After The (CBS) Documentary

Andrew Sullivan.com ^ | 3/11/02 | Andrew Sullivan

[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.

[ALASKA]

They did show stills of the Chaplain's body being carried out. Sorry it wasn't mangled enough for you, what the hell did you want, a snuff film? Sicko

Lighten up. The American people have seen the planes hit, the buildings on fire, a few shots of jumpers, and the towers coming down, but none of the carnage of humanity that these beasts thrust upon thousands of innocent people directly and millions/billions indirectly. Many people might need to see some of this to drive home the need to persue the war on terrorism, and the need to irradicate the perpetrators from the earth for our own safety and that of future generations.

[SuziQ]

This should be played for every high school senior civics class in the country

That is actually a VERY GOOD suggestion! When I was a soph. in high school (in 1968), my World History teaher took us to an assembly which now that I think about it might have been for all the kids in the school (10th 11th and 12th grades)We sat there in the dark and were absolutely stunned and horrified by a movie depicting the Holocaust during WWII. I had NEVER seen anything about it, so it was a huge shock to me. I can still remember the footage of Jewish prisoners tossing the bodies of their dead into large pits. These bodies were no more than bones with a little skin left on them because of the starvation. This was before the 'final solution' architects came up with the idea of the ovens to get rid of the bodies so they wouldn't take up so much room, then the gas cambers so they wouldn't even have to feed them for any length of time! It reduced even the toughest of the jocks to tears.

If the high schoolers can see this, they will NEVER forget that day. They will see if from the vantage point of men who were on the scene and who witnessed the attacks and their horrific aftermath.

Like Andrew Sullivan, the image of that fireman vomiting into the trash can was very powerful. It was like he was trying to rid his body of all the evil he had witnessed. I thought the whole documentary was very well done. I didn't need to see the bodies; the sound of them crashing down and the sickened looks on the firemens' faces was enough for me. The filmmakers were there to record what the firemen were doing, not to run around and get other pictures. But I thought they were right not to film the people who were one fire, out of respect for those people and their families; they were not trying to be voyeurs.

[Publius6961]

That's the biggest load I've read in quite a while.

You are a lot more restrained and tolerant than I am!
I still find it hard to believe that was written by an uncommited adult, running around loose.

[MadelineZapeezda]

Bodies falling 80+ floors crashing on to and through the glass atrium at the front of the building. That's what the noise was. This occurred so much and proved so dangerous that the firefighters had to find another way outof the lobby after the final 'mayday' was given.

[RetiredArmy]

The one million dollar question is will the socialist liberals give a damned. Most have "moved on" and this is "old news" and not worth worring over. It is those types that need to watch this at least once a week to be reminded. I don't need the reminders. I still have a complete, clear image in my head from 9-11 without the reminders. Clear as a bell.

[PrivateIdaho]

What was the noise, exactly?

I was wondering that too. My guess is that they were landing on cars, the skywalks or the covered entry-way to the building.

It was pretty chilling when the one fireman said it was "raining bodies". Must have been many, many, many more than the photos we've seen.

[xsrdx]

What was the noise, exactly?

Not something you want to think about too long.

It was the shock wave created by the explosive vaporization of 170 pounds of water and tissue hitting the concrete at 125mph, or about 185 feet per second.

[Harrison Bergeron]

"To compare the (deliberate and restrained) response of the U.S. to the Muslim Mass Murder, to a bully beating up smaller kids is so absurd as to turn me off to whatever else you might have to say."

That's the academic talking point of the week, apparently. University professors are pumping this sewage into the heads of kids who wouldn't know oppression from decompression on a written test. My brother actually got into an argument with his daughter who brought this view home from college recently.

Glad you had the spare energy to wipe up that poop stain that lowbridge tried to disguise as a post.

[Psalm 73]

As I watched it I thought of the words of Rich Lowrey (NR), something to the effect of:
"They must all die, all of the terrorists. We must hunt them all down and kill them".
Those bastards, screw PC - hunt them down and kill them like the animals that they are.
Profile the heck out of them, any male between 18 and 40 who remotely looks to be of arab descent should be stopped, searched and questioned. Period

[section9]

The brothers did an outstanding job.

I found my heart racing as the hour of 8:46 approached, when the Battalion Chief went out with some of the guys to check the gas leak in the sidewalk.

Then the noise, then the plane, then the explosion.

