Where were you on September 11th 2001 when you heard the news?

i had been taking a nap at my boyfriend's house in dunfermline. when i came out of the shower i checked the internet and saw the headlines on BBC news: twin towers fall. my heart jumped into my throat. i tried to get onto CNN but it was flooded and i couldn't get access. i turned on the beeb and saw one of the towers coming down. then i threw up.

I was on a 2pm -10pm shift at the place i was then employed at and had just started work.They had Radio 1 on and it started playing all this sombre music and i knew then something big had happened although i didnt't know what.A lot of my co workers hadn't seemed to notice all this sombre music on the radio.The thing was, the radio was coming over the tannoy and wasn't actually loud and clear enough to hear what the DJ (not sure but i seem to recall it was Chris Moyles who had the afternoon show at that time and for him to play serious sombre tunes meant soemthing was not right) was saying.So i could hear all this music but didn't know the news.Eventually a workmate came up and said "That's it now ,World War 3 is going to start" and he told me what had happened.

I felt sick and deeply shocked and struggled to make it through the remaining 7 hours of the shift.Didn't see the pictures until i got home about 10.30 pm.

I was on my way to work....actually I was going to PT (physically train) my Marines. Our shop is a 24 hour post and normally had MTV on at that time, but they cut out the videos to show footage of the twin towers. It was right after the first plane hit, and at first I thought it was some orwellian "war of the worlds" going on. It wasn't until the 2nd plane hit that we realized it was an attack.

Might be a different feeling for us, because at that moment I knew we were going to be sent off somewhere to fight. Called my wife to calm her, as she was worried about me being sent somewhere to fight an unknown enemy. I watched in horror as people jumped out their windows and live cell phone calls were being broadcasted. Quite honestly I was ready to jump on a C140 right then and there with my Marines and tear into who ever did this.

JHC

I was in my first full semester at Tri-County Technical College, I had an eight o'clock class that lasted until 9:30 (thus we didn't hear about the attacks at all). I went to check my email and somehow didn't see the big honking "New York Under Attack" headline on the side there.

Then I went to my History class later, still unawares. Our professor had given us an assignment the week before, to write about a historical event from the perspective of a newspaper story at the time, so when she came in and said "I guess you've all heard about the two planes that crashed into the Twin Towers, and the one that crashed into the Pentagon", it didn't register. I thought that this was a brilliant attempt on her part to make us realize the impact of historical events in a news format, for some reason. I guess it was just too hard to comprehend that something you only read about as being "the past" or "something that happens in Northern Ireland or the Mid-East" could happen here.

I was thinking about that this morning, it's something that I remember vividly. I fear that the actual event itself is being forgotten in a haze of patriotic fervor and revisionist history, and that someday we won't even mark the occasion as something of importance (think about the last time you spent a moment of silence on Pearl Harbor Day, Memorial Day, etc. It seems like any event from American history can be turned into an excuse for a barbecue these days). This generation that went through it as young adults won't, but the generations that come after will slowly start to lose sight of what happened and why. I think that's what I'm afraid of, more than some terrorists doing it again.

I was at work at the time, in St. Petersburg. And we didn't have a TV. Someone just mentioned around 7 pm, you know the Talib terrorists hijacked the airplanes in the States and exploded them. And I didn't think it was something extraordinary, just another hijacking. But when I got home all the TV footage was unleashed on me and I saw these astonishing shots of the airplanes hitting the skyscrapers - they were playing them over and over and then I saw how these buildings fell down - it was unbelievable.

I called right away to Texas.

I was on the way to a meeting with the facilities manager of a Reuters outpost in South London. I remember switching on Radio 1 to listen to Mark n Lard, and noticing them just playing music and sounding concerned.

When I got in the Reuters building, I noticed a lot of people milling around, and after sitting down for a while, was informed the meeting was cancelled, all employees running excitedly to the TV rooms. I ended up joining them in time to see one of the towers come down.

I got in the lift to go back to the car park, still in a state of disbelief, with some office junior saying 'its Saddam'.

I had an appointment with an American bank in the City that day, which i promptly cancelled.

Then I rounded up a few friends and went to the safest haven we knew, our local pub, and just watched the massive screens, totally transfixed. The pub quickly filled up as many of my friends got on the quickest available train, to escape the City.

