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BROOKLYN COLLEGE In memoriam 9/11 and its Aftermath |
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WTC ONLINE FORUM ONE 9/15/01-9/23/01 |
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WHERE WERE YOU?
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BROOKLYN COLLEGE In memoriam 9/11 and its Aftermath |
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WTC ONLINE FORUM ONE 9/15/01-9/23/01 |
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"Where were you?" from Chris Toulouse (01:07:23 9/15/01) Where were you on Tuesday? Stories please from those of us who didn't just watch events on TV. Any one in Downtown at the time? Any one donate blood or participate in the rescue in any way?
"Downtown" from Takitha M Lindsey (10:23:35 9/15/01) I was scheduled to begin work at 8:30am Tuesday morning. I work on Duane between Church and WBdwy. We were in the office when we heard a bang which sounded like a truck had backfired or turned over. We saw people running and then we went outside to see what was going on. When we got to the corner of church we heard that a plane had ran into the building and you could see the hole and the fire blazing. We watched and saw the second plane hit and people either being thrown from the force or jumping out the window. Being at a safe distance to observe I saw everything. People were frantic. We went back into the office and shortly after you felt a rumble, the lights go off and on, and people screaming that the building fell. At that time we evacuated and when we first stepped out you could see the fuzziness in the air and felt the small grains in your eyes which felt more like rocks. We ran uptown and witnessed people yelling out for asthma pumps, one young lady had a seizure, pregnant women holding their stomachs, and parents trying to run with strollers. As we ran uptown by the time we got to West4th you heard the roar and we watched the north tower fall. I stopped for which seemed like an eternity and cried, a lot of people cried.
"In High School" from Diane Antonelli (23:03:07 9/15/01) I was in Brooklyn, in a classroom with high school students. Students from the class across the hall saw the smoke and started to get excited. They knew right away what happened because the radio was on. They ran in the halls shouting for everyone to look out the window. I learned the details of this attack thru radio and t.v..I did not experience the same terror as someone who actually saw,heard or felt the crash. I did feel fear for the unknown.Within minutes teachers and students were on the phone making sure their loved ones were safe.Crying and screaming was heard throughout the school.I spoke to my husband and knew my family was safe.I was still in total shock that this could happen to America. What happened to our intelligence department?Why was this not anticipated and avoided?
"On the Manhattan Bridge" from Mabel Tsui (13:36:15 9/16/01) I was in class taking a psychology exam at 8:00 in the morning. Then I went to the library to take a nap. The next thing I knew was I went to my next class at 10:50AM and everyone in the class was talking the World Trade Center incident. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Everything was on my mind. My professor went on with the lesson and I couldn't even concentrate because all I thought about was is my family okay? How many people were hurt or killed? What really happened out there? Then I was thinking about my younger sister because she left the house between 8 to 9AM to go to Hunter college. I called my mother at home and she told me that your sister called on her cell phone. She said the Q train suddenly stopped on the Manhattan Bridge and felt that the train shook. She also heard a big boom in the air and the atmosphere was turning black. At the moment, my sister was scared. She also said that everyone on the train was talking to each another wondering what have just happened here. No one was sure until the conductor announced that there was an incident at the World Trade Center. And then minutes after the Twin Towers was struck.
"On the radio" from Carolyn Cryan (14:28:17 9/16/01) I was in my contemporary literature class during the tragedy. My teacher walked into the classroom with a radio and put it on without saying a word. Our class fell dead silent and we all sat staring at the radio in absolute terror as we listened to reporters scream that workers were jumping out windows. I cut my other classes and when I got home I found out that my boyfriend and a bunch of friends who volunteer at our local firehouse all went there to help as much as they could. All I have to say is that knowing people you care about so much were there in danger and not hearing from them for hours is the worst feeling I've ever felt in my life...and I'm sure other of you felt the same exact horror as I did.
"On campus" from Natalie Shabtai (22:11:15 9/18/01) I had an eight o'clock class on Tuesday morning. Going to my next class at 9:25 a.m., I ran into my friends who had told me that one of the towers had been hit. I just thought that a plane lost control and hit into the building. We then ran to the Upper Quad where we saw smoke coming up from the city, and we smelled it as well. I preceded to my next class where my teacher told us not to worry about what happened. She just said that a plane had crashed. I then didn't think that it was something to worry about. When that class ended, I was surprised to see half the school out on the steps of Boylan. It was just a bunch of chaos as all the students were trying to use their cell phones to get in touch with loved ones and friends. When I heard that the other tower was hit with another plane, I immediately knew it was terrorism. I couldn't believe it. All the students were screaming and yelling as we were pressing redial on our phones hoping that we would get in touch with our families and friends. It was definitely a feeling and sight that I will never forget.
