Archive through September 11, 2002
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TV ClubHouse: Archive: Disgusted with September 11 hype: Archive through September 11, 2002

Maris

Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 09:47 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Maybe they have promoted such suspicion because of so many people screaming that we had no warning. Even though they had no specific information communications in Al Quaeda had increased dramatically prior to September 11 and the administration received a lot of criticism for not rasing any alert. Their defense at the time was we had no specific information.

So now they will issue alerts even if they have no specific information. It is not beyond all possibility that there could be an attack on the anniversary and their caution to americans to be extra vigilant particularly in restaurants and in areas of congregation is not an unreasonable warning.

Would it be better for them to say nothing? Common sense would say be careful tomorrow, be observant. That is the new reality on this side of the ocean, something we have never had to deal with before.

Mamaanja

Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 09:48 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Dahli said ".....the world is but one country and mankind its citizens" I wonder, who governs this world? Is it capitalist, communist? Is it a dictatorship or do all the former countries have elective representation? Are we free to practice our religions? Can we freely speak badly about our new country/world? Do they tell me how many children I can have and what they must be taught? Just wondering....

Laluna

Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 09:51 am EditMoveDeleteIP
On the eve of the Sept. 11 anniversary, Attorney General John D. Ashcroft will raise the nation's threat level to "orange" today because of a specific and credible report of possible terrorist attack, sources said today.

Under the alert system, orange signifies that federal departments and agencies should consider coordinating with armed forces and law enforcement; take additional precautions at public events; prepare to move to an alternate site; and restrict access to essential personnel only.

Full story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61864-2002Sep10.html

Goddessatlaw

Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 09:59 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I prefer to be braced rather than surprised. I'm glad for the warnings, and I'm even more glad when they fail to pan out.

Thefan

Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 03:27 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
As has been brought up, we have to move forward.

But we must also never forget and process through our grief.

It is extremely hard for me to watch almost anything, I have to take it in stages at this point.

We all have our own pace, we all have our own process to go through.

I hope for at least tomorrow everyone can find some sort of comfort or hope for a better future.

Ocean_Islands

Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 03:46 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm going to work tomorrow at my job in Boston on the 32nd floor of a high rise office building that overlooks the airport.

I've thought of 9/11 every day I have been in the building since then last year. I'll think of it tomorrow.

When you see the planes take off, and approach your building, it's pretty frightening. But it happens hundreds of times each day. They soon swerve to the side, but it's quite unnerving.

Nobody is going to be forgetting 9/11 after only one year.

But I'd prefer to watch the airport, seeing planes that take off every moment of the day than watch the coverage of last year. Four people from my office were killed in those planes, so memorials are planned tomorrow.

I think everyone should experience the anniversary in their own way and for me the media is not going to have any part of it.

Allietex

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 01:13 am EditMoveDeleteIP
In San Antonio, the local newspaper ran a very quiet tasteful message on television. It spoke of how on Wednesday Americans would be remembering the events of Sept. 11. It spoke of how painful these memories would be. It also remarked that the only alternative to remembering was forgetting, and that we must not do.

I know no one needs pictures and reruns to help them remember, but to me the memorials will be kind of like a funeral. Last year the events were so painful, so devasting that it was almost unbearable. As the coverage faded, there seemed to be so many loose threads. It was like the body was found, but there was no funeral. (I am speaking of the event as a whole, not inviduals)

And as for the cupcakes, there will always be tacky and tasteless people who take advantage of every tragedy. And if there seems to be a lot of hype, remember that each network, each church, each organization wants to honor the people lost. The media is not one huge entity. It is made up of thousands of invividuals and organizations. When you look at the whole, it seems excessive, but when you look at each as an indivual it does not seem so bad. Would you have only one network, for example present a memorial and the rest continue on with normal programming? Seems a little unrealistic to me. Yes, I hope they listen to Mrs. Bush's concern for the children and restrict the playing of the graphic scenes, but even if they don't, I can not fault them. They are showing history. It must be their choice what they show, as it is every citizen's right to choose what they will watch.

