Echoes of 9-11

CookingWithCarlo.com, Photo essay ^ | Sept 29, 2003 | Matthew, son of Carlo3b

[carlo3b]

Echoes of 9-11

    Sorry, the echoes must have been canceled this year, and I and my family, must have missed the memo. You see, I thought we were a country at war against the terrorist and that as a nation, we were together in our outrage. Didn't I see that on TV?

There are no more echoes. The day that was to live in infamy died, I guess. On the eleventh of September, 2001,  for the first time I stood back and asked, "What can I do to help my country?" I knew I was just a thirteen year old kid, but I sought to find a way that I could make a difference- a rare thought in the rush of today's youth.

    Only 2 years past, and again we met the day that had been the most horrific since Pearl Harbor. A young man of fifteen now, I went to my upper middle class school and looked at the scene- this is what I saw...

    Had the school flag not been flown at half staff (which nobody noticed or understood), you would not have known that it was different than any other day. On my trip to school, I noticed no flags on anyone's porch... no banners, signs, or ribbons of any kind. No overt signs of patriotism. I was only a Thursday.

    I remember there being more emotion on Homecoming day than on the anniversary of 3000 innocent neighbors being incinerated. Although the administration suggested that the students wear red, white, and blue, few people did. Only in 2 out of my 7 classes was the day even briefly mentioned, and even then only in passing.  And among the students at lunchtime, I consciously listened to the conversations around me.

    Nothing. Not a word even remotely related the the day or it's meaning.

As for myself, I was frustrated that we didn't have the day off of school. I requested that my dad record the flashbacks, memorials, etc... It has been a constant source of conversation at our home (over dinner, the news) since July.

   I can't help thinking that my peers and the public at large are waiting to be told that it is now time to feel something, almost as if we need a daily laugh-track, or in the case of 9/11, a cry-track.

 What has happened to the outrage?

Matthew , American History, Sept 27, 2003

[carlo3b]

This is what the boy wrote after 9/11

Extemporaneous notes to myself, on September 11, 2001,

by Matthew

I know that forty years from now, I will be rooting through an old box and will come across this paper. I’ll brush off the dust and will immediately remember the fateful day of September 11, 2001

 What a beautiful day it was. The sun's warmth mixed with a cool breeze gave the day the sensation of life. I sat on the bus and stared out into space. I had been to the Science Place Museum on field trips many times before. I was elated and cheerful when our school bus pulled into the parking lot. I didn't see many cars in the lot, but I didn't take that into consideration at the time. We walked in a herd across the street. A car nearly hit me because I jumped out into the street so quickly. I was wearing my beige shorts and my favorite blank-white T-shirt. Over that I wore an over shirt that was blue and yellow plaid.

I made my way up the steps and got into the single file line that had been formed. A man who worked at the Science Place counted us one by one. The main lobby was empty and the gift shop closed. We were early. It was pleasantly cool inside, and the room echoed our voices playfully. After being divided into two groups, the children were given instructions. The first group went to the dissection lab and my group stayed in the lobby and waited for the Imax theater to open. I wandered around the lobby floor and decided to join the kids who were playing with the lobby camera. Just when I joined the crowd, our instructor informed us that we were not allowed in a public place. I was baffled as we all formed a line to exit the lobby. I heard someone say in the background, “The World Trade Center and Pentagon had been attacked!” I laughed and shoved it off as a joke. I thought to myself that the real reason that we had to leave was that the museum was closed that day or that they didn't have enough pig hearts.

Then I heard another voice state “ They were assaulted!” Still not believing it totally, I exited the building. When I saw the other group standing at the bottom of the steps, I had to accept it… we no longer had a World Trade Center, and the Pentagon had been attacked.
 The thought stung me, and at the time, my mind had hardly accepted it. Just before we re-entered the bus, our science teacher, Mrs. Murphy, addressed us as a group. “Our country is in a state of emergency.