"It could have been me" from Stephanie Hoo (07:48:02 9/21/01) Everyone is speaking of what happened on the dreadful day about 10 days ago, and honestly I thought that the pain would be easier but it is not. I was supposed to be in the World Trade Center that morning. My best friends boyfriend and I were supposed to go shopping for something to buy her on her birthday. We called it off because I called him in the morning and he said that he woke up late and we would postpone it for a couple of days. Instead I was on a bus coming to school when my grandmother called me. When I heard the news I thought that i had to be a mistake until I heard the second one was hit too. I consider myself lucky.
"Dealing with children" from Mira Green (18:53:23 9/21/01) It is very hard to comprehend this horrible situation. It is even harder to explain this to the children. I work in elementary school and on the day of the terrorist attack it was very hard to explain to the children why parents are picking them up early from school. The staff didn't know exactly what was going on, we had only pieces of information from the radio. The whole situation was very scary. And this is not the end of it. Now the children want to know- Why somebody wanted to destroy the Twin Towers? Why somebody wanted to kill so many people and if this somebody will come to kill them? We all have to be very strong to make those kids feel safe again.
"My hour of horror" from Alina Noble (11:52:59 9/23/01) On Tuesdays, I usually put my little brother on the bus and head off to the gym. At 9AM I heard what happened on the radio in the locker room, and I began to shake. My mother, literally works across the street from the WTC, and I know how close that is because I've been there many times. I know that she uses the train stop in the WTC and does her shopping all over there whenever she's early for work, as she did that day. As I was running home, and stopping at every payphone to call her, I got no response. But when I got home roughly at 10:00am I got the best message on my answering machine I ever heard, she was evacuated after the 2nd plate hit and shook their building and was safely walking home on the Manhattan bridge. Things like these, really make you sit down and appreciate every moment.
"Life has changed" from Jessica Toborg (23:06:05 9/23/01) That day actually started out as a very beautiful day. I remember walking to work thinking that very thought. I arrived at my job at 8:30 and started my daily routine. A woman in my department ran over to me and said that a plane had just crashed into the WTC. I work in Brooklyn and from our windows you can see the whole skyline of the city. We ran to the window and all I saw was smoke pouring out of the building. Hoping that this was all just a terrible accident, but I think in the back of my head I knew it wasn't, I went to my desk and called my mother to make sure all my loved ones were safe. I sat and spoke to another co-worker for a moment and then I went back to the window. As I was looking I saw another plane in the sky flying low but it never registered in my head that it was a threat. Still watching the buildings, the plane was coming closer, and it still never occurred to of what was going to happen. Suddenly something clicked in my head and the plane seemed to be moving so fast. From my view it flew right into the smoke and all I saw was a huge explosion. I could not believe it. My stomach turned and I really wanted to throw up. I just stood in disbelief for a while still not being able to understand what had just happened. In the next couple of hours I remember chaos. All of us were listening to the reports on the radio and t.v... the pentagon had been attacked, more planes hijacked... I didn't know what to think or when it all would end. I got home from work at 1:00 and watched everything on t.v. and I still cant understand how this could happen. Many feelings occur, tremendous sadness for the thousands that are dead, I still cry every day for all those poor people and their families, feelings of fear of what is to come, feelings of uncertainty and just not being able to grasp why all this has happened. I can honestly say that was probably the worst day of my life and the days following September 11th will never be the same as the days before it. Everything has changed.
"Coping with Grief" from Chris Toulouse (01:08:20 9/15/01) How has the public been coping with Grief? Stories please of unusual acts of kindness that have transformed the great city into a small village. Also, some musing please on the paradox of relatives calling up to ask us if we're all right when they know more about what's going on here than we do. Any comments on the media coverage of events should be made in reply to this question.