I think that this year's memorials can help us heal. We almost need to go through the pain. I think many of us are still in a stage of denial. We need to move on and I think this can help.

Some people may not need the memorials, but I really feel as a nation as a whole we need it. The years to come will have memorials but they will fade with time just as Pearl Harbor has faded. Because we remember we do not forget. I hope you understand my meaning in that statement and do not just say Duh! The memory is there but the pain has faded.

But the pain from September 11 is still raw. We still bleed. I do not feel the memorials are excessive. I think they are needed. You know a funeral is not for the dead it is for the living, to help them accept what has happened, deal with it and move on. That is how I will approach September 11, 2002.

Carigsby

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 07:03 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I've struggled with how I felt about the nonstop coverage today and after seeing parts of it this morning - I came to realize that this anniversary is not about one day. It is about the entire past year.

Our entire year - from Sept. 11, 2001 until today has been emersed in this event - from the recovery effort to the war on terrorism to the suicide missions in the Middle East that many of us wouldn't have paid very much attention to in the past.

Tomorrow is in a way a new year for us and I think the events planned for today are needed as a sort of closure to the past year that has been so hurtful. Not that any of these feelings will go away or that the war we are currently in will be ended - but at least we can look back, remember, and move ahead.

Marysafan

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 07:24 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Move ahead to what...another war...with Iraq?

I am finding myself more terrified that ever this morning.

Whowhere

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 07:48 am EditMoveDeleteIP
If that's what it takes to prevent this from happening again, then yes, another war. We can't sit around, blindly going through life knowing that Saddam Hussein is acquiring the power to do much more damage than we saw on 9/11, and just hope and pray he doesn't. We have to stop him BEFORE he has that capability. We can't rely on 'hope' anymore.

Most people (including victims’ families) want to hear that our President is doing what he can to prevent this act of war from happening ever again. Some people are ready to give their lives to protect their country, just like the men and women who sacrificed their lives through many different wars to make our country the most powerful and the greatest country in the world.

http://Globalsecurity.org

Faerygdds

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 07:58 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Who... answer me this... If we DO get Saddam... who will be put in his place in the power structure.. and HOW will they react to turbulent times???

Will they be better??? worse??? Will they be just as ready to go to war with us??? Will they be willing to forge ahead in peace???

It's not hope that kept Saddam in power... it was KNOWLEDGE... we knew what he would do.. we know when he is up to no good... he's obvious and predictable about it... do you REALLY want to put someone in his place with no knowledge of how they will be???


And BTW... WE have the capability to destroy whole countries... should WE be wiped off the planet before WE do something worse than 9/11???
Frankly... I think something should be done about Saddam and his building weapons... but I will NOT agree to a PRE-EMPTIVE strike of the nature that our President wants. there are still other measures that can be taken before we jump ahead to war...

Rissa

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:02 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I want to ask you all something, but don't know if I can get it out coherently. Bear with me. LOL I was a wreck last year. My grandmother died Sept. 10th, Sept 11th happened and then on the 16th a very good family friend (only 31 yrs old with two little girls) died in a plane crash. My husband called me Sept. 11th and told me to turn on the TV, *something* had happened in NY. I turned on CNN in time to watch the 2nd plane hit tower 2 'live'. For 4 days I did not bathe, eat or for that matter communicate with anyone besides here when I came to check up on more news. I sat in front of the TV and just cried. My girls were afraid of going to school, because my husband's office tower was given a *warning*. Don't think it was a serious concern (Calgary) but I think it had something to do with some of the companies who held offices there. The girls DID go to school though and my husband moved into our condo that we keep downtown as an investment property because he needed to be onsite in case there was a problem. So I was alone and in shock for days. We live in the country and there was supposed to be no aircraft allowed in those first few days. Well, we had a couple go over.. maybe they were military, I never looked. The first time it happened, I quite literally jumped off my couch and looked for somewhere to hide before I caught myself. Then I started bawling again and called hubby who tried to reassure me that Okotoks (very small town south of Calgary) was NOT, and never would be, a prime target. LOLOL

Could keep going but I think most of us were in the same boat so the rambling is not required. My question is this..... DID you in fact have a similiar experience last year? If you did, do you think it is affecting the way you react to the news coverage today? I totally immersed myself in the experience last year but I feel now that I have dealt with the shock, pain and fear. The TV is NOT calling to me for these rememberance events. I have no interest in watching or hearing anything about it. I guess what I am saying is that I don't need closure because of all that I put myself through when it happened.

