On writing on 9/11, on and on
I’m not going to lie: I have a hard time writing about 9/11.
This is (for the most part) a political blog, but politics seems like a very small topic for a day like today. 9/11 is a messy day, not just because it’s still full of sorrow and anger for so many people who lost loved ones that day or any of the hard days that followed, but because still it is not a closed case.
On a micro level, there are still discoveries, such as the note that a Connecticut man dropped from a window on the 84th floor of Two World Trade Center that day, and which reached his family just before last year’s decennial remembrance, and which finally made it into the press this week. A fresh wound for them and, albeit on a much smaller scale, for the rest of us, too.
On a macro level, there’s a war in Afghanistan that began shortly thereafter and continues to this day. There are still tens of thousands of Americans fighting in that war, being shot at by our enemies and our alleged friends. Their mission, their fate, are still deathly important to them and their families, and should be to the rest of us, too. But to talk about those things today feels off-putting, because it invariably means diving into the politics involved in making decisions about the war and thus getting away from the unity of the day, and it feels cheap, because it’s too easy to talk about those things today and ignore them for the other 364.25 days of the year. (I am far too guilty of that myself.)
On a personal level, I feel like most people are out of things to say by now, myself included. I was working in a carpet mill that day, a month away from starting my job with the Associated Press, and didn’t even hear about the attacks until someone from the office part of the building told me in the break room at lunchtime. I still didn’t comprehend what had happened for another four hours, when I finally got a chance to see a television and the images of what had happened and was still happening, images and events that were nearly impossible to imagine before 9/11 and impossible to forget ever since.
What I remember most is the visceral reaction I and everyone else had, and that was best captured by people who spent that day capturing it instead of shuttling rugs around a mill. To this day, I prefer re-reading what was written then to almost anything written more recently. If you’ve never read Dan McLaughlin’s eyewitness account from back then, today’s the day to read it. For a longer treatment, Tom Junod’s 2009 exploration of the “falling man” photograph is haunting. Feel free to share others in the comment thread.
And feel free to share your own memories and thoughts, even the political ones. Heck, this is still a mostly free country. Just because I had to get this off my chest before getting on with the rest of my day doesn’t mean you have to do the same.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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263 comments Add your comment
Interested Observer
September 11th, 2012
5:30 pm
Somehow, my most recent post didn’t make it through either???
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
September 11th, 2012
5:32 pm
Apparently there is no cure for Bush Derangement Syndrome. The libtards caught it when W outsmarted Gore in 2000 and had a relapse when He just plain whupped Kerry’s butt in 2004.
Interested Observer
September 11th, 2012
5:32 pm
RE: “Did you not see Kyle’s link to the rebuttal to the ridiculous, ill-timed and inflammatory Times hit piece?”
Yes. In fact, my comment quoted directly from the article that Kyle linked to AND responded to it.
Kyle Wingfield
September 11th, 2012
5:33 pm
It’s up now, too, Interested.
Interested Observer
September 11th, 2012
5:36 pm
Thank you, Kyle.
@@
September 11th, 2012
5:36 pm
Kyle:
I lost one too. No need to force it through tho. I can’t even remember what it was about.
(ISH)
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
September 11th, 2012
5:38 pm
Interested Observer: People have short memories. Clinton tried to kill bin Laden, and Republicans criticized him at the time for doing so.
——————
Yeah, I do remember. Clinton launched ONE round of cruise missiles and called it a “War On Terror”. Turns out it was the shortest “war” ever…about five minutes long.
Clinton had multiple opportunities to take out OBL and did nothing. Then he played hot potato with Islamofascist terrorism and it landed in Our President Bush’s lap.
Another Democrat mess that a Republican had to clean up. Kinda like Vietnam.
Jefferson
September 11th, 2012
5:57 pm
I wanted to bomb, Saudi, still do somedays.
@@
September 11th, 2012
6:06 pm
Don’t know if anyone has posted this perspective.
The Story of the Only American Not on Earth on September 11th
When astronauts describe the feeling of sailing around space, looking at our planet from hundreds of miles above, they often invoke the phrase “orbital perspective,” a shorthand for the emotional, psychological, and intellectual effects of seeing “the Earth hanging in the blackness of space.”
