Posted on 03/11/2002 5:53:56 AM PST by veronica
I feel drained now, just with the images of it.
The playful innocence of that morning; the boyish enthusiasm of the “probie” fire-fighter; the sudden noise of a plane too low; the confusion of the first hit; the denial; the helplessness in the lobby of Tower 1;
Father Judge muttering his last prayers, as he paced the floor; the dread in the eyes of so many fire-fighters, about to enter the inferno; the foul, heart-stopping sound of bodies plunging to the ground; the dazed group of workers emerging from a suddenly-released elevator; the unforgettable footage under a car
as dust – human dust – swirled through the air, turning it black, and then darting around like specs of plankton under water; the crowds of bewildered, terrified people running and walking and screaming and pointing on the streets; a strong man and experienced fire-fighter vomiting into the Fire House trash-can upon his return; the ashen quiet of white-powdered streets in the aftermath; the bemused, almost deranged, calm of an old, heavy businessman slowly walking away from Tower 1, not thinking even to wipe his dust-covered glasses;
the strained and numbed relief of those finding their brothers are alive; the bleakness of those who weren’t so lucky. I would say I’m glad to be reminded, as one fire fighter put it, of “how evil evil can be.”
But there is no gladness. It is simply a good thing that we remember that we are still at war; that the enemy launched it with a callousness that should banish any doubts about the morality of our cause; and that, when resolve falters, we remember the people and civilization we’re fighting for and the thousands of victims who have already paid the price.
In an odd way, having seen it all again, I feel less afraid of what lies ahead, and more eager to get on with it.
The simple virtue of those rescuers remind us of what human beings are capable of, and the invincible character of the civilization they are a part of, however ruthless the evil arrayed against it.
Sicko
But hearing the bodies hit, plus watching the second tower fall...couldn't do it. Started bawling and had to turn it off.
Let's put it this way .. if we don't fight and win this evil war .. there will be no Enron, K-Mart or oil to worry about
I am still amazed that the Committee's on Enron have been packed and yet when I see a Committe on Our National Security .. barely a Senator or Congressman/women can be found .. AMAZING!!!
And the one firefighters comment, to the effect that he (paraphrasing) "couldn't imagine how bad it was, if the best available option was to JUMP". Precisely what millions of others watching were thinking. How do you even begin to comprehend that decision.
The reaction of those guys in the lobby when they heard the impacts, showed me all I needed to see.
The battalion fire chief, on film, hearing the first plane overhead, and WATCHING IT fly into the first tower.
The same guy, and the look on his face in the lobby of Tower 1 as he heard Tower 2 collapse.
NYFD firemen, tough, steely eyed and in full battle gear, ready for ANYTHING, looking stunned and yet full of resolve.
Absolutely amazing, Pulitzer Prize to the Nth material.
That's a pretty extreme response. I think the poster wanted Americans to stay angry. You may disagree with his desired means, but we must stay determined.
That wasn't an editorial decision, that was the sensitivity of the filmmaker. He opten not to film falling and burning bodies. In his words, "Nobody should see this." I think he captured the events with professionalism rarely seen in TV documentaries these days. Ths sound of the bodies hitting the pavement and the looks on the firefighter's faces was enough for me.
Off the subject but just as outrageous, our local paper The News Herald (Willoughby,Ohio) has ENOUGH IS ENOUGH above the story of the six month anniversary of 9/11.
The paper has decided on it's own not to include any pictures of that day because in their opinion, we've had enough.'
Sorry that you feel that way.
There is a lot more going on here than simple how we are "feeling".
I am the world's biggest wimp, and avoid the sight of blood at all costs, including my own, but.
I know that there are instances when I would force myself, no question, not only to look but to act. There is not much point in dwelling on what those might be, suffice to sat that the thought itself is painful.
We have been chosen by fate to live this event; it is extraordinary and a defining moment for the character of any nation, and I see it as one of those events that all of us would rather not experience.
I would view the unedited tape. I would force myself to. If for no other reason than to defy those weak of spirit as well as heart who would rather avoid, evade and forget, and mouth inanities like "lowering ourselves to their level".
I can never forget Winston Churchill's words:
No nation has ever been saved from extinction by 'good men'.
Gee maybe we should write to this paper and ask them .. Just how many dead American's will be enough for them
My Parents Generation said never forget Pearl Habor
My generation will say never forget 9/11
I don't want my childrens generation to say never forget _____
Sorry your vision of a blood and guts propaganda piece was dampened. The filmmaker didn't film burning or pulverized bodies out of respect for the dead and dying. He was there, recording events, period. I wasn't there, you weren't there... he was. And from the looks of the video, he was filming with the awe and compassion and bravery of the firefighters whom he accompanied. I wouldn't be so arrogant to judge him as a media shill or propagandist.
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