"New Yorkers help. So what's new?" from Sharon Bernard (10:40:48 9/15/01) The media coverage has been wonderful, but repetitious. They keep showing the same thing over and over again. I have had to call my relatives overseas and in Florida to say I am alright. That is usually the first thing that I have to do as soon as something happens here. A few friends called to find out if I was at work. I have no unusual stories but I am annoyed that they keep emphasizing how well the people of New York has responded as if they expected less. People always come to the aid of other people, except during some crime when they are not sure what they're getting involved in. I don't think the acts of kindness are unusual in NY because I have experienced them through total strangers in "normal times". People living in New York and so-called "New Yorkers" are not an unusual specie and come to one another's aid all the time.
"Enough already" from Takitha M Lindsey (10:42:14 9/15/01) Sometimes as I watch the news I start to cry when the friends and family member's come on pleading for information to provide them with closure. There are so many families unaware right now. In the streets you sense solidarity, and somberness. I personally feel that the media is beginning to get on my nerves. We want to get back to what we once knew as normal as soon as possible.I think regular broadcasting should continue and the media should interrupt when there is a special broadcast of some new development. It is unhealthy to keep showing the plane, the frantic people, the tears, and the disaster of rumble. If the brain processes the same image over and over again you can sometimes get stuck with that image. That is torture. The media is beginning to report rumors and it is leading to a lot of inconsistencies. We want news and truth not just reports to trigger an emotion and up the ratings.
"They're doing a great job" from Linda Balacky (12:17:27 9/15/01) I disagree with Takita. I think that the media is doing a great job. Personally, I think it is wonderful that we can turn on CNN or WNBC and within a 15-20 minute period we can be updated with the important facts of the day as well as the incoming pieces of data. Also, the interviewing of the family members who await some word of their loved ones really adds the human touch that in some way helps many of us grieve.
"Should they have cancelled sport?" from Jacob Gross (23:31:43 9/16/01) I have to agree with Takitha, she has a very valid point that she is trying to bring out. I think that by our country stopping baseball and football, for example, for such an extended period of time was wrong. I agree that for a day or two the country should not have had baseball, but for a week?! Baseball is the American pastime, these hijackers should not have been able to take that away from us. I truly believe also that the news and lack of regular T.V. is not a good thing, sometimes in order to cope with something tragic you need a change. The T.V. should have spent two days on the incident and then gone back to regular programming. I don't feel that this is insensitive to the families of the victims, but it is a way for our country to begin to move on from this tragic situation.
"A time to grieve" from Phillip Goldfeder (00:30:53 9/17/01) I am on the side of Linda and Alisa. When I leave my house in the morning and I see all those American flags it make me proud to be an American. This whole incident, although horrific as it was, has brought our nation much closer together. If the media and people would just, "get on with life" the memory of those who were killed and the incident as a whole would soon be forgotten. No, I'm not saying anybody would ever forget what happened, but they might forget how terrible it made them feel. As for Jacob, If the Giants or Jets played today would you have watched and rooted, while fellow New yorkers mourned the death of a loved one??? Not only is that insensitive but down right nasty.
"A family's loss" from Vanessa Mason (20:14:36 9/17/01) I had a personal loss in this tragedy - an uncle. This tragedy has brought my whole family closer as we have a large family. Ironically, it's as if we've if we've formed our own"cell" to make my aunt stronger to deal with the loss of her husband.
We see people of all races and walks of life invent a "a line of life" to the victims' families in this tragedy. One literally has to stop crying from grief and cry with joy because even the stranger is like your family and gives you the strength to go on in the face of this tragedy.
"And our flag was still there" from Robin Isaacs (01:47:30 9/20/01) As usual, it takes a death to bring people closer together. I think the public is feeling a need to do something for each other. There is an overwhelming sense of togetherness that I have never felt living here practically all of my life. The flags - to me the most profound act of unity. I love to see the flag now! For once I think the media did a good job covering this tragedy. It was overkill at times,very repetitious, inaccurate information and overzealous in their reporting at times but for me, I was glued to the television for days. I needed to have as much information that I could possibly get so I loved it ( I know it was a little sick, but I think that is how I connected)
"The longest week I can remember..." from Joseph Orlando (19:40:27 9/19/01) Since last Tuesday a lot has transpired. Before then, every morning when I left for work the second turn I make had a breathtaking view of the World Trade Center. Last Tuesday, I was running late for work...8:45 am to be exact. I looked up to the usual site of the World Trade Center, except this time it wasn't usual. I saw smoke pouring out of WTC1. I was totally confused. I stopped at the bank and saw the television and they reported a private twin engine airplane had hit the Twin Towers. Little did I or anyone know, it was a terrorist attack. With a very close member of my family, my cousin Joe Plumitallo, working on the 104th floor for Cantor Fitzgerald, I was extremely concerned. Unfortunately, to this day, exactly eight days later...no information on him at all. After that it has been one after the other. A friend Michael Roberts, FDNY lost his life trying to save others. Two other friends, both firemen, lost their lives as well. A few scares as the week went on, who was lost? who was rescued? I have never witnessed a tragedy like this one, nor did many people in this country. As of right now we don't know what the next minute could bring for us, for our families, for our friends, or for our country. All we can do is pray and hope for the best. My sincere sympathies for those who lost loved ones and my prayers are with those who are searching and hoping. God Bless.
