Opinion

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09.11.03

Two Years Later.  

It seems like yesterday doesn’t it? It’s not though. It’s another day that all those haunting memories will feel worse; building up inside cascading over the top.

Someone is missing at the diner table in three thousand homes, injured people with aches, pains and scars serving as a constant reminder.

This morning I kept my solemn vow I made on the evening of  September 11th 2001 . No matter where I am in this world, where my road may take me, I will always pay my respects to those lost every year. I was lucky to have escaped with the most precious gift; life. Despite a year of hell with my injuries and reminders of that day I treat each notch on the calendar as a gift.

Two years ago I witnessed carnage and evil at its very worst. It crosses my mind how a human being can come into this world innocent and bright eyed but to become hateful and dark. How does this happen? Why does it happen? How do you brainwash someone that they are willing to lay down their life for something as radical as mass murder. For them to believe that in some way what they are doing will take them to higher standing in the after life?

For a while as 2003 began I felt the thoughts of 9/11 seemed to have tapered off as people tried to rebuild their lives. Ordinary folks trying to find a balance and a sense of ‘normality’ the best they could. As Mayor Bloomberg said today, ‘it is the children that are the future’. He could not be more right.

It takes a small handful in this world to spoil and taint it for the majority. That could not be truer of the demons that were set among us on 9/11

An endless stream of lies and reasons to warrant more destruction dominated the press. First we besieged  Afghanistan to weed out the perpetrators of 9/11. Attention was switched to Iraq when that did not harvest the right results. Despite what the UN had to say, off we went on yet another crusade on the other side of the world. Wrong or right we have opened a can of worms that will not close for years to come

For all intense and purposes the campaign in Iraq has achieved nothing but the senseless death of American soldiers. Where were the weapons of mass destruction? There weren’t any. Nor was there any evidence that  Iraq harbored terrorists.

Some of you reading this may think that I am crazy. Go ahead. That’s the beauty of our way of life. I have an opinion and you can take it or leave it. Some may say that is why we are in  Iraq , to fight for the basic human right of freedom. But weapons and terrorists aside who are we to say how another country should live. Why should we try and inject the MTV culture into another nation. If we had conclusive evidence of WPD or terrorist cells or even plans for further attacks on the USA , or its citizens around the world I would whole heartedly support such actions. But wee did not.

Official reports of 9/11 were published with 28 missing pages. There’s a slap face of every victim? What were these pages trying to protect? What national security was at risk? Who made the decisions to blank them out?

If the government needed to blank them out the so be it. Leaving empty pages though was not the smartest thing to do. All it does is leave the door open to questions, doubt and conspiracy theories.

Who or what was being protected? The Saudi government? A foul up on our part? Oil? If you are going to lie, cover up or protect then why put twenty eight empty pages that surely raises some sinister questions of cover up. Why not save a tree and simply omit the damn pages?

Everyday at least one of our proud military personnel dies. Their family are told that they died serving their country. That is little contort for the mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, left holding a flag and memories of yet another loved one gone from this world! Whether you are for the intervention in Iraq or not it does not bring back a soldier. Take the average rate of one dead per day and the President’s estimate that we need to be there for at least four more years, well, you do the math.

Not surprisingly Hollywood stepped in with the DC 9/11 TV movie. How low can they go for ratings? I really cannot understand why the millionaire controllers at Showtime would choose to air that sham of a movie at this time of year. Or even air it. Period!  How dare they make a movie about something that feels like it was yesterday? For goodness sake the wounds of 9/11 are still open, they may never close.

I sat through the movie twice nauseating as it was. I needed to clearly understand what the movie was about so that I could sum up my own criticisms and be objective. Yet I am still trying to fathom what message the movie makers are trying to put across. I still conclude it was ratings. They certainly tried to get the sympathy vote with some of the scenes. But my eyes were as dry as the Arizona desert.

What a load of crap! I have seen better episodes of Springer! There’s nothing like a tragedy to bring in the dollars! It belongs in the trash can not on our screens. The thought of any responsible person making this trash leaves me speechless.

