Today has been a tragic day. The World Trade Towers and the pentagon have been attacked. I remember getting up this morning to a cloudy grey sky. I then got some breakfast, turned on the tv, and immediately felt the horror and sadness caused by the mass desctruction. My heart goes out to the victims. I called James to wake him and tell him the news... Left a message on the answering machine. I was able to reach him later and tell him the news. It's not something that should be heard in casual context.
Thank God Melissa wasn't there. To my family and friends, I love you all so much. There is nothing like a sudden loss of life that reminds us how we can all die suddenly.
Class was in session so I went. Students were talking about the attacks. One student expressed his opinion by saying it was funny how the towers went town. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I looked him in the eye and said "I don't think there's anything funny about thousands, tens of thousands, people dying." He tried to talk his way around the desensitive speech by saying, yeah well, there's nothing funny about that, but how the buildings went down in a puff of smoke. Here I was nearly crying and still in shock because of the unnecessary and tragic loss of lives. That seemed to be the tone of the day. So far from the action, people went about their day as if it were any normal day. Amy, my lab partner, was as sad as I was. We both wanted to go home and cocoon ourselves.
I went to the grocery store and gas station. People were doing their normal shopping. The grocery store was nowhere near full, in fact, it was somewhat empty. People weren't panicking and buying extra emergency supplies. However, later I called my mom, who had left a message on the answering machine, saying to call her if I needed to talk. I needed to be reassured and I finally reached her around 1, because her phone was busy for a good half hour. She said she was calling two of her friends from New York and Washington DC. She told me that the supermarkets in DC are being swept clean. Perhaps it's because we're so far from the terror that the people here aren't panicking on the same scale. Her friends are fine, but there is a state of fear.
The news says that the planes were hijacked by people with knives. I'm glad the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania was able to stop themselves before hitting a vital area. I thought about the sacrifice needed by all of the people who were on the planes. I am sure passengers and crew did their best to stop the crashes. Alas, they were not successful. So many people gone.
I feel sorrow but also anger. There are those who are rejoicing at the success of the attacks. Not just the terrorists, but other groups as well. Cities are councilling their citizens to band together in this time of crisis. It is a time when all people of all races, religions, and differences must come together. I do not see how anyone rejoices at these deaths. Most nations are with the United States and say that today's actions have been an atrocity, a crime against the world. However, there was a news feed in an Arab country saying the US got what it deserved. That we had been commiting crimes against humanity and that we deserved the attacks. I am aquainted with the realities of war. Our armies shoot, bomb, set fire, and perpetuate death in a fight for power, domination, and possibly peace. That is war. However, today's attacks were aimed at taking out a mass quantity of people... Indiscriminate of who was killed. All people were represented in the deaths. Probably every religion, race, and nationality had a member killed today. It is an atrocity. Do not fear your neighbor. This time is not a time for hate. There has been enough hatred; the hatred killed more than 40,000 human beings.
I just want to believe that justice will be served. Perhaps not even justice. I should not respond with hatred for those who committed these horrific acts, yet I find myself not being able to imagine an adequate punishment. I realize the amount of fear the airplane passengers and crew must have felt. What kind of torture was able to subdue them? What did we do to these people that they would hate us so much? To kill indiscriminately. The Pentagon I can sort of understand, and the World Trade Towers represents much of the American economy. This is not an excuseable act. On the front of my mind, I want to see a public execution. It is extreme, but I somehow wish these people would see their families die before their eyes and they are helpless, unable to save them. However, that would make us like them. It is also a product of war, to see loved ones dying around you. Perhaps this is what we have done to them already.
I must remember that I am a person; I just want the terrorists rooted out and given a quick death. This is the extent of my compassion. The United States will hunt them down even if they are in the last corner of Earth. Justice for the victims will be obtained. Many of us will give up our lives to keep Americans safe. I know if I had to choose between me and all those needless deaths, I would die. We will get those bastards. Perhaps they realized that they give up their lives and are prepared. They think that the goal of their organization would be furthered with these massacres. We will eradicate them. We, the American people, do not wish for mercy. We wish punishment and justice. The responsible party will pay. Everything they stood for will be less than the World Trade Towers when we are through.
I ask you not to strike out in fear. Do not hold the majority responsible for the minority. Do not threaten the Muslim houses of worship or community. They are as angry as we are. They are as sad as we are. They are part of us. We are in it together. Show them kindness. Do not give them reason to seperate from our community. They deserve vengeance, too. They have been wronged by people who seek to give them a bad name and indeed all of humanity a bad name.
