11 Years Today

[Jerm_G]

Eleven years ago today our nation lost over 3,000 men, women and children in the largest single terrorist attack on US soil. Little did we know then, but those killed on that day would also become the first casualties of a war that has gone on now for eleven years. Many in this community can remember those exact moments when they heard the news of the September 11 attacks. Some, like me, watched that days events unfold live on tv. Images that have been forever burned in their minds and guided many of our most important life decisions. But for most in this community, those day's events are nothing more than a chapter in our nation's history as many were barely in elementary school, others were barely out of diapers. Today is not just a day of remembrance but also an opportunity to share with those who where not old enough to fully grasp what happened that day. A day that not only changed the course of our nation and our lives, but the lives of those who would only learn about the attacks on September 11, 2001 from their history books.

[ogrejager]

Firefighters lost: 343

(ogre is a volunteer firefighter, these things matter to him)

[Darius137]

A nation was shocked that a handful of people with drive could topple such centers of power and in America, no less!

A nation that was not well received by the international community for our constant bullying of other nations to push national agendas for once had the support of the world, and their sympathies.

A nation that had finally kicked its deficit addiction largely in thanks to the boom of the internet, had a surplus.

A nation with an Army capable of defeating any nation on Earth in conventional warfare.




Then we do a full reversal. We blame terrorists, ideologies, Muslims, say "If you're not with us, you're against us", we remove personal freedoms and allow water boarding, wiretapping Americans at home and abroad, sanctioned executions of Americans abroad via predator drones, we create a huge debt, we create a divide between Democrats and Republicans, we allow the Teabagger movement to spawn, we ignore that Saudi Arabia is the source of Anti-American sentiment then, and now, because they are our rich people's friends, and we buy their oil, we invade two other countries--one because their government didn't give us the person who orchestrated the attacks, and the other one on false pretenses of WMDs, then proceed to waste our national treasure on blowing up their countries, then rebuilding them, and all the while sitting in the backs of vehicles driving around like free pop up target practice. We have now lost more soldiers than the initial attack. Iraq is still a shit hole. Afghanistan is still a shithole. We have bankrupted ourselves and borrowed the money from China to fund the wars and now we belong to them.

How we dealt with this tragedy is an even bigger tragedy. This is not to disparage the ultimate sacrifice that the firemen and soldiers have made up to now, and continue to make in our vague, unending war on terror.

[Russkie]

Firefighters lost: 343

Whenever I hear or see the number 343, I always think of that. Kind of weird. Never forget I guess.

And Dan, totally agreed.

[Tankwitch]

Please lets not forget the 100,000 plus people who died because for the most part becasue they were living in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[NFS_Shadow]

It's not right to forget. Made my brother and his friend (who where both one in 2001) sit down and watch all the footage instead of their cartoons.