"At the crossroads of the world..." from Tanya Fuller (19:16:27 9/20/01) I believe that the U.S., New York in particular is coping from what i can see. They always said that New Yorkers are mean and ignorant, but i have see a different side of that. I work in Time Square and the nationalism that is seen is amazing. People have transformed the flag into everything that you can think of. Everyday my job donates food to the armory and the church on 48th street. In the train station on 42nd street there is flyers on the missing persons up along with flowers and candles. I watch the people interact in that sphere and it is so touching. Strangers come together and tell there stories to one another, hugs are dispersed among the crowd. NYPD is actually getting praise, months ago it would have been obscenities. We are all unifying as a people, as a country, and as a nation. As my country would say-Out of many we are still one people.
"Scapegoating" from Chris Toulouse (01:10:02 9/15/01) Arab Americans have been placed in an invidious situation by the tragedy. Loyal hard-working citizens are now subject to suspicious stares, abuse, and assault. Have you seen any such incidents? How do we cope with those very few whose loyalties are suspect while at the same time ensuring that the basic liberties and civil rights of Americans of arabic descent are properly respected?
"Respect your neighbor" from Takitha M Lindsey (10:04:39 9/15/01) There are many hardworking citizens of arab and muslim descent which are feeling a lot of pressure. You have to be cautious on one hand because they speak of the possibility of terrorists which have sort of emerged into our society. Living in our neighborhoods, going to our flight schools, in some cases learning to manipulate our system better than the individuals who put it in place. Then you have those who are hard working citizens whom are cordial with those in their communities and in some instances love the flag as much as we do. A friend of mine told me that in her neighborhood they looted the store and beat the owner up who was of arab descent. I totally disagree with this and think it is irresponsible. I then had another friend who told me that they should just round all people of arab, muslim, middle-eastern decent and put them in concentration camps until they could check their credentials. Now that is even more heinous because in some cases you are hurting law abiding citizens. I think the only way to deal with this is carefully, with caution, and to uphold as much respect for innocent civilians. We definitely have to think with our heads instead of our feelings.
"The wary eye" from Thomas Walters (15:58:34 9/15/01) Now this is a hard one. We as Americans do not know which Arabs to trust or not to trust. Over by my house the corner store is owned by Arabs. I usually going there every day to buy the newspaper and say hi to them and speak to them. Since the attack, I just going in there to buy what I need with out speaking to them. I really don't know how they feel about what happened but I guess in time once this has passed I will ask them. Last night over by my house, there was a march in the street with people chanting USA, USA. That shows me that people really care about this country.
"A frantic Arab mother" from Yolande Mathurin (23:53:08 9/15/01) There are terrorist who disguise themselves amongst us to be law abiding citizens, but at the same token it is wrong to savagely attack Arabic Americans. Like many others, they too have lost love ones in this tragedy. I currently work with many Arabic Americans. Some of them have been in this country for as long as twenty years, and others are first generation of Arabic Americans. Many have assimilated and to some the only culture known to them is the American culture. For instance, one of the my co-workers who happens to be Arabic, son worked in the area, while this tragedy unfold. Like every other mother, she too was frantic. Her children are first generation of Americans and can't even speak the language of their parents. Shamefully before leaving work, she had to disguise herself for her safety.
"Did they celebrate?" from Carolyn Cryan (17:16:20 9/17/01) There's a small deli near my house where Arab men work. There's a rumor going around that on Tuesday they were cheering and singing as they watched the planes hit the WTC over and over on the news. People I know were seriously considering burning the store down. I think that with these attitudes we're making the situation so much worse. We need to stick together, not attack our neighbors. First of all, rumors are flying like crazy, so there is a big possibility that the men that own the store were just as upset as we all are about the horrible tragedy. Second of all, hypothetically speaking, say they were rejoicing...of course this makes us all very angry, but what is attacking them going to do? It's obviously not bringing family and friends back...but what it is doing, is stooping down to the level of the terrorists and harming innocent people.