And I saw one epoch of history end, and another open up, right before my eyes. This was akin to watching old films of the German infantrymen advancing into Poland or the forward magazine of the Arizona blowing up.

But the most chilling thing of all was the stuff you didn't see: the impact, someone compared it to the sound of a safe hitting the ground, of the bodies of men, women, and children, impacting at high speed onto sidewalk, through lobby glass, or against the hood of a car or firetruck.

All the excuses of the faint-hearted in the Eurotrash papers fell away every time I heard that crashing noise. Watching Father Mychal Judge mumbling his last prayers was especially wrenching. A lot of the guys you saw go up the stairs were members of Rescue One, which lost many, if not most, of its people.

Every European should sit down and be forced to watch this program.

And it should be mandatory viewing for every member of the United States Armed Forces.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Lorena]

It may all be a string of coincidences but, IMHO, this film crew was meant to be there to document the events of the day.
I totally agree with you.

[katnip]

First you must find a place to store your pictures on the web.
Try this link hit here for free picture posting.
After you have your picture uploaded to the site, you right-click on the picture,
look at Properties for the name
Then type IMG SRC="HTTP://YOURPICTURE" surrounded by "< >"

[Catspaw]

On the Live thread from last night, someone remarked that the firemen didn't show much emotion. I guess she thought they should panic and wet themselves. Thank God they put their job before their emotions, or there might have been many more dead. These firemen were heroic, truly worthy of respect and admiration.

My daughter, who was a volunteer firefighter in New Jersey (and was elected chief for 8 years) told me later that she saw the 1st plane hit and started to get dressed. Seconds after the 2nd plane hit, one of the firefighters in her company called her & said, "I'll pick you up." No need to say where they were going--they already knew. It was to the firehouse. They knew that they, like so many other fire departments in the region, would be called upon for assistance. She didn't call me before she left & by the time I called her she had changed the message on her answering machine to say, "...and Mom, don't call me.... The dispatch number is _________." They spent the next week or so coordinating the fire companies in NJ, NY, and surrounding areas so they could shuttle up trucks, equipment & supplies up to Queens--that's where there's a large muni garage, a staging area. She said from time to time, she'd start to lose it, but she shoved it to the back of her mind--that's what the firefighters were doing to survive and to keep going, because they were professionals and had a job to do. She said the FDNY needed her more than bawling her eyes out because she'd be useless to them. She said the hardest thing to do was to give up hope that no persons would be getting out alive from the horror.

When she finally did call, she was finally able to let it all out. It was the roughest phone call we've ever had.

[Publius6961]

Thank you. I realize that most if not all responding to this thread do so maily from emotional response.
That a lot of emotion is barely beneath the surface is palpable. Whether it's limitless grief or anger is unimportant, it's humanity speaking.
For the most part. There are still a few who seem blissfully unaware that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
Some even call us bullies. Makes one wonder.

[Mo1]

I still have a complete, clear image in my head from 9-11 without the reminders. Clear as a bell.

As do I ..

In all honesty I don't know what to make of the socialist liberals .. in their case I would have to agree with those that say the bodies should be shown as the smash to to ground.

As for others like myself .. the noise was enough to understand the horror of that day

[Mo1]

When she finally did call, she was finally able to let it all out. It was the roughest phone call we've ever had.

Thank you for sharing your story with us all

[carton253]

In all honesty I don't know what to make of the socialist liberals .. in their case I would have to agree with those that say the bodies should be shown as the smash to to ground.

If 9/11 did not changed their thinking, showing bodies smashing on the ground will not either.

They (socialist liberals) feel very smug and superior because they have taken the moral high road...

Let them have it. They'll find out sooner or later that they are on a path leading nowhere.

[Mo1]

Some even call us bullies. Makes one wonder.

Well I haven't been called a bully .. but I could mention other names I've been called .. LOL

I see you point .. I force myself to see things that I really don't want to .. I guess because it is the truth .. it is reality and I tend to deal with reality alot better then shielding myself

With that said .. I still think the 9/11 show last night was well done .. and yes I had alot of emotions watching it .. truth be told .. and the end when the played "Danny Boy" .. I lost it and was a complete mess

Yes it was an emotion but it doesn't mean I don't understand what has happen and what needs to be done..

As a poster above mentioned about her daughter the Fire Fighter .. you have to suck it up and get the job done ..

[VOA]

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