I can't do this justice, but ...

I gotta say that I am so befuddled, frightened, angry, disgusted, and sad that I cannot even begin to explain my feelings about the wholly despicable, and utterly heinous acts of war perpetrated against the United States, yesterday, September 11, 2001. I have, yet, to get fully past the "Wow" factor. I am still so stunned that, at times, I can't tell if I am numb or overwhelmed.

Monday night, I went to bed after a night at the bar where I work, and I felt pretty damn good. I woke up yesterday morning at 8:30 am PDT, and started to get ready for work. I was five minutes from heading out, when one of my roommates had come back from work.

"Have you seen the news, yet?", he asked.

I said I hadn't, and went back to brushing my hair.

"You want to," he said, and turned on the T.V.

Now, my first reaction to what I was seeing was that this was a Hollywood movie. I barely made out what appeared to be Manhattan completely engulfed in dust, and smoke. It didn't really look like Manhattan, though.

"That's New York," my roommate said.

"What? Are you fuckin' serious? What the fuck happened?"

"The World Trade Center is gone."

What?!

And, then, I saw my first images of the burning towers, with holes ripped into their sides that have no business on a World Trade Center tower. And, then, one tower appeared to start to collapse.

"They collapsed?", I asked, still not at all sure what to make of what I was seeing.

"Yes."

"Both of them?"

"Yes."

"To the ground?"

"Yes."

Then, footage of the second WTC tower collapse came on, and then it hit me. It hit me that Manhattan didn't look right because the WTC towers weren't there. They were gone.

What?!

Then, footage of the Pentagon ... The fucking Pentagon had been hit. That would be international news of monumental weight on any other given day. Today, it was a bitter exclamation point on this whole dirty, sordid affair.

It took me a good two hours to even begin to accept that what I was seeing had actually occurred. I spent the rest of the day in a mental, and emotional void. I was so completely stunned ... and saddened ... and angered ... and disgusted.

I will remain to be so. What occurred yesterday cannot be justified, because to do so would be to justify our loss of control. It can't be justified. I feel that the U.S. government, through decades of partisan wrangling over trivialities, has failed the American people. There is no excuse, because the U.S. government failed to perform its primary reason for existence: to defend and protect its citizens. Americans got a horrific lesson taught to it yesterday: It doesn't just happen "over there."

Now, the U.S. government had better do its job, because the American people are trusting the government to handle this in a manner that meets out the appropriate justice, if there is such justice for an event like this. I, as an American, am trusting the government to do this, and to this goal I give my total support.

I am just stunned, plain and simple. I am coming to grips that this is war. I would hope the world understands that the U.S. will not allow this to go unavenged, and that this is not a simple cruise missile counterattack. Those responsible for this have to be eliminated entirely. The U.S. demands justice. I demand justice.

My generation has lost its innocence. Now, I fully understand that phrase. Now, I understand the feelings of Americans when Pearl Harbor occurred, and when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. I understand. What I saw and experienced yesterday, and in the days to come, will be with me always. I understand.

The times are dangerous, now. Yesterday, my generation grew up, as did all Americans. We all watched in horror as the realities of war unfolded before our very eyes. We all watched an American icon crumble to the ground. We all witnessed a U.S. military icon get damaged by an act of war. These acts are far outside of any experience I have ever had, and I believe that I can speak for most, if not all, Americans with that sentiment. These acts are so far outside of any experience I have ever had that I can not help but be completely stunned ... and saddened ... and angered ... and disgusted.

My sincerest condolences to the victims' families, and so many yet to be accounted for. I feel that's inadequate, somehow. It is truly heart felt. My heart aches for all of the people of New York City. America is with you, NYC.

Peace.

 

I hear you, Smokinokie. I don't blame U.S. foreign policy for this. Instead, I blame the lax stance that the U.S. government allowed to come into being, especially at our airports, because of misguided partisan bickering.

I am enraged that this attack was so blatantly aimed at American civilians. In war, sneak attacking military targets is one thing, but hitting major civilian centers with no warning for the sole purpose of killing those civilians is another beast, altogether. It cannot be tolerated, nor forgiven.

I also join you, Smokinokie, in the sentiment that the U.S. cannot go off half-cocked on this one. I want the government to be as sure as feasibly possible before making any sort of retaliation. Then, dole out that retaliation on our terms, as brutally as we can, as quickly as we can, no matter who the perpetrators are.

Also, I have no good feelings about taking care of this in Afghanistan. Definitely, talk to the Russian vets that fought in the Soviet-Afghani conflict of the 80's.

It's just an emotional time.

Peace.

 

Digit had this nailed ... In the nearly 5 years since starting this thread, I have spent untold hours researching 9/11, which is something the federal government has been loathe to do. The Kean Commission was a smokescreen, and the government-ordained "official version of events" (hereafter OVOE) has become tantamount to scripture. Questioning the OVOE is blasphemy, it seems. Indeed, those who dare to question the OVOE are to be marginalized as "tinhat-wearing conspiracy nuts", no matter what. Well, the OVOE is a conspiracy theory, plain and simple, and one that just does not make any sense given facts that I have researched. Fellow blades, I cannot stress enough what dangerous times 9/11 ushered into our lives.

The "war on terror" (oops ... "The Long War", now) is a farce of Orwellian proportions. How can one wage war on an abstract, subjective concept? One person's terrorist is another's freedom fighter ... just look at British sentiment at the time of the American Revolution. And what has this war brought to the U.S.? Nothing short of the imminent collapse of the United States of America as it has existed for nearly 230 years. If you think I'm paranoid on this, all I ask is that you do the research. There are many, many legitimate questions that need to be answered, and the government will continue to steadfastly refuse to answer, or stray from the farce that is the OVOE.

For a start, research the group Project for a New American Century (PNAC, many members of which are in the highest echelons of the federal government), and their document "Rebuilding America's Defenses", published September, 2000. It's a damned blueprint for what we are now witnessing America doing in our names. 9/11 was their "new Pearl Harbor" needed to galvanize public support for the imperial conquest of the world, starting with the Middle East. Add to this the religious fervor being fomented, and we are witnessing nothing less than a new 21st century Crusade. It's sickening.

Digit is correct ... this is not ending anytime in the foreseeable future. Next stop: Iran ... with nukes, no less. Fucking insanity, plain and simple. The U.S. used to be a respected nation. Now, thanks to the smirking chimp in the Oval Office and his handlers, the U.S. is the biggest thug in the world. We're in a lot of trouble, and if Americans would shut off ESPN, American Idol, and their iPods long enough then we could actually generate the public support necessary to stop this absolute insanity before destroys the last of our liberties.

Had to get that off my chest.

Peace.