Look around you. Are the people in your life who are most affected by the one year anniversary the ones who seemed least affected last year? <not saying they didn't care, but that they didn't go through a shock session like I and many others did.> Are the ones who were total basket-cases last year, moving on to a greater extent? Did any of this make any amount of sense? :)

Goddessatlaw

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:18 am EditMoveDeleteIP
The predictable thing about Saddam Hussein is that he is a mass murderer - proven and docketed. What is different now is that he is within months of being able to carry out his mass murders, which he's practiced on his own people, on a global scale. The first target he will go after will be Israel with the intent of murdering Jews and also drawing the United States once and for all into a war which pits the U.S. and Israel against just about every other Middle Eastern Country. This is what's predictable about him, too. The point is to remove a mass murderer from power before he is able to effectuate these motives. The time is now, not AFTER he has these capacities. There are plenty of opposition leaders and other potential leaders who are not known mass murderers. We can disarm the country from weapons of mass destruction and open the environment for the Iraqi people, who do no generally support Hussein but are under an absolute reign of terror, to insert a leader who has their best interest, not international war, in mind. This is not a case where the devil you know is better than the one you don't. Whowhere, I support your posts on this matter entirely.

Carigsby

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:29 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Thank you, Goddess. I tried to post my feelings in a coherent fashion and it wasn't working, so I didn't post at all. You spoke my view eloquently.

Faerygdds

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:30 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Goddess... I'm not disagreeing with you or who, but the gov't has kept him in power this long because between he and his predecessors... HE is considered the most reasonable and sane...

I know that sounds sick and twisted because he is everything you say, but *I* have been brought to understand that what will come after his fall is much worse.

We are not under a reign of terror from Saddam... he gets cocky.. we go in and show him a little humilty... he sucks it up and behaves for a few years... rinse and repeat.

Other Presidents have wanted to take out Saddam in the past, but our gov't and military forces have said NO... because like I said.. he is supposedly the reasonable one. Frankly.. if that's reasonable.. I don't want to see the UNreasonable ones in power... call me crazy, but that's just how I feel.

I'm not basing this on so called UNKNOWNS, but rather by evidence presented to me by those who know... that's all I'll say on it...

Goddessatlaw

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:33 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Carigsby, thank you - I've violated my own policy of not talking politics a couple of times in the past day or so, but I really wanted to give Whowhere a little support on this. She's been banging the drum alone, and I wanted her to know there's plenty of agreement out there. Unfortunately, my cousin and brother are going to be in the middle of this conflict, so it's hard to reconcile my fears for them with my belief this must happen. But they sure believe, so I support them with all my heart.

Whowhere

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:34 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Thank you Goddess....I get the feeling that the majority of posters at this site are Democrats (or oppose Bush-or both) and I get sooooo angry....your post brought me comfort.

Max

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:36 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Rissa,
It makes sense to me! :)

I didn't go into as much shock as you did, but I did "go there" to some extent. For the first hour or so, all I could do was watch news (I had two different TVs going) and post here as events unfolded (that was tremendously helpful - see my post in the Message Board area to Everyone). A friend from the east coast managed to call me and we shared some thoughts. Then, I realized there might be people from my company in New York on business and I better get to the office and see what needed to be communicated to employees (I'm the internal communications manager).

I have a TV in my office and so does my boss. We had them on constantly throughout the 24/7 coverage period (it's such a blur, I don't even remember how many days that was). Same thing at home. I was pretty much glued to the set.