Too add insult to injury I then listen to the news that President Bush will not be attending any service in New York on the second anniversary, choosing to stay in Washington . Did I expect less? No. It took him 6 days to come to New York after the attacks and then parading himself with arms embracing a Firefighter while he addressed the crowd. This reminded me of Princess Diana and silence from Buckingham Palace . The British people needed their Queen and she stayed away. The absence of ultimate leadership is something that is not easily forgotten.

Two years ago we needed leadership and we got it. Governor George Pataki and Mayor Rudy Guiliani immediately stepped up to the plate. Two men, who publicly had dueled on city policy, came together, as true leaders for the good of New York Within minutes of the first strike Guiliani was on camera walking downtown, entourage intact surveying the World Trade Center area. Cameras showed him cover at the sound of the second aircraft strike. Immediately asking if his team was all right.

Later that day as the mayhem calmed both Guiliani and Pataki held a press conference standing shoulder to shoulder letting the citizens know what had happened, what they are doing and what we should do. True and firm leadership. Together George and Rudi showed the city that they were there firmly holding the reigns of control. Citizens need to know that their leads have a firm grasp.

On Monday 17th September 2001 Marine One landed downtown and the President finally arrived. He was visibly shocked at what he was seeing. By that time you could  see the fatigue and loss of hope on those firefighters. They had been digging with their bare hands in the hope of the slightest flicker of life. All they found was the grim and darkened face of death.

Some of them even beat the President to New York from other states.  Not with the comfort of a 747 but huddled into trucks, cars, vans. Some as far as California answered the hail for help. Just like the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940 when the call went to the British to man their boats, head off to France and rescue stranded soldiers.

I was glued to the television as cameras followed the Presidents every footstep, finally making his way closer to Ground Zero and there it was in living color. No television camera in the world can ever capture what it really looked like. There is just no concept of depth of what is photographed. Death hovered all around. Ordinary people going about the ordinary lives that was prematurely cut off. No one can ever make sense or offer any explanation that will ever take the pain away from so many.

President Bush finally stood atop the rubble with his arm around a Fire Chief; a perfect pose for the snap happy photographers of every major newspaper. Just like the movie I might add.

A firefighter yelled, ‘we can’t hear you’. The President fired his reply, “I can hear you and the world can hear you”. The question is Mr. President; can you here us now? 

The President cannot come to New York for the 2nd Anniversary, but he has already booked his ticket right after the 3rd anniversary when its votes that count and another four more years  (unless this is Florida)  We are told he will be on the South lawn at the Whitehouse for a moment of remembrance.  Afterwards why not gas up Air Force On and point it north to

Finally, credit where credit is due. Mayor Bloomberg asked that Vice President Chaney not to attend this mornings memorial as the added security would get in the way of what was important at Ground Zero today; mourning and remembrance; a time reserved for grieving families. Well done Mike! I guess if we cannot have the real deal then we surely don’t need the understudy.

Lives are lost, pain endures and memories live on. Time does not heal everything; it merely blunts the shaper edge. Here we are in 2003. Two years ago nobody could or wanted to think this far ahead; it was a case of one day at a time. My assumption is that it still holds true for many. But we made it through and will continue to. We have to. Sadly, as much as it hurts, life does go on.

They tell us never to forget. How could we? I still have nightmares, I still have anxiety, but I am so lucky; there is fresh air in my lungs and my heart still beats. There is not one person that I could forget.

Our President has said many times that the ‘war’ started on September 11th 2001 . My stomach turns every time I hear those words. No one mentioned to that we were a nation at war when I woke up on Tuesday September 11th 2001; I pride myself on staying current on all news events. No, September 11th 2001 started like any other, a bright sunny morning with clear deep blue skies, ironically like today. A day that it felt good to be alive. A day that ended as dark as the pitch black of a winters night

Who knew what about the events of 9/11 is something that we, the tax paying citizens of this great land will never know. We are supposed to uphold a government for the people and by the people. Right now, it just does not feel that way.

Roll on November 2004!

Dennis