I was on the way to work when a neighbor alerted to me the smoke at the WTC. Everybody assumed it was an accident, so i proceeded to work via the subway. When i arrived at my destination, it was pure mayhem. People evacuting buildings, and screaming. Cops were everywhere. I got to the photo shop right by the brooklyn bridge that i was working at that time. The owner decided to stay open because we were all trapped there anyway, and we started to get major media companies coming in because we were the closest photo shop open to the WTC. So here i was developing very disturbing photos(i'll spare you the details), while it started raining ashes. One fucker grabbed me and told me that i was going to war. After work, i went to the brooklyn promenade overlooking the manhattan skyline. There, i Ran into some buds and went to a ale house and drank the nite away.

I remember I was in a US history course during my senior year of high school and another teacher came in to tell our teacher to turn on the TV. He said that a plane had crashed into the twin towers. So, she turned on the TV and we watched what was going on. As we left the class, the tower fell. Two periods later, my English teacher tried to keep on teaching - he told us that this really wasn't that important - but after 20 minutes, we were told that we all had to leave school and go home. As soon as I got home, my mother asked, "What's the big deal?"

This blue-eyed boy that wants to be wrote: I remember I was in a US history course during my senior year of high school and another teacher came in to tell our teacher to turn on the TV. He said that a plane had crashed into the twin towers. So, she turned on the TV and we watched what was going on. As we left the class, the tower fell. Two periods later, my English teacher tried to keep on teaching - he told us that this really wasn't that important - but after 20 minutes, we were told that we all had to leave school and go home. As soon as I got home, my mother asked, "What's the big deal?"

Sounds like your around a bunch of people with their heads up their asses....I'm sorry, i know it's your mother, but come on, "what's the big deal?" ????????? How about almost 3,000 Peaceful, American citezens with families, fathers/mothers, sisters/brothers, children, and friends. Their only fatal mistake was working in the tallest building inthe US. The lives of the people related to them will never be the same. How about asking one of the family or friends of these people "what's the big deal?".

Yeah, 3000 dead is hard to ignore.

Mind you, the good folks in the USA who funded (in great part) the deaths of WELL OVER 3000 terrorist victims here, seem to have managed to ignore it nicely. And of course, Bush did say he'd bomb ANY country who supported terrorism, well.....NORAID is a registered US charity, so the US Govt sanctions their activities. Work it out.

And of course, when Americans are killed, the UK sends troops to bomb fuck out of all and sundry. But when it's OWN citizens are killed.....they give their killers jobs in the Govt.

Still since a HUGE portion of Noraid's money came from NY, and in particular the NYPD and NYFD, I guess their god taught them a lesson 5 years ago.

Doctor? wrote: Mind you, the good folks in the USA who funded (in great part) the deaths of WELL OVER 3000 terrorist victims here, seem to have managed to ignore it nicely.

Ummmmmm.......terrorist-victims?????? Kind of an oxymoron isn't it? And when you say "here" do you mean England???

Please explain.

JHC

Victims of terrorism in Northern Ireland

EdelBrock wrote:

Doctor? wrote: Mind you, the good folks in the USA who funded (in great part) the deaths of WELL OVER 3000 terrorist victims here, seem to have managed to ignore it nicely.

Ummmmmm.......terrorist-victims?????? Kind of an oxymoron isn't it? And when you say "here" do you mean England???

Please explain.

JHC

He means the well over 3000 victims of the IRA's operations throughout Ireland and Britain... which was well funded by Americans through Noraid.

Yop.

Not exclusive US funding of course, but then I do not recall that being a criterion.

Hmmmm....I'll look into that. If that is the case, guess it is a perfect example of people not knowing huh?

Doctor? wrote: Still since a HUGE portion of Noraid's money came from NY, and in particular the NYPD and NYFD, I guess their god taught them a lesson 5 years ago.

While I agree that the IRA was pretty fucked up, to generalize that the NYPD and NYFD got what was coming to them is quite a stretch. Certainly not all of them were IRA supporters, nor were most of the others who died in in those towers.

EdelBrock wrote: How about asking one of the family or friends of these people "what's the big deal?".

Interesting you bring this up.

