The tower 'jumpers' were murdered

ACCORDING to the New York Medical Examiner's Office, no one jumped from the hellish towers on that awful September day in Lower Manhattan. This despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Evidence like grotesque photos and video shots of the trapped victims jumping from the smoke-billowing, flame-ravished upper storeys of the 1,400ft buildings. Like the testimony of horrified spectators. Like the mangled bodies which spattered the large plaza between South and North Towers. Like the bodies which were found on the roof of the 22-storey Marriott Hotel, and the bodies which crashed through the VIP driveway awning on Tower 1's west side. Like the fact that at least one of the jumpers killed rescue personnel and/ or bystanders. Like the fact that an investigation by USA Today and ABC News revealed that more than 200 people jumped to their certain death.

But there are compelling reasons for the Medical Examiner's reluctance to classify the victims as "jumpers". "Jumper" is a term used to classify someone who deliberately and knowing plunges off a building to certain death. That's suicide. The 200 or so individuals who made the horrendous decision to jump on the morning of September 11 were forced to do so by fire, the smoke, the heat, the inexorable inevitability of death. In effect they did not jump. They were pushed. Homicide.

Suicide carries a taboo; the bereaved were entitled to protection from distressing images of their loved ones.

There was also a political consideration. In steeling America for the counter-terrorism war against Al Qa'ida, the victim numbers counted. There were 2,823 early and cruel deaths, 1,300 orphans and countless suicides arising from post-traumatic stress.

Many images haunted spectators and survivors. Images like the dust-lady (Marcy Border) staggering away, that of fireman Mike Kehoe rushing up the stairwell, but the image that has etched itself into the Western mind is of the people trapped above or near the impact points on the two towers. Of those working above the 84th floor on the South Tower, only 16 survived. (They had evacuated in the 16 minutes between the two air-strikes.) Of those on or above floor 91 on North Tower (impact 94th to 98th floors), no one survived. It was these people trapped in the upper reaches of the towering infernos who were left with the pitiful choice between the devilish flames and the sky.

The bereaved are individuals, not a category. They all react differently. One 12-year-old who lost her dad still watches only the Food Channel because it's the only channel guaranteed not to show images from September 11.

But others like Jean Coleman, who lost two sons, employees of Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor have scoured all the photos, amateur video clips and TV footage to try to identify their relatives and figure out their states of mind.

The picture that has emerged from last phone calls, photographic evidence, emails and the 16 South Tower evacuees is truly terrifying, but also inspiring. There was panic, but most strove to survive, helped others, and many stoically accepted their fate and phoned love-messages to their loved ones. Urgent phone calls were made to the lobby fire control. The advice was to stay put. Some tried to evacuate via stairwells. All were driven back by the flames and smoke.

Others tried to make their way up to the roof, hoping for a helicopter rescue, but the roof exit doors were shut and a helicopter rescue was ruled out by emergency services.

Others phoned to tell relatives they were OK or to find out what had happened. Steve Tomsett on the 106th floor used his computer to ask his family, who were watching TV, for "updates". Shortly after, as the smoke and intense heat reached his floor, he emailed simply, "I'm scared."

Others trapped on the North Tower used their computers to break the windows, gasping for air and leaning out, looking for respite and rescue. Some peeled off their tops and waved them despairingly. Others made the awful decision and jumped.

They jumped singly, in pairs, in groups. Their bodies hurtling down at 140mph. From below they looked at first like debris. Then onlookers realised that they were humans. Some of them retched.

Those trapped in the South Tower were caught between a primal urge to flee and official advice that their building was "secure". But when some, like Andrecia Douglin-Traill on the 92nd floor, saw the North Tower jumpers, they decided to run. She was saved.

Indeed, many of the successful evacuees from the top floors of the South Tower testified later that it was the ghoulish sight of the jumpers which convinced them to flee.

For Jean Coleman it was important to track down her sons she found them in a photo which appeared in the New York Times. The two boys, Scott and Keith, were hanging out of adjacent windows. She felt the photo showed they were "relatively" serene. You see what you want to see. And you get closure.

Most people in America never wanted to see the pictures of the trapped people and non-jumpers. The images burned a passionate resentment into the soul.

When I think of the jumpers I wonder why we simply haven't nuked the entire midEast yet.

Mmmm, maybe because there are many people there who are no more guilty of their government's policies then the jumpers were of their government's policies?

Sorry, did I just violate one of the posting rules?