"Remember the Japanese" from Allison Goodman (15:52:49 9/16/01) I hope we learn from our past history, the treatment of the Nesei during World War II. The vast majority were loyal American citizens and contributed to our success in the war. Still, many Japanese - Americans living on the West Coast were rounded up and placed in detention centers for the duration of the war. We must learn it is wrong to make group judgments rather than treat each person as an individual. Scapegoating is a form of racism. Education is a method for combatting scapegoating and ignorance.
"Seeing is believing" from Rochelle Moskowitz (14:53:29 9/21/01) Last Tuesday, my husband got stuck in New Jersey over-night. The area in which he was staying had heightened security and police where patrolling the area because there were Arabs that were rejoicing in the street about the days events. My husband saw it with his own eyes. I don't believe that they were rejoicing about anything else. No true American, or any compassionate human being for that matter could possibly have rejoiced about anything that night, we were all way too depressed. I know people that postponed a wedding because they couldn't feel any joy that night. That night had no place for any rejoicing, it was one of the most tragic days in the history of the United States.
"Misjudgments" from Natalie Shabtai (14:37:51 9/19/01) I have heard of such incidents of abuse and assault towards individuals that look like they are Arab Americans. A few days after what happened, a friend of one of my friends was walking around his neighborhood. As he was going down Neptune Ave, a few teenage puerto-rican boys started cursing at him and threw a few big rocks at his head. This boy was immediately rushed to the hospital where he had to have eight stitches on his head. Now this boy is Russian but got assaulted because he was dark and looked Arabic. Now my friend that told me the story is not allowed out of his house because his mother is scared that the same thing is going to happen to him. Now this shouldn't be happening. This is a time to all come together, and eliminate the fighting. We shouldn't hold the innocent Arab Americans responsible. We are all in this together and must fight together.
"Rush to judge" from Vanessa Funches (19:01:57 9/18/01) About a year ago, I walked into an Arab store in Crown Heights to buy a soda.There was 3 pictures proudly displayed taped to the cash register they were of little boys holding guns. I was shocked to see this and I never went back to the store.It is very hard not to judge many for the actions of a few,you look at them and can not help but wonder or become angry. Since this has happen, my co-worker who is Arab-American, feels that she is constantly apologizing and feels that everyone is watching her.
"Stop the Madness!!" from Stephanie Hoo (10:31:45 9/21/01) Granted, I understand why people have reacted the way that they have to certain cultures but we as a country need to realized the difference between correcting the problem and just causing more. A girl that works a register at where I work is Pakistani and she has caught much lip from customers. She has done nothing and yet she is the one to have to cry for other people's mistakes. So I say to the people of the world...Pick you battles wisely... this could easily by you one day. You have no control what you "home land" does! Think about it!
"The Gulf War" from Chris Toulouse (01:08:52 9/15/01) Memories of The Gulf War. Saddam's forces invade Kuwait and then there was a 6 week wait while the US built up ground forces and carried out a sustained bombing campaign. What were the lessons the US learnt in that War that can be applied to this one?
"How do we win this war?" from Chris Toulouse (01:11:28 9/15/01) How to fight terrorism? Any postings advocating dropping "the bomb" on them will be deleted. Let's get serious people! How do we go about fighting an enemy that can recruit suicide bombers who melt in and out of the general public at will? What changes must we expect in our everyday lives? How do we fight the fundamentalists without rallying the Arab public and peaceful Muslims to their cause?