Many families of victims are rather pissed off about how our government used the deaths of their loved ones to falsely justify a first-strike invasion of a foreign country. The current administration's response has been pretty much the same thing... "what's the big deal?"

Thinking back today, I think the U.S. government has done more to terrorize their own people over the past 5 years than any actual terrorist attacks could have.

EdelBrock wrote: Hmmmm....I'll look into that. If that is the case, guess it is a perfect example of people not knowing huh?

Well they sure as hell know now, I wish the lesson could have been less painful though.

UTV sent a crew to NYC in late sept 01. They asked in several Irish pubs, what would happen the next time the collecting tin came round. The general consensus was that the motherfuckers would be hard pressed to get out alive now that folks understood what was done with their money. The double or even triple irony is that the US dollars paid to the IRA invariably ended up in the hands of Middle Eastern arms merchants, many of whom have ties to the very groups the US has such a problem with right now.....and of course that those folks are never gonna attack Belfast cos their old mates are here.

I should point out the loyalist terroists received very little in the way of support from the USA. tho extremist groups in the UK like combat18 supported them quite a bit. Of course the loyalists were also too retarded to pull any proper terrorism off, instead prefering lesser attrocities, for instance the old grenade in the pub routine. (actually when a member of the Red Hand Commando tried this, and after pulling the pin and releasing the tortion grip ( what's the right word for that Pontiac?), he forgot to throw it in....all over Belfast were drawings of the "red stump of ulster" bearing the legend "no hand commando")

Mr disco 99 wrote:

EdelBrock wrote: How about asking one of the family or friends of these people "what's the big deal?".

Interesting you bring this up.

Many families of victims are rather pissed off about how our government used the deaths of their loved ones to falsely justify a first-strike invasion of a foreign country. The current administration's response has been pretty much the same thing... "what's the big deal?"

Understand to a point. But after 9/11 things changed. Most importantly was the idea of reacting vs. being proactive.

The main idea in the 9/11 docudrama mentioned in another post is that Clinton didn't take down OBL....but that actually falls in line to old thinking, that we only condemn by reaction. After 9/11 Bush, whether right or wrong, tried a new method. To be proactive in small problems and attack them while they are small.

Of course there hasn't been a good median set on reactive/proactive thinking, but I think that will come in time....but only through mistakes.....as it is the only thing people really learn from.

JHC

Doctor? wrote: and after pulling the pin and releasing the tortion grip ( what's the right word for that Pontiac?)

It is commonly refered to as the "spoon"

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: Thinking back today, I think the U.S. government has done more to terrorize their own people over the past 5 years than any actual terrorist attacks could have.

Exactly. That's the primary thing that's wrong with this country right now... meaningless stupidity like this...

I wish more people were awake to this unfortunate reality.

On my way to work. I missed work on Friday because of a bout of diverticulitis so when I realized how bad it really was I turned around and called in sick. When I first heard about it I thought that it was a small plane like a Cessna or a Piper that ran into the tower.

Mr disco 99 wrote:

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: Thinking back today, I think the U.S. government has done more to terrorize their own people over the past 5 years than any actual terrorist attacks could have.

Exactly. That's the primary thing that's wrong with this country right now... meaningless stupidity like this...

I wish more people were awake to this unfortunate reality.

Failing to see how this adds to the Pope's thoughts.....so people have a better, simpler idea of threat levels......ohhhhhhh so terrorizing.....think I'll go hid under the bed now....give me a break.

EdelBrock wrote:

Mr disco 99 wrote:

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: Thinking back today, I think the U.S. government has done more to terrorize their own people over the past 5 years than any actual terrorist attacks could have.

Exactly. That's the primary thing that's wrong with this country right now... meaningless stupidity like this...

I wish more people were awake to this unfortunate reality.

Failing to see how this adds to the Pope's thoughts.....so people have a better, simpler idea of threat levels......ohhhhhhh so terrorizing.....think I'll go hid under the bed now....give me a break.

Through this, the Department of "Homeland Security" is telling us how afraid we should be without giving any specific information as to what of or how to deal with it. Have you ever seen it below yellow? It looks scary when it's at "severe" but it doesn't really mean anything.

Personally I don't see how the government could possibly know how safe we really are from terrorists plotting against us.

