The HBO World Trade Center Special

[ml/nj]

I'm watching.

I didn't know if I would watch. I thought the NY Times article today about the phone calls from those who were trapped was tasteless. I didn't read it.

I'm angry again. Not that I've stopped being angry, but I'm angry again. At this point I have two new (for me) thoughts.

The first is that President Bush (so far missing from the show) blew it big time. We were all united on that day, and he has let the political midgets separate us again; and we've really done nothing to avenge the massacre, and little to prevent the next one.

My second thought is that I've seen and heard a lot of nameless Americans so far. Black, White, Hispanic, Asian - I've seen no Arabs. None. These are mostly random pictures taken during the chaos. I've seen lots of Orthodox Jews. Surely there are more Arabs living in NYC than Orthodox Jews? No Arabs.

ML/NJ

[Glenn]

Well done film, in my opinion. Putting together all of the film and photography was brilliant. Also brilliant was Rudy. The man should be president someday.

[Senator Pardek]

I did, and thought it was the finest thing they have ever done.

I've lived in the NYC suburbs for 34 years (save for my time in college) where the NYT is everywhere - and you're right on target.

[Howlin]

The first is that President Bush (so far missing from the show) blew it big time. We were all united on that day, and he has let the political midgets separate us again; and we've really done nothing to avenge the massacre, and little to prevent the next one.

First of all, this was a show ABOUT New York, not about George W. Bush. Hell, Pataki didn't say ONE WORD.

And for the rest of your statement, if YOU are divided, that is YOUR fault. 80 percent of us are NOT.

[ml/nj]

If I hear one more time that "Bush blew it", I'm going to get sick! What was he supposed to do?! How about, "Clinton blew it!". That idiot was in office ALOT longer through other terrorist attacks and DID NOTHING!!

Sorry, but I'm talking about after Sept 11. What did Bush do? He flew the Stainmaker halfway around the World so that lowlife could get to Manhatten before the President. Sure the Stainmaker bears the major reponsibility for allowing Sept 11 to happen, but do you really think our response after Sept 11 would have been much different if Gore had won?

ML/NJ

[finnman69]

Agreed. The NY Times article was very well done considering what a difficult subject it is. Watching the 9/11 special hit me so much harder than I would have thought it could, and I saw people jump and the towers fall with my own eyes from midtown. Afterwards I was glad to have had my complacent ass kicked up and down by the show. We CAN'T forget this day!

[Ross Amann]

The Times has "all the news that fits."

Not a word on why there was no escape from the roof for the 2,500 trapped above the impact zones. No mention that Los Angeles requires tall buildings to have a heliport on the roof. Not a word that the NYPD evacuated people from the roof in 1993 (the first bombing). Not a word that the NYFD went ape-sh*t that police were doing the fireman's job - so all such rescues were outlawed from then on.

Interesting information but it definitely "doesn't fit."

[Howlin]

I'm not divided, are you?

[Pharmboy]

I watched it my wife and daughters 10, 12 and 14 y/o. We were transfixed. We live in Manhattan, but our 14 y/o said "That was worse than it was!"

I told her that was only because we live above 59th Street.

[finnman69]

I can't believe how powerful that footage was. Shockingly powerful. And it was in our city.

[Howlin]

We're arguing about how well we treat Taliban prisoners?

The last time I looked, Bush and Rumsfeld had control of those prisoners, nobody else. Nobody seems to be arguing with them.

Give me a break.

You do sound like you may need one; perhaps during your break, you could read up on what's really going on in the world.

[Howlin]

The media are the only ones attacking him along with Hillary, Daschle, and Gebhardt.

You forgot to mention those among us who love to trash Bush at every occasion. You know, the people on "our" side, supposedly.

[Utah Girl]

Well, you know...I'm not. I'm just tired of divisiveness. If we conservatives on FR are at each other's throats, then all that energy is wasted. We could be using that energy to defeat the Dems come November. But then, some people don't want to do that because they might have to compromise. (Rant is not directed at you, Howlin...) :)

[estrogen]

We're arguing about how well we treat Taliban prisoners? Give me a break.

Give me a break, it's the liberal members of our congress who are worrying about the treatment of Taliban, the liberal members who are trying to discredit Bush at every turn. They make me sick .

[xrp]

I thought the top of the 2 towers was too obscured by smoke for helicopters to attempt landings.

[cowgirlcutie]

As I said before, he has pantywaist DemocRATs to deal with who cry and stomp their feet because the word "evil" came out of his mouth in regards to the people who caused this horror and atrocity on 9/11. What do you propose that we do about the liberals who damn him if he does and and damn him if he doesn't?

[finnman69]

I always thought Rudy would be a fabulous president. Too bad some FReepers have no vision beyond their pure partisan ideology. They would be unsupportive of him because he is not a far right pro life candidate. The man is a great leader.

[Howlin]

Fortunately, George Bush has more class than you do; he did the RIGHT thing, not the mean, nasty, vindictive thing; he treated a FORMER president, whether WE like him or not, the way a FORMER president should be treated.

[Howlin]

I was so glad it was only an hour long. It was brutal.

[Senator Pardek]

Gimme a break. First of all, access to the roof was electronically blocked, and the means to change that were disabled during the attack.

Second of all, the NYPD did dispatch copters, but gave up when they realized that the smoke was too heavy for an approach. Anyway, anyone who was lucky enough to make it to the top would have died from smoke inhalation within a minute.

Do I have to post a photo?

[alnick]

I heard that helicopters couldn't rescue the people on the roof becaues the heat was too intense for the helicopters to get close.