"Where to start" from Sharon Bernard (11:02:57 9/15/01) When did we stop spying on one another? The media indicates that bin Laden indicated that attack 6 weeks ago, but "we" thought it would have been an overseas hit. He always indicates before an attack. One solution is that we need to do this together. Not just react to a situation like this but to look ahead, which we seldom do. Review our foreign policies Who are we warring against? A country with sanctions up to their ears? A country where women are now not allowed to work and have to cover every inch of their bodies? A people wired almost from the womb to hate? A people who are afraid to have a free opinion? I think that in order to have a reasonably intelligent response, one needs to be aware of the history of the Muslim religion/countries and what drives them to do things like this. They are not all clones and don't behave or think in the same way. The articles I read about the country indicate that they are dirt poor and have had a relentless drought for the last four years. The leaders are also angry that the USA "used them like whores" when needed and then discarded them afterwards. What can you take from them than has not been taken? Are we now going to wipe the country clean to make it safe for democracy? There are other countries in which people live like this every day: the activities of the IRA in Britain & other countries; Israel is going through this right now. I think we need to look at the effective methods used in these countries and find a solution. We should also look at foreign policies and its effect on the lives of people. They feel that if they were economically viable, the US would not have turned their backs on them. There are several countries that we could point to in this same situation of feel that way. How will the US respond if they all got together? We also need to look at our own militant groups and take them seriously.
"Winning The New War!" from Megan D'Onofrio (03:21:18 9/19/01) Winning this war is without a doubt the most difficult, time consuming, and confusing issue this country has ever dealt with. We are up against people who have no fears, people who are happy to lose their lives if it means killing Americans. I have heard about 150 terrorists may be in this country, and only about 50 or so have been arrested. What are they doing? They could be planning to do something any second, they could be waiting for the U.S. to attack their country, or they could be enjoying life in this country, unsure what they want to do. We are dealing with not only a threat on our country, but on any country which teams up with us. We have to be careful, although our instincts are saying we should retaliate already. We need not only time to plan how to attack, but the capability to leave nothing standing after attack.
"Send a message" from Thomas Walters (15:44:18 9/15/01) When it comes to war there are no winners or losers. In war what usually happens is that innocent people get killed regardless of who does what. The question should be, how can we not let this happen again? The answer is that we definetly need to take action and send a message to the world that no matter who you are and where ever you are you will be found and dealt in way that God would want it to be. If it means destroying several countries who are involve then so be it.
"The message to send" from Dario Parente (12:58:41 9/16/01) I think you make a good point in the beginning but then get lost. there are no winners and losers but we can't wipe out a few countries because we feel we have god on our side. The US is in a bind. we can't not retaliate but by just randomly bombing the people we think are to blame we will only radicalize countries we might be able to use as allies. The message that needs to be sent is that if you want to be friends with the US, and as a consequence with the rest of the developed world, you cannot harbor terrorists. Afghanistan will feel this the most and will sooner or later have to comply or be isolated. But isolation means we have to have the surrounding countries on our side. In war the only people that suffer are the civilians and as effective as it may be at breaking a countries back it will only heighten anti-American sentiment.
"The only way to win" from Greg Kapica (01:49:21 9/16/01) How do we win this war - we are not going to win this war by attack on Afghanistan. I am a solider and I know how they fight. We can attack their country but the only way to win is to kill them all otherwise they will shoot us slowly. We cant destroyed innocent people like they did so we cant do it by military aggression. It has to be long term operation provided and executed by special forces
"It's easier said then done" from Christine Russo (12:02:07 9/22/01) "Money, that's what is all comes down to, right?"(Dario Parente) I believe this is true also, but I believe that it is easier said than done. We can't just take all the money from Bin Laden. The reason being is because on the news they said that the banking system in Afganistan is totally different than here in America. Besides people in his country worship him so much that they bring him their own money. As I was watching the news last night they said that people bring Bin Laden money hidden in their socks, shirts, shoes and many other places. They do this because they believe him to be GOD!. So according to me it will be a very hard task to stop the money flow to Bin Laden.
"Can we win?" from Jacob Gross (21:38:56 9/16/01) This is a very difficult question because we are not fighting a country but a group of people. I truly don't think it is possible for us to win this battle . Even if Bin Laden was the one behind these attacks and he is brought to justice, it will not end. Other people will take his ideas and continue causing destruction. When someone is not afraid to die for his people for his ideas there is no stopping him. This has been going on for a long time in Israel with all the suicide bombers, and it is extremely difficult to stop them. Our country may never fully recover from these cowardly acts but it is something we will not be able to fix by just bombing an Arab country or two. This will not stop, it is something we must as a nation begin to learn how to deal with. We MUST however as the President has said show them that we are a powerful nation and that we can continue on with our normal lives.