Mr disco 99 wrote:

EdelBrock wrote:

Mr disco 99 wrote:

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: Thinking back today, I think the U.S. government has done more to terrorize their own people over the past 5 years than any actual terrorist attacks could have.

Exactly. That's the primary thing that's wrong with this country right now... meaningless stupidity like this...

I wish more people were awake to this unfortunate reality.

Failing to see how this adds to the Pope's thoughts.....so people have a better, simpler idea of threat levels......ohhhhhhh so terrorizing.....think I'll go hid under the bed now....give me a break.

Through this, the Department of "Homeland Security" is telling us how afraid we should be without giving any specific information as to what of or how to deal with it. Have you ever seen it below yellow?

Personally I don't see how the government could possibly know how safe we really are from terrorists plotting against us.

How about this...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778575.stm

or is that not clear enough????

EdelBrock wrote: How about this...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778575.stm

or is that not clear enough????

Yeah I heard about that... some seriously fucked up people got caught trying to blow up some planes.

Great. Am I supposed to freak out now? Cancel my travel plans? Crawl under a rock?

I've said it before. The most important thing we can do to fight terrorism is to fight the terror that goes with it. We're supposed to be afraid to fly to the UK because of attempted acts of terrorism. This despite the fact that even with the supposed "severe" risk, statistically it's still far more dangerous to drive your car or smoke cigarettes. Attacks against airplanes and buildings work because they're very visible and have a high psychological impact. But we need to look beyond that and see things from a realistic perspective. We need to stop being afraid.

"We are under attack from islamic fascists who want to take away our freedom." --GWB

The government isn't helping.

I don't know about you but I'll be damned if I'm going to let anybody change my plans.

True, they win when you give in, it's something that those who have had this crap in their lives for a long time learn.

I was thinking about the things you list as more dangerous......

I wonder where international terrorism featured on the top 50 causes of death in the US in 2001 (or even on that very day). Surely Govt effort should be applied based on how many deaths are involved.....so let's bomb Phillip Morris and Macdonalds :D

It's all shite these threat levels....they just raise it when they wanna remind people to be scared so they can get some more Orwellian laws in place. Speaking of laws, does anyone else remember the US campaign against internment in NI? hypocrits of the very highest order.

I completely agree with you on that. We definately should not allow "terror" affect our day to day plans. When that has happened we truely have lost.

On note of the "color" system, it is not a new system. The military has had this in effect for many years. Since we can be picked out of a crowd (mainly because of haircuts), we are easy targets. It is a system to let us know, with simplicity, how to act in certian countries or what level of security we need on our bases. It has worked well in our world, so that it was improvised for terror alerts seems only common-sense.....but in the end I do understand what you were refering to.....but I blame media, as they survive on making people scared.....watch an episode of 20/20, 60 minutes, etc. and you'll never want to leave the house, breathe air, eat or drink anything.

Someone noted, after NY times leaked info on the international banks secretly giving info on large bank transactions in question, that the media has self-appointed itself the 4th branch of government....the only thing is no one can watch over it like the other 3 branches are.....a good point I think.

Mr disco 99 wrote:

EdelBrock wrote: How about this...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778575.stm

or is that not clear enough????

Yeah I heard about that... some seriously fucked up people got caught trying to blow up some planes.

Great. Am I supposed to freak out now? Cancel my travel plans? Crawl under a rock?

I've said it before. The most important thing we can do to fight terrorism is to fight the terror that goes with it. We're supposed to be afraid to fly to the UK because of attempted acts of terrorism. This despite the fact that even with the supposed "severe" risk, statistically it's still far more dangerous to drive your car or smoke cigarettes. Attacks against airplanes and buildings work because they're very visible and have a high psychological impact. But we need to look beyond that and see things from a realistic perspective. We need to stop being afraid.

"We are under attack from islamic fascists who want to take away our freedom." --GWB

The government isn't helping.

I don't know about you but I'll be damned if I'm going to let anybody change my plans.

The hotel in which i work is suffering its quitest september since 1992 (according to the owner of course) but this is because we've had over 300 cancellations from people after the latest bombs on planes threat.

So the terror thing is still playing a factor in peoples travel plans.

I was working in a tiny little village in the north lazio countryside, restoring the wall painting of an ancient mansion. When I heard the news I just wanted to go back home in Rome and feel safe.