This was the day of the World Trade Center attack. I remember laying in be that morning hearing that a plane had just crashed into one of the WTC buildings. I thought to myself “What a weird joke”.
I began my day like normal, had a shower, got dressed, ate breakfast, then went to work. I began checking my daily webpages, and it began to feel like the world was ending. Every website I visited I saw pictures, video, or eyewitness testimony to what was happening.
The horrible acts of a few have hurt so many people. I am happy that the ones I love are safe from this, but I can’t help but feel sad for those that have been affected.
I sat at work all day long scanning various news sites in some attempt to comprehend what just happened. I tried to make sense of something that made no sense.
Sure the perpetrators had their reasons. But I can’t comprehend hating a culture so much that I would take my life in the attempt to destroy that culture.
In the aftermath I can’t help but wonder if the devastation that was caused was intentional, or was the falling of the two WTC buildings something that was planned?
Slowly the world around me bagan to return to normal. I think back to Sept 11, 2001 and think to myself that the world has changed. I read newspaper stories about the war on terrorism. I read explanations as to why the WTC buildings collapsed. I watch countless news stories on “America Under Attack”.
Since Sept 11, 2001 I have been growing increasingly disgusted with our society, and the society of the U.S.A. There have been reports of Mosques in Canada and the U.S.A. being defaced. People on the streets of Canada and the U.S.A. have been attacked, and injured. These are reactionary actions perpetrated by people not thinking, and that to me is disgusting. Just because some people have the same skin color, accent, or even religion to those who may have conducted this atrocity (at this point in time it is still not 100% sure who commited the attack), does not mean they are terrorists.
There are some people who are trying to capitalize on this tragedy. Selling FDNY hats, t-shirts, flags, NYC paraphenalia. Some people are scamming others who are trying to help victims. This is truly Disgusting.
One of the more disturbing stories I have read about is the so called Banned Songs List created by Clear Channel. If I have my information correct (and it is possible I don’t), Clear Channel, which owns several radio stations created a large list of songs that station managers may want to no longer play dues to the tragedy. The songs supposedly include references to New York, Terrorism, Tuesday, plane crashes, etc. This is distrubing on so many levels. First off what gives this private company the ability to censor the airwaves because of what happened? Many of their so called banned songs have nothing to do with that days events.
More censorship is occuring in the movie and book industry. Movies involving terrorist activities are not being released until a more approtpriate time. Video games are being edited to no longer include images of the WTC buildings. A new Tom Clancy novel is being re-written because it’s story line may have included a scenario similar to what happened.
I am disgusted by these actions because it seems like everyone just wants to block out what happened. Forget that it even occurred and just go on with life. If nothing reminds me it happened, then it never happened. What happens when the next terrorist attack hits? Will we forget that one too? Maybe eventually someone will stand up and say “Hey, we need to do something here!”. I am rambling now.
I say, never forget. Remember how many lives have been affected by this disaster. Think about it daily. That is what I am going to try to do.