As he signed off, Culbertson reflected, “I miss all of you very much.”
A tiny speck of great significance to Americans everywhere.
InAtl
September 11th, 2012
6:12 pm
Interested Observer, I don’t think your post about the NYT article was clear in which article you were quoting from, the original or the rebuttal. That being said, I think the suggestion that republicans are less vigilant in the war on terror than democrats is really a stretch. Remember, we’re supposed to be the “hawks” and you guys are supposed to be the “doves.” Obviously there was not enough intel to clue our people in to where the attack would happen. To suggest that Bush or anyone else ignored a known threat is simply absurd. And the quotes you selected from Graham and others I suspect are in regard to the aspirin factory bombing right before the mid-term elections.
JDW
September 11th, 2012
6:13 pm
@@@…”END OF DISCUSSION!!!!!!”
O’ dear…avoiding discussion doesn’t usually lead to learning…challenge your preconceptions…you might change your perspective.
Linda
September 11th, 2012
6:20 pm
One of my vivid memories of 9/11/11 came hours after the World Trade Centers were hit. It was a clip of apparently extra ER staff of a hospital who had been called in to duty. They were standing outside the hospital on the sidewalk, looking toward the WTCs, wondering where their anticipated patients were.
Where were the hurt & injured, who were not coming? The hurt & injury in their expressions, in their hearts & in their souls were apparent, as the realization set in that their “patients” were dead. Their awareness of the hopelessness of 9/11 made me aware of the senselessness of 9/11.
We’ve memorialized the victims who died on 9/11/11 for 12 years. There will never be memorials for those who cleaned up the toxic aftermath of 9/11 & who have died & are dying for such heroic efforts.
My family’s prayers today, as always, will be for all of those who lost on 9/11/11 & for those who gained a renewed sense of patriotism & determination on 9/11/11.
Interested Observer
September 11th, 2012
6:29 pm
RE: “To suggest that Bush or anyone else ignored a known threat is simply absurd.”
Unfortunately, the evidence seems to suggest otherwise.
Recall that a CIA briefer spoke to Bush while Bush was visiting his ranch in Texas. Amid numerous red flags indicating a pending al-Qaeda attack, the CIA specifically set out to call the president’s attention to the August 6, 2001 memo titled “Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US.” Bush heard the briefer out and replied: “All right. You’ve covered your ass, now.”
TRUTH
September 11th, 2012
6:37 pm
TIME OUT FROM POLITICS. WE SALUTE THE FALLEN AND LIFT UP OUR NATION. WE REMAIN UNITED AS A COUNTRY AND THROUGH OUR SPIRIT.
LET’S ROLL!
@@
September 11th, 2012
6:43 pm
JDW:
Believe me…after witnessing your political opportunism on a day intended as a memorial to lives lost, my perspective is clear.
Leftists are a shameful lot. Lower than a snake’s belly.
Are we clear on that?
InAtl
September 11th, 2012
6:47 pm
Knowing an attack is coming is one thing. Knowing where it will come from is entirely different. And I think you’re choosing to assume they ignored the intel, which you really have no evidence of yourself.
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
September 11th, 2012
6:48 pm
Interested Observer
September 11th, 2012
6:29 pm
———-
Still waiting to hear about the specific threats the CIA uncovered, or the actionable intel we had.
Didn’t think so.
Your BDS can’t be healthy.
Hillbilly D
September 11th, 2012
7:29 pm
Reading back through today’s comments, some just never can let it go, for anything. It’s pretty sad.
@@
September 11th, 2012
7:48 pm
Plasma Gasification Raises Hopes of Clean Energy From Garbage
There for a minute, I thought Obama was looking to take our blood to promote clean energy.
Turns out it’s just our money. Whew!
schnirt
I’ve always liked the idea of using garbage as an alternative energy source. Can’t keep packing it into landfills. We Americans sho ’nuff produce alot of it.
