« anybody want a peanut? | Main | planes flying again »

September 11, 01 - 10:00am CST
I don't watch TV or read newspapers or listen to much talk radio, so it was with great amazement that I slowly realized what had actually happened to the USA this morning.
I was just checking a few of my regular websites prior to heading to the doctor's office and thought I'd check out scripting.com, a favorite of mine. Dave Winer, who runs the site, had a link titled "Is the US at war?" and then a picture of the WTC in flames and smoke. Underneath these were numerous other links to the unfolding story.
It just didn't register. No, this wasn't real, it was an elaborate hoax by the media and the movie industry, something bigger and more realistic than "War of the Worlds" and we were all being duped. This was unbelievable that they could pull off this sort of stunt with such realism. Which movie or event was this all for?! How did they pull it off without the event leaking out?
Then it started sinking in -- this was no pretend world. This was our world, right now, in shocking horrific technicolor reality. It was unthinkable. Two commercial airliners, apparently hijacked, sent crashing into each of the two World Trade Towers. No, wait -- another aircraft sent crashing into the Pentagon. Another crash in Pennsylvania. Perhaps two other planes unaccounted for (one of which has apparently crashed at Camp David). It just can't be fathomed.
The nation has grounded all flights and here in Minneapolis, it is an eerie (and yet horribly wonderful) thing -- the skies are completely clear of planes and it is noticably quiet. Very quiet. Even traffic on the highways and freeways seems slower and more polite.
I had to leave for my appoinment, located down across from the Mall of America. I circled around the Mall and it was just being finished evacuated. How odd, to see the place devoid of people and cars. The alarming thing was the presence of heavily armed guards (National Guard? Riot Police?) at each entrance. Guys with really big guns.
Things like this really get me worked up -- I get very nervous and fidgety and panicky and have cold sweats and such (I suffer from panic attacks from time to time) and right now I am fighting back the urge to just burst into uncontrollable sobbing at the tragedy.
For the future I worry as well. Reactions will likely be: let's get revenge and let's tighten down this place so nobody can pull such actions again. Neither of these responses is wholly correct. Vengeful retaliations will only fan the flames and show that, yes, they got to us. Locking down the nation will only create fear and loathing in the populace due to restricted personal freedoms. The better response is to learn from the event, band together in mass strength and heal and lead by example and support one another in growth and love. If we are vengeful or apathetic, we are weak.

see the following links
http://www.scripting.com
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~yodio/WTC.html
http://archive.nandotimes.com/photopage/
http://www.scripting.com/images/esbCamWtcAftermath.gif

---