It was the first time in my life that I've been so numbed by an event that I didn't want to eat. If you knew me, you'd know that's a HUGE signal that I was rocked to my socks by the situation.

It's hard for me to realize that it's been a year. Just doesn't seem like it at all. Today, I put my flag at half-mast and put my window flags on my car (usually I only fly them in parades 'cause they hit the paint, but today is an exception). As I came to work, I noticed that very few cars were flying flags. By contrast, last year after September 11 occurred, just about every car had a flag. People scrambled to buy flags and you couldn't find ANY in this town at all after the 12th. I guess it's been a year after all. People move on and that's good. I just hope folks don't forget.

I don't know about how today's coverage will affect individuals. For me, I'm avoiding most of it, although I'll watch some tonight. We are making TVs available for employees all day if they want to watch some of the continual coverage. We posted a small memorial message on our intranet site, along with a poll asking how people feel about the media coverage. We'll see.

I'm sort of on a rollercoaster today, emotionally. I get that way when folks talk about sad things and this is, of course, one of the saddest days to recall. I now have four events on my list of "I'll always remember exactly where I was when.... happened":
  • President Kennedy's assassination
  • John Lennon's murder
  • The Challenger explosion
  • 09/11/01

God bless each and every one of you and keep you safe.

Goddessatlaw

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:38 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I understand, Faerrygdds, and please always understand that I respect your views. We come at this from very differing experiences and perspectives, and each are equally valid. All I can proffer is that, while I have no additional information regarding what's going on over there, I know plenty of people who do. To a one they have insisted this action is necessary and of an immediate need for action. I have faith that we will be given as much proof as possible when the time comes, but also understand that there are many things we will just never know. If we could remove Saddam without war and effectuate the UN inspection disarmament requirements for Iraq at the same time, no one in their right minds would consider war the most reasonable response. But it does not appear these contingencies are possible, and so we must protect ourselves the best we can. As always, hoping for the best and bracing for the worst.

Faerygdds

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:39 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Who... don't get angry... I think we all agree that there is a problem... we just disagree on the solution.

Whowhere

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:40 am EditMoveDeleteIP
One
By Cheryl B. Sawyer Ed.D

As the soot and dirt and ash rained down,
We became one color.
As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning buildings,
We became one class.
As we lit candles of waiting and hope,
We became one generation.
As the firefighters and police officers fought their way into the inferno,
We became one gender.
As we fell to our knees in prayer for strength,
We became one faith.
As we whispered or shouted words of encouragement,
We spoke one language.
As we gave our blood in lines a mile long,
We became one body.
As we mourned together our great loss,
We became one family.
As we cried tears of grief and loss,
We became one soul.
As we retell with pride of the sacrifice of heroes,
We become one people.

We are one color, one class, one generation, one gender, one faith, one language, one body, one family, one soul, one people.

We are The Power of One. We are United. We are America.

Sbw

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:43 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Who... I think you are right about board politics. I support you but I can't say anything, I end up moderated! :)

Faerygdds

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:46 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Totally agree with you Goddess... I just hope we can actually work this one out without having to go to a full scale pre-eptive attack. I would hate to think that in our grief and anger we turned into the "bad guys". Like I said... I think we all agree that there is a problem and something should be done, and I'm not toally againt going in and showing Saddam a little humility... as we have done over the last 10 years... but to start a full scale war with a complete pre-emptive strike... not so sure that's the best idea.

I always respect the views of other posters. :)

It's one of the great things about this forum... we are able to discuss things civilly and reasonably without hurting each other.

My hope for this coming year is that we, as a country, find the peace and wisdom to do the right thing, not just the justafiable thing.... does that make sense?

Faerygdds

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:49 am EditMoveDeleteIP
who.. thanks for posting the poem... it's really lovely! :)

Azriel

Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 08:57 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Goddess, I'm glad you violated that policy because you have stated eloquently my own position. I've been following behind you in threads saying, 'YES!'

Whowhere, thanks for speaking up, too. That poem was very moving.