Del
September 11th, 2012
7:52 pm
Solemn day of remembrance and Bookman and his faithful flock are having cerebral orgasms over the latest polls and rejoicing in the belief that the “one” is now destined to have a second term. Pathetic celebration and a clear display of anti-Americanism.
David R. Boag, DDS
September 11th, 2012
8:02 pm
Linda @ 6:20,
You are right to think about them, but the date of the event is 9/11/01.
AU Liberal in ATL
September 11th, 2012
8:15 pm
Did anyone else notice the talking heads on Fox News today? Those Godless hypocrites spent the day complaining that The President hasn’t mentioned God enough on this day. If that bunch represents God, I’ll take my chances with the fckng Devil.
Linda
September 11th, 2012
8:16 pm
Manners matter. Liberals don’t got none. Liberals can’t find jobs & have trouble finding rental housing to shack up with their girlfriends. They are clueless. Conservative business owners DID build their companies & DO tie scruples in private lives to scruples in the workplace.
AU Liberal in ATL
September 11th, 2012
8:18 pm
Dear Delusional Del, pathetic is the proper word, but it describes you. There is nothing anit-American about supporting our President. What you’re doing is called projecting. Go see your therapist.
mike
September 11th, 2012
8:18 pm
How’s everyone doing? Lonely, as usual? I see Romney and Ryan are still sticking to the “lie to get elected” theme of their campaign. It’s just pathetic that the right has to resort to lies to try to appeal to their base. It won’t make any difference, though. They’re still going to lose come November.
David R. Boag, DDS
September 11th, 2012
8:22 pm
InAtl @ 6:47
FINALLY a voice of reason! When it comes to intelligence, there is what we KNOW versus what we THINK we know, and what we THINK we should do about it versus what MUST be done. Even if it was known that there would be an imminent attack on us by AlQuaida, what would a reasonable person do when there had been ABSOLUTELY ZERO history of terrorist attacks on our shores? And by that, I mean what concrete steps would you expect a reasonable person to take at that time? Then, we’re those stps recommended to the president? Then, did he disagree with those recommendations?
And then there is the accountability thing. If ALL Bush received was that there would be an imminent attack using planes from AlQuaida, but no known dates, times, places, and there has been no history of a successful terrorist attack on our shores, what is Bush supposed to do? What were the recommended security precautions that his advisors were recommending to him? It is hard to blame him if he got incomplete information that was not KNOWN. It’s so much easier to see in hindsight–especially, apparently, for those who are critical of the Bush administration–because our security mindset is completely different now than it was 12 years ago.
If you think being a Monday morning quarterback is easier than being a quarterback, it is infinitely easi to be a Wednesday morning president.
mike
September 11th, 2012
8:25 pm
I know that a root canal costs a lot more on a molar than on a bicuspid. Why is that? More roots? I never understood that.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
September 11th, 2012
8:28 pm
mike and Au Lib, can’t you two losers just dial the political rhetoric down a bit on this day?
Have you no decency?
mike
September 11th, 2012
8:31 pm
Well, I’m so sorry you were offended Tiberius. I guess Linda didn’t get the memo. Or is her posts invisible to your eyes?
Del
September 11th, 2012
8:35 pm
AU Lib, drinks the lefts Kool-Aid by the gallon and bows to his handlers as their tool. Pathetic that people like AU Lib become so absorbed that they can no longer think for themselves. Crawl back over to Bookman tool.
Linda
September 11th, 2012
8:37 pm
David R. Boag, DDS, Do you accept Medicaid patients? Why or why not? Do you know anyone who does? What’s going to happen to Medicaid patients, especially children, who need care under Obamacare?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
September 11th, 2012
8:38 pm
Posts, mike? How about “post”? And in the one immediately above she was certainly calling out the libs on this blog for their lack of manners due to THEIR inconsiderate posts.
But once again, why do you troll here on THIS day with political crap?
Del
September 11th, 2012
8:38 pm
“They’re still going to lose come November.”
Mick, don’t count your chickens even though you flock with them.
independent thinker
September 11th, 2012
8:39 pm
Funny how the cons do not wan the truth about who was responsible for 9-11 coming out today but old psychopath Cheney picks today to condemