flight after operations resumed, I rented a car and drove all day back up to Jersey. I arrived after nightfall, about 10 hours driving behind me, listening to various news reports along the way and not knowing what to expect. I walked into my front hallway to see my wife and kids glued to the TV set watching replays of the horror as it was unfolding while their father was out flying. They weren't certain I was OK until 11 in the morning, when I got to a ground phone and got in touch with my wife. My two school-age children came home early, clearly shaken up but relieved to know my airplane wasn't one that had been targeted. Later that evening we learned that three people from my town, Betterly, Arcyzinski, and Smith, had gone missing. One, at least, we knew hadn't survived. The other two had not been heard from since prior to the collapse of the towers, but we knew they worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, and the outlook was grim to say the very least. As the night progressed we received more phone calls, finding that people from our country club, schools, and church were unaccounted for. It was a rough night.

I woke up before sunrise the next morning , and went up with my dog to a balcony facing east toward the ocean. It was a chilly 50 degrees or so at that hour, but it felt as if the crisp morning air was slowly unraveling all the anger that had wound up in me overnight. I sat there, doing some thinking, when I noticed the first light of morning breaking the black of the horizon. At first it was purple, but then a tinge of orange broke through, illuminating my entire field of vision. It was then that i saw the thick plume of smoke emanating from the spot where all this started, and believe me, it was a surreal sight, almost a tear jerker. Definitely a picture forever etched into my memory. I took a drive out to Atlantic Highlands later that morning, and joined the literally hundreds of people who packed the scenic overlook toward Manhattan and Ground Zero. It really hit home then, for there was just nothing but a cloud of dust to mark where those two huge towers had been. Every time I drove up to EWR, they would catch my eye, drawing unfailing interest. They dominated the skyline, and truly were an awesome sight, classic New York. Their absence continues to haunt me, but I've moved on since, still never forgetting those people who had no idea what was coming to them on that day.

ou say you want to forget the "thousands of innocent civilians killed". I sure hope you plan on remembering the "thousands of innocent civilians killed" as a form of payback in Afghanistan. Remember, not all who died were members of the Taliban.


Fantastic. I guess we should have said, "Forgive and forget!"  

I sure hope you plan on remembering the "thousands of innocent civilians killed" as a form of payback in Afghanistan. Remember, not all who died were members of the Taliban.


I hope you remember all those that found jumping from the 80th floor up to be the better option.
Comparing the retaliation in Afghanistan to September 11th is plain retarded. Where there any legitimate military targets attacked using conventional warfare on that day?
Had we flown PIA 743's or Ariana 727s into Mosques in Kabul...then you could have compared away...

"Even though 9-11 was a terrible, terrible shock, for Fox News and CNN, it's Christmas"

-Mr. Cranky

I   BOI

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

No one is suggesting forgetting - that would be impossible - but it is time to move on with life! You can still remember what happened without reliving it every freaking year on and on and on...

MxCtrlr  
Freight Dogs Anonymous - O.O.T.S.K.  

You can still remember what happened without reliving it every freaking year on and on and on...

The forums on a.net relive the TWA 800 disaster every few months   and its been like 8 years. 9-11 was the most memorable day of many people's entire lives, a yearly memorial service is not out of line- plus its only been two years, I'm sure it will subside eventually. I agree though that the media does take things a bit too far in many cases.. but thats the media for ya! Its not just 9-11 that experiences it...