Day 254: We will always remember

 

September 11th, 2011On the 10th anniversary of the terrible 9/11 terrorist attacks, I have to dedicate my entire blog post to the fallen heroes, and the first responders that were there that tragic day. Now, in between the period of the twin towers collapsing to the present day, the attacks have largely been politicized as justifications to increase U.S. military intervention in the Middle East, particularly Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s a shame because if you actually look up the reasons Bin Laden carried out the attacks – it was to bankrupt the U.S. by inciting them to engage in unwinnaable wars overseas, and to split the American public opinion.We are now living in a very polarized political state, with the increased presence of radical left and ring wing groups in the United States. If we’re lucky though , we should end the wars now before we further cause more unrest in the Middle East, incite more hatred and terrorist attacks, and save our economy and the U.S. ship from sinking. Obama has failed in doing so.

I largely did nothing much other than eating first in the morning with Geetha as Island’s (my food doesn’t look very good as pictured above), and then going home for nothing other than a day of deep reflection. In between playing various forms of Facebook games, I watched some CNN and FoxNews to get my 9/11 fix, while also tragically reflecting on the events of 9/11 by watching various youtube videos. All I know is by the end of the day, I will never forget what happened. I remember exactly 10 years ago when my 6th grade teacher was literally crying in the classroom because of the events. I didn’t exactly know what it meant back then, but I am more than well aware of what happened now. America will always persevere. <24.

At 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in higher floors. As the evacuation of the tower and its twin got underway, television cameras broadcasted live images of what initially appeared to be a freak accident. Then, 18 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767–United Airlines Flight 175–appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center, and sliced into the south tower at about the 60th floor. The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris over surrounding buildings and the streets below. America was under attack. The attackers were Islamic terrorists from Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations. Reportedly financed by Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda terrorist organization, they were allegedly acting in retaliation for America’s support of Israel, its involvement in the Persian Gulf War, and its continued military presence in the Middle East. Some of the terrorists had lived in the United States for more than a year and had taken flying lessons at American commercial flight schools. Others had slipped into the U.S. in the months before September 11 and acted as the “muscle” in the operation. The 19 terrorists easily smuggled box-cutters and knives through security at three East Coast airports and boarded four flights bound for California, chosen because the planes were loaded with fuel for the long transcontinental journey. Soon after takeoff, the terrorists commandeered the four planes and took the controls, transforming the ordinary commuter jets into guided missiles. TRAGIC.

Just like 10 years ago, fear of an imminent terrorist attack spiked tension and security measures. At commemoration ceremonies, relatives held high photos of loved ones, once hoped only to be missing, now continually missed. In the presence of two presidents, children spoke to parents they never knew, and parents mourned children they had buried — if they had anything to bury. Far from the three crash sites visited by dignitaries and surrounded by reporters, Americans rang bells, stood in silence, dedicated memorials, read victims’ names, marched down streets, planted flags, offered prayers and, in the day’s Scripture reading, heard a demand for forgiveness. WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

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