"just deal with it!" from Melanye Rockwell (23:42:15 9/16/01) Why do we have to just deal with it? Because Israel does? If women just dealt with not being able to have the right to vote, then hello we would not have that right today. I agree we should go on as a nation. The only way we as American's should deal with it is to fight it. We in the free world must let these jackasses know who is boss just how our government and president is handling it. By you saying we should just deal with it is offensive-- Let's stand by and watch the next 50,000 people, innocent people, get killed and injured. GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!
"We left ourselves open" from Vanessa Funches (18:10:12 9/18/01) Ms. Rockwell; I felt what you are feeling now and then some. I wanted immediate and swift retaliation, but retaliation against who? The innocent, many people have lost their lives there due to american bombs. This country with its arrogance was threaten a few times and took each threat lightly. America left it self open, to this attack and we have heavily paid the price for that arrogance. The freedoms that we fought for and now take so lightly will have to change and as americans we have to accept the changes in order to live in a safe society. Bin Laden and his followers are the guilty ones not the entire country.
"This war can not be won!!" from Phillip Goldfeder (23:54:55 9/16/01) In reality this war can not be stopped. The people of America may change and be more alert as to their surroundings, but if an individual wants to cause death and destruction there is no stopping him. Think about it, even tomorrow if a person wants, he can set off a bomb anywhere in the country. All it takes is one person and hundreds would die. The opportunity is always there. The only way in which to prevent this is to attack the supporting countries in this incident and to send a message to all terrorists that America is not afraid to strike back when it's citizens are in danger.
"Changing the laws brings about change" from Fikisha Warden (01:42:18 9/20/01) I do here you Ms. Rockwell, but don't you think that our government should also be thinking about the existing laws that we have in America as well as what is going on in foreign countries? Although they are investigating and arresting people, the fact is that The World Trade Center was under attack in 1993. Our government did not change their policies towards terrorism for the American people then. The main thing I believe they did was to replaced the security systems and sentenced the people who committed this crime, but look at what has occurred now. My point is, we don't know who this organization includes and before we go into foreign areas of the world to do anything, we need to make changes at home first. This is what hope to see our government do now.
"Think 10 steps ahead" from Carla Perotte (14:51:38 9/17/01) There is no winning anything when it comes to the destruction of lives. The US must be careful in their retaliation to the terrorists attacks last week. We are dealing people who are willing to die for their cause and take innocent lives along with them. It is hard to stop that. The worst and last thing to do is to bomb the enemy. This will incite more destruction to US citizens since the enemy thrives off of suicidal missions. I think the US have to make strategic moves (very carefully) and think 10 steps ahead of the enemy.
"The toughest war we have ever faught" from Paul Bajohr (00:27:55 9/18/01) This will by far be the toughest war America will EVER fight. Terrorism spreads among those who have no regard for human life like a disease. It has become an epidemic in some sorts. There is no easy way to win this war. It is without doubt going to take a long time to find and extract the root of this all. An immediate retaliation would, in the end, be very devastating, as Bin Laden himself has said "for every 1 of my people you kill, I will kill 100 of yours." If the recent occurrences were of his plotting, I would fear those words immensely. This is a war against terrorism as a whole, and it must be dismantled as a whole. There cannot be a systematic destruction of each small terrorist group because each small part destroyed will rejuvenate in a larger, stronger form. If these people have the power to infiltrate our country, learn how to operate commercial jet-liners in our schools, and then systematically plot the destruction of two massive Capitalist structures and the stronghold of our armed forces, they pose a more serious threat than ANY enemy the United States has ever faced. The winning of this war will be long in its coming, however, the patience and careful planning will be the way to overcome the plague of terrorism and all of its evils.
"War is not always the answer" from Trining Liggins (23:52:35 9/21/01) Why blame a country for a certain group of people's ideas? I'm confused. I don't think going to war is the right answer but what other way to make these people pay for their actions. Yes the first thing we think of is retaliation for all the innocent lives that were lost but going to war we only lead to more innocent lives to be lost. Isn't 6,333 enough? As a new mom of a 5 month old, I do not want my child living the first ten years of her life scared to leave the house because we don't know where the next bombing will be. The sad thing about it is that the US is going overseas onto their territory and people seem to forget that the people who are actually doing these deeds are right here living amongst us. If Osama bin Laden is captured, he still has followers who feel any means necessary, willing to lose their own life. It seems like a never ending cycle. War will only contribute to the hatred. It will make them hate us even more. So what is the solution? The people who committed these acts are already dead, should innocent people die in their country for their beliefs?