>>>>>>The Saudi monarchy might hate such an emergence of democratic and representative government in its wretchedly ill-ruled region, but Washington understandably cares less and less for the concerns of a dubious ally whose nationals formed the bulk of the Sept. 11 terrorists.>>>>>>>

This is quite clear...it was a Saudi invasion... We will never forget.....

When I see pictures of people falling from the towers I cannot help but remember the words of another soldier who took up the sword against so called "peaceful" terrorists.
"KILL THEM ALL. NITS MAKE LICE".

I'm saying that regardless of whether or not our government's policies towards the region were ethical (and I would say there are legitimate criticisms that can be made of it), it did not in any way justify the murder of innocent civilians on Sept. 11. My point is that likewise, those attacks do not justify any retaliatory murder of innocent civilians elsewhere.

I want to see the organizers and perpetrators of the attack killed, preferably painfully, along with all others who might be planning similar or worse atrocities against us. I'm asking that people acknowledge, at least in principle, the difference between guilt and innocence.

Another self righteous type taking an understandable expression of emotion as an opportunity to either a)flog their ideological opposition or b)demonstrate their superior intellect. Disgusting.

My point is that likewise, those attacks do not justify any retaliatory murder of innocent civilians elsewhere.

If, in targeting terrorists, some innocent civilians die (as they've done in Afghanistan), then the fault for that lies with the government that harbors terrorists.

Wringing our hands over a few dead innocents when our very survival is at stake is out of proportion, it seems to me.

As far as innocents are concerned, we do what we can. As far as terrorists are concerned, we do what we MUST!

If nothing else, this article brings to my heart the dire need to make not just the murderers of the Middle East pay, but to make those of our own nation who shamelessly, brainlessly, and (above all) gutlessly open their pathetic bleeding hearts in support of the poor, defenseless BIN LADENITES whom our own "Great Satan" government appears to want to harm over something it brought on itself!

The Commiecrat Liberals who sympathize with and offer justification for the Jihad, and who blame their own United States of America, deserve the most gruesome deaths of all of those we dish it out to over this attrocity. THEY, are the Great Satan!!!

maybe [we simply haven't nuked the entire midEast yet] because there are many people there who are no more guilty of their government's policies then the jumpers were of their government's policies?

Under your logic, as there are people in every nation whom "are no more guilty of their government's policies then the jumpers were of their government's policies," we shouldn't bomb any nation that attacks us (or harbors a terrorist group that attacks us)?

Another self righteous type taking an understandable expression of emotion as an opportunity to either a)flog their ideological opposition or b)demonstrate their superior intellect. Disgusting.

Or how 'bout c)speak up for innocents. Obviously somebody's gotta do it around here. And I don't have any problem at the expressions of rage. I just want the rage to be directed at the right targets. What's so disgusting about that?

As far as innocents are concerned, we do what we can. As far as terrorists are concerned, we do what we MUST!

I agree with that sentiment completely. It's just that the poster I was responding to seemed to actually want to target civilians.

"Jumping under these circumstances is not suicide. When you know you're going to die whatevery you do, you have the right to choose the least painful way to die."

Yep. 9-11: never forget.

Under your logic, as there are people in every nation whom "are no more guilty of their government's policies then the jumpers were of their government's policies," we shouldn't bomb any nation that attacks us (or harbors a terrorist group that attacks us)?

Not indiscriminately. I agree there are certain things we have to do. Nuking isn't one of them - and certainly not nuking the entire region. That's nothing but a feel-good option that would be completely bereft of any sort of moral principle. Sorry if I'm delving into abstract concepts here, but such things mean something to me and to plenty of other Americans too.

"What a pointless article. Or a braindead writer."

...Or a member of the leftist "intellectual elite", which is redundant.

I must admit that my "nuke" comment was more an expression of frustration than a serious foreign policy suggestion. However, I think you are being overly generous in spirit to the "civilian" population of these countries and whether they share their leaders' views. There has been plenty of coverage over the years of how the rank and file are taught, through religion and otherwise, to hate America with a passion.

I never read such a heart rendering story in my life. The excerpt that you published fails to say if she survived or not. Her injuries sounded like she did not, but I was wondering if she made it or not.

The law considers this murder. Its called a depraved-heart homicide, when the actions of the perp drive the victim to suicide. Oh so knowledgable and sophisticated Europeans, particularly from another common law jurisdiction, should know this.

Jumping under these circumstances is not suicide. When you know you're going to die whatevery you do, you have the right to choose the least painful way to die.

Absolutely.

We saw a similar nightmare in Sao Paulo Brazil in 1974

I saw that when I was twelve and will never forget it. The media did us a disservice in not showing people falling out of the building. (As long as they couldn't be identified by loved ones).

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