The World Trade Center towers were attacked, and the Pentagon was attacked, too. I do not know anything else right now, but if you are a religious person, praying is a good idea.” “How can this happen?” I kept asking myself. The question haunted me on the drive back to Gunter. Now the day didn't seem so beautiful anymore, but rather dark and mournful. Discussion on the bus consisted of the qualifications for draft, and who might have felt inclined to attack America.

The few students who had radios kept shouting news to those of us who didn't. “They were terrorists! They hijacked and crashed planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon!” These words teased our minds for the duration of the trip. The constant bouncing of the bus and the smell of fresh laid tar enveloped us as we pondered the future, near and far......

[carlo3b]

Where is the outrage? Sorry son, I don't know.

[risk]

It's right here, because I'll never forget.

[carlo3b]

I'll stand with you!

[Diver Dave]

Where is the outrage?

I'm sailing in the same boat as risk.
The outrage is alive and well. I had the privelege of listening to Col. Oliver North speak at a ceremony honoring first responders from our area.

The leftist liberals took the opportunity to protest Col. North as the selected speaker. They just don't get it, do they?

[Roscoe]

Late night bump.

[Squantos]

My family takes the day off from school and work and makes it a day that we enjoy family and friends who care to share the day with us. My American Flag, Texas Flags both fly every day............ I'll never forget the anger , hurt and fear for our nations fragile ability to defend itself from within that day.

I believe every man and womnan today should either embrace or support the ability to defend ones self with a simple handgun. For the want of half a dozen small revolvers on board those aircraft that day we'd most likely never been exposed to the horrific atrocity that day.

Spero che i vostri giorni siano Carlo facile........... Cassaforte Di Soggiorno!!

[carlo3b]

Benedicali la vostri famiglia e. il mio amico. . grazie

[jennyp]

Had the school flag not been flown at half staff (which nobody noticed or understood), you would not have known that it was different than any other day. On my trip to school, I noticed no flags on anyone's porch... no banners, signs, or ribbons of any kind. No overt signs of patriotism. I was only a Thursday.

We didn't even have a flag to fly before 9/11/2001. We don't fly the flag every day, but we do fly it on the 11th of every month. (And of course the standard flag holidays.)

We figure a monthly flag day on every 11th of the month is a tradition that can last for generations.

[2nd amendment mama]

Carlo - How proud you must be to have raised such a thoughtful Son! It shows the character of the father!

Matthew - there are many of us who still fly the Flag, mourn the 11th of Sept and are outraged - just not enough of us though. You make me proud of the younger generation and give me hope.

[BushCountry]

The funny (dark comedy) thing about the 9/11 news coverage this year, is that if George Bush wasn't President, the media would have pushed the story to the hilt. They refused to give the story the print and air time it deserved on the theory that it would have shown Bush's presidency in a favorable light. What a pathetic myopic lot! Imagine the crocdile tears that the Media would have shed, if Slick Willy were president.

[2nd amendment mama]

I think you are right! They would have shown wjc shedding tears saying "I feel your pain" or some such crap!!!! UGH!

[OldFriend]

The leftists get it. They pray for the destruction of the idea that is America. Their model is the Soviet Union.

Many of our scientists work against our superiority.

Madame Albright announced to the world that it was not good that America was the only superpower.

Don't think for a moment that they don't get it!!!!

[Core_Conservative]

Here is a link to a good presentation - not everyone has forgotten - some will never let the date or the memories die.

http://www.fdnylodd.com/BloodofHeroes.html

[dansangel]

Your son is a wonderful, caring, empathetic young man of whom I know you are very proud. The following is for him:

Dear Matthew,

The outrage is still there, Matthew, but we are not "allowed" to show it any more. You see, when we were all taken by shock and let our bare emotions out in the open for all to see, it was acceptable to feel that way. No one had time to organize an attempt to squelch the raw emotion that came tumbling out. Two years later, the left-biased media and the ACLU-driven PC police have taken over our lives in an attempt to make us cookie-cutter people - all with the same beliefs and the same emotions.