Today has gone down in history. My life must continue.
-freecia
Thank God Melissa wasn't there. To my family and friends, I love you all so much. There is nothing like a sudden loss of life that reminds us how we can all die suddenly.
Class was in session so I went. Students were talking about the attacks. One student expressed his opinion by saying it was funny how the towers went town. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I looked him in the eye and said "I don't think there's anything funny about thousands, tens of thousands, people dying." He tried to talk his way around the desensitive speech by saying, yeah well, there's nothing funny about that, but how the buildings went down in a puff of smoke. Here I was nearly crying and still in shock because of the unnecessary and tragic loss of lives. That seemed to be the tone of the day. So far from the action, people went about their day as if it were any normal day. Amy, my lab partner, was as sad as I was. We both wanted to go home and cocoon ourselves.
I went to the grocery store and gas station. People were doing their normal shopping. The grocery store was nowhere near full, in fact, it was somewhat empty. People weren't panicking and buying extra emergency supplies. However, later I called my mom, who had left a message on the answering machine, saying to call her if I needed to talk. I needed to be reassured and I finally reached her around 1, because her phone was busy for a good half hour. She said she was calling two of her friends from New York and Washington DC. She told me that the supermarkets in DC are being swept clean. Perhaps it's because we're so far from the terror that the people here aren't panicking on the same scale. Her friends are fine, but there is a state of fear.
The news says that the planes were hijacked by people with knives. I'm glad the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania was able to stop themselves before hitting a vital area. I thought about the sacrifice needed by all of the people who were on the planes. I am sure passengers and crew did their best to stop the crashes. Alas, they were not successful. So many people gone.
I feel sorrow but also anger. There are those who are rejoicing at the success of the attacks. Not just the terrorists, but other groups as well. Cities are councilling their citizens to band together in this time of crisis. It is a time when all people of all races, religions, and differences must come together. I do not see how anyone rejoices at these deaths. Most nations are with the United States and say that today's actions have been an atrocity, a crime against the world. However, there was a news feed in an Arab country saying the US got what it deserved. That we had been commiting crimes against humanity and that we deserved the attacks. I am aquainted with the realities of war. Our armies shoot, bomb, set fire, and perpetuate death in a fight for power, domination, and possibly peace. That is war. However, today's attacks were aimed at taking out a mass quantity of people... Indiscriminate of who was killed. All people were represented in the deaths. Probably every religion, race, and nationality had a member killed today. It is an atrocity. Do not fear your neighbor. This time is not a time for hate. There has been enough hatred; the hatred killed more than 40,000 human beings.
I just want to believe that justice will be served. Perhaps not even justice. I should not respond with hatred for those who committed these horrific acts, yet I find myself not being able to imagine an adequate punishment. I realize the amount of fear the airplane passengers and crew must have felt. What kind of torture was able to subdue them? What did we do to these people that they would hate us so much? To kill indiscriminately. The Pentagon I can sort of understand, and the World Trade Towers represents much of the American economy. This is not an excuseable act. On the front of my mind, I want to see a public execution. It is extreme, but I somehow wish these people would see their families die before their eyes and they are helpless, unable to save them. However, that would make us like them. It is also a product of war, to see loved ones dying around you. Perhaps this is what we have done to them already.
I must remember that I am a person; I just want the terrorists rooted out and given a quick death. This is the extent of my compassion. The United States will hunt them down even if they are in the last corner of Earth. Justice for the victims will be obtained. Many of us will give up our lives to keep Americans safe. I know if I had to choose between me and all those needless deaths, I would die. We will get those bastards. Perhaps they realized that they give up their lives and are prepared. They think that the goal of their organization would be furthered with these massacres. We will eradicate them. We, the American people, do not wish for mercy. We wish punishment and justice. The responsible party will pay. Everything they stood for will be less than the World Trade Towers when we are through.
I ask you not to strike out in fear. Do not hold the majority responsible for the minority. Do not threaten the Muslim houses of worship or community. They are as angry as we are. They are as sad as we are. They are part of us. We are in it together. Show them kindness. Do not give them reason to seperate from our community. They deserve vengeance, too. They have been wronged by people who seek to give them a bad name and indeed all of humanity a bad name.
Today has gone down in history. My life must continue.
-freecia
posted by Freecia at
10:54 PM
