9/11/01

[Kenngo1969]

PLEASE DO NOT TURN THIS POLITICAL.  Though I do like to think I'm capable of reaching out to those around me who might need whatever succor I can offer, I'm not particularly an empath: it's not necessarily a gift with which I have been particularly blessed.  To the best of my knowledge, I had no friends, family, or reasonably close associates who died, or who lost friends or family members, in the tragic events of that day.  Yet for years afterward, I was seized upon by an unaccountable sadness each time the anniversary rolled around.  It frightens me, and pains me, that there are people on this planet (few, thank G-d, though they may be) who would kill me if they had the opportunity simply because I am a citizen of the United States of America (though it should be remembered that the killings that occurred on that day were indiscriminate: people of every race, color, creed, national origin, and religious stripe died that day.

 

One of my favorite hymns in the 1985 hymnal is "Sweet is the Peace the Gospel Brings."  In commemoration of the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, the Ensign published a little piece in its "Latter-day Saint Voices" section from Carson Howell, whose brother, Brady, was working as a Presidential Management Intern at the Pentagon that day.  Brother Carson went to Washington with his family to await news of his brother, and he talks of how his family's prayers for peace amid the chaos of that terrible time were answered, and how an e-mail his brother sent on the morning of the attacks continues to bring him "Peace." http://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/09/latter-day-saint-voices/he-gave-me-peace?lang=eng.  Here are other remembrances of 9/11 from Latter-day Saints: http://www.lds.org/church/news/september-11-stung-by-tragedy-lifted-by-faith?lang=eng.

 

How were you affected by 9/11?  How has the Gospel (or your faith in G-d in general) brought you peace? 

Edited September 11, 2013 by Kenngo1969

[Questing Beast]

Death does not come unexpectedly, not even to people working in skyscraper office buildings. Death is only a heartbeat away our whole lives, since we know neither the day or the moment when we will check out of here. Large-scale killing is used by politicians to drum up support for wars, which bolster the economy by raising the proportion on Gov't military spending, etc. and etc. The Gospel of Christ has not one iota to do with any of it. Life everlasting is the core of the Gospel of Christ, and exists outside of this mortal venue. We are immortals, role-playing at being limited, unwell, myopic mortals for what amounts to no more than the span of a night dream or vision....

[Duncan]

Every five years I have to spend like 90 bucks to get my passport renewed so thanks for that. But on the other hand the American creation of McDonalds and Burger King oh and KFC more then make up for it 

Edited September 11, 2013 by Duncan

[Tacenda]

I will never forget watching the second plane fly into the second tower.  I turned on the news right after they were showing the 1st plane.  But witnessing a second was too much.  Just as I will never forget the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion in 1986 that killed all 7 passengers which included a high school teacher.  I watched that too, as it happened.  

 

Lots of hero's abound in this world, I'm remembering the first responders and the sacrifice they made to save lives.     

[thesometimesaint]

It changed the world, and not for the better.

[Kenngo1969]

It changed the world, and not for the better.

Not responsive to my original post.  If you'd like to vent, there are plenty of places where you can do that.  If you have anything that is responsive, I welcome it. Thanks.

[Kenngo1969]

Every five years I have to spend like 90 bucks to get my passport renewed so thanks for that. But on the other hand the American creation of McDonalds and Burger King oh and KFC more then make up for it 

Not responsive to my original post, but thanks for the compliments regarding our fast food.  Do you have anything to contribute that is responsive to my original post?

[Kenngo1969]

I will never forget watching the second plane fly into the second tower.  I turned on the news right after they were showing the 1st plane.  But witnessing a second was too much.  Just as I will never forget the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion in 1986 that killed all 7 passengers which included a high school teacher.  I watched that too, as it happened.  

 

Lots of hero's abound in this world, I'm remembering the first responders and the sacrifice they made to save lives.     

 

I don't mean to discount the sacrifices that first responders (and their families) make, particularly not as regards those who have made The Ultimate Sacrifice and have given what President Lincoln called "the last full measure of devotion."  I do wonder, though, whether those we laud as heroes are all that much different from you and me, except that they have faced extraordinary circumstances and have responded well.  I don't necessarily think that it's the person who makes the occasion as much as it's the occasion which makes the person.  For more of my thoughts on the subject, see here (last accessed today): http://greatgourdini.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/on-heroism/  

[thesometimesaint]

Not responsive to my original post.  If you'd like to vent, there are plenty of places where you can do that.  If you have anything that is responsive, I welcome it. Thanks.

 

HUH?

[Calm]

9/11 sure made the point loud and clear that anything can happen to anyone anywhere and anytime.  Life is unpredictable and not particularly in our control no matter how we order our days and plan ahead.

 

Levels of anxieties and fears went up dramatically, requiring extensive therapeutic responses in our society, IIRC, especially among children, after 9/11.  The sense that the world is out of your control can cause fear, depression, anger, etc. and lead to people to engaging in counterproductive activities.

 

The assurance of the Gospel that there is meaning to life, that God does have a plan and life is leading towards something glorious and joyful, cleansing us of all the heartache and pain we've suffered, allow us to even rejoice in those moments as they led us to the Lord as well as the belief the universe isn't just 'winging it' provides the anchor that many lost at that time and others lose due to tragedies in their lives.

[Calm]

HUH?

This is what he would like discussed:

 

How were you affected by 9/11?  How has the Gospel (or your faith in G-d in general) brought you peace? 