They think they are succeeding, but they are not. There are still enough of us that are as enraged and as saddened and as determined as the day the terror attack took place. We will not be silenced. We will still grieve even though we are told we must put the past behind us move on. We will still express our anger and outrage against the terrorists, even though we are told we are bigots. We will still support our president as he fights against terrorism even though we are laughed at and scorned.

You see, Matthew, we are the "silent majority." We don't howl on TV, toss out epithets and lies and smugly sit back as the mindless sheeple hungrily devour everything we say. Those people are a minority, but they make the loudest noises and get the most publicity.

We, the righteous ones, choose to educate and express our views quietly and deliberately. We confer with God, not with our adoring fans, when we need guidance and security. We place our trust, silently and with faith, in those that are trying desperately to bring the US back to a God-loving and moral country.

We are the ones who have not forgotten - not for one minute of every waking hour - what happened on Sept. 11, 2001. We're here, Matthew, and our numbers and strength are legion. We just don't feel the need to stoop to the lowest depths to get our message across - just like those on the left have done.

And, you know what? We will prevail in the end. Yes, "it's the squeaky wheel that gets the most attention." It's also the one that usually ends up failing and falling off first.

God bless you, Matthew, and may you always have the wisdom and faith that you possess now. Do not let the buzzards get you down.

Hugs,
dansangel

(((((((Matthew))))))) and (((((((Carlo)))))))

[backhoe]

[astounded]

My flag has not come down since 9/12/2001, I light it every night. Ours is the only one left in the area that I can see. I also am one of the few that have a flag sticker on the back window of my auto - where did they all go?

[NYCop]

I will never forget what I saw that day, and upon my arrival in lower Manhattan that night. I'll never forget the horrible feeling, or the gray dust on my clothing from the ashes of the 2800 people incinerated in those Towers. I'll never let anyone around me forget it either. When I hear someone criticize this President the rage comes right back and they get me full blast. Thank God for the courage of the FDNY and NYPD, and Thank God for giving us a President with the gumption to fight back. Thank God for our Military, and pray for them, support them in any way possible, and remind anyone who'll listen that the USA didn't start this war, but we damn sure better finish it.

[.45MAN]

I thought we were a country at war against the terrorist and that as a nation, we were together in our outrage.

Matthew, we still are. We are a country of pride, deep feeling, and personal pain. A pain that has in some ways not gone away since Pearl Harbor. We are not always obvious and in your face but do not dispair, we as a country of patriotic people will prevail in the end. If you listen closely you will hear a slight rumbling of anger toward the politically correct outspoken left. We are close to the end of our patience they will find that they might be the outspoken but they are not the majority.

Matthew,don't ever give up your ideals. At times it will be hard and you will think that you are standing alone in what you believe but there are many more that feel as you do and they have not given up. Yes there were not as many flags as there should have been, but ther were thousands more than there have been in the past.

Here in Georgia in a public park there were 3,000! 5 foot flags flying that weekend. Didn't make that national news but they were there and thousands of people came to see them. This, Matthew is multiplied a hundredfold all over the country. We are not in your face with what not to do but we are behind you with what should be done. Just take the time to listen and you will hear us, as will the rest of the country and the world..

[KDD]

Where's the outrage?

I wonder.
I wondered where the outrage was in February 26, 1993 and the Islamic terrorist bombing of New York's World Trade Center which was meant to topple the city's tallest tower onto its twin, amid a cloud of cyanide gas. Had the attack gone as planned, tens of thousands of Americans would have died.

http://www.fas.org/irp/world/iraq/956-tni.htm

Clueless people.

On October 23, 1983, 243 U.S. Marines were murdered in a cowardly truck bomb attack, ending their mission to help establish peace for the people of Lebanon.

Where is the outrage?

911 was nothing new except that more people died.

On October 12, 2000, terrorist in a boat attacked the USS Cole in the harbor at Aden, Yemen. This attack killed 17 sailors and wounded over 30 others.

Where is the outrage?

The American people collectively have an attention span of a five year old.

BTW, we've been at war with Islam since at least 1968.

Where has the outrage been?