 

 

 

[The Nehor]

I watch this video every year to remember and relive in part how I felt that day.

[Ron Beron]

I don't have the words.  The melody to Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings always comes to mind.

[thesometimesaint]

 

This is what he would like discussed:

 

 

 

I know. That is what I said. I was hardly a naive young thing on that warn September morn. My world and the world around me changed. I'm not happy about those changes I(we) became.

[Tacenda]

I don't mean to discount the sacrifices that first responders (and their families) make, particularly not as regards those who have made The Ultimate Sacrifice and have given what President Lincoln called "the last full measure of devotion."  I do wonder, though, whether those we laud as heroes are all that much different from you and me, except that they have faced extraordinary circumstances and have responded well.  I don't necessarily think that it's the person who makes the occasion as much as it's the occasion which makes the person.  For more of my thoughts on the subject, see here (last accessed today): http://greatgourdini.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/on-heroism/  

I guess it would take something like 911 to see what I've got.  I hope I wouldn't have hid away or took a sick day instead of gone into the buildings.  What about the hero's on the plane, they were like me and you.  Remember the film 'Flight 93'? 

 

I'll never forget the next day when my teenage daughter and her friend went house to house collecting money for the 911 families.  They gathered, I believe around 60.00 bucks and took it to the established bank set up to help!!  

[Duncan]

Not responsive to my original post, but thanks for the compliments regarding our fast food.  Do you have anything to contribute that is responsive to my original post?

 

 

yeah, because of 9/11 I have to renew my passport every 5 years to cross the border and the fees went up. IIRC before that all you needed was a birth certificate or something

[thesometimesaint]

yeah, because of 9/11 I have to renew my passport every 5 years to cross the border and the fees went up. IIRC before that all you needed was a birth certificate or something

 

Many moons ago a temporary visitor from the US to Canada didn't even need that.

[Calm]

yeah, because of 9/11 I have to renew my passport every 5 years to cross the border and the fees went up. IIRC before that all you needed was a birth certificate or something

It definitely made the move down from Canada more angsty, but I was very good at documenting everything in our boxes, so we didn't have to open anything up after all....at least so I was told as I went down by a different method with the kids, we ended up missing a box of books so I am wondering if one box was taken off as a token to be looked at and then forgotten to put back on the uhaul truck.  The custom agent said she hadn't seen anything like my obsessive organization, lol.

 

Being up in Canada the first few years after it happened isolated us, I think, from good deal of the turmoil and emotional chaos that seemed to occur afterwards, especially the sense of needing to do something as a nation in response.  There was also I think less of a shock that this could happen because Canadians seemed to me to be more aware of the global terrorist attacks that had taken place in the past and thus the potential for it to happen anywhere.

 

It became for me much more limited to a personal response due to that than a sense of responding in tune with the community.

Edited September 11, 2013 by calmoriah

[emarkp]

I will never forget watching the second plane fly into the second tower.  I turned on the news right after they were showing the 1st plane.  But witnessing a second was too much.  Just as I will never forget the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion in 1986 that killed all 7 passengers which included a high school teacher.  I watched that too, as it happened.  

 

Lots of hero's abound in this world, I'm remembering the first responders and the sacrifice they made to save lives.     

 

There was no video of the 1st plane available until long after the day.  I first saw it when IIRC CBS aired a documentary which originally was about the training of a probationary fireman in NY.  That crew heard the sound of the 1st plane, panned up and saw it go into the building.

 

 

It was a strange day.  I remember getting to work (on the West Coast) oblivious to what had happened.  We rigged an antenna for a little TV we had in the office for videos to get the local station.  I later recorded the video of the 2nd plane to estimate the speed it was going into he building.

 

My first child took her first steps that day, and we were videotaping her as the President came on the TV to address the nation.

[Tacenda]

There was no video of the 1st plane available until long after the day.  I first saw it when IIRC CBS aired a documentary which originally was about the training of a probationary fireman in NY.  That crew heard the sound of the 1st plane, panned up and saw it go into the building.

 

 

It was a strange day.  I remember getting to work (on the West Coast) oblivious to what had happened.  We rigged an antenna for a little TV we had in the office for videos to get the local station.  I later recorded the video of the 2nd plane to estimate the speed it was going into he building.

 

My first child took her first steps that day, and we were videotaping her as the President came on the TV to address the nation.

That makes sense!  They probably wouldn't have a video of the 1st plane going in until someone later provided one.  Didn't think of that! 

[cursor]

I watch this video every year to remember and relive in part how I felt that day.

 

Personally, I find that video and it's accompanying music to be annoyingly disrespectful. 

Edited September 11, 2013 by cursor

[Questing Beast]

@Nehor: That has got to be the weirdest thing I have ever read vis-a-vis lost loved ones to 9/11....

[Kenngo1969]

yeah, because of 9/11 I have to renew my passport every 5 years to cross the border and the fees went up. IIRC before that all you needed was a birth certificate or something

To repeat, this isn't a "The-World-(Or a My/Our-Life(s))-Suck(s)-Since-9/11-And-Here's-Why" Thread.

 

How were you affected by 9/11?  How has the Gospel (or your faith in G-d in general) brought you peace?

[Kenngo1969]

@Nehor: That has got to be the weirdest thing I have ever read vis-a-vis lost loved ones to 9/11....

Enough said.  Please confine responses in this thread to the questions posed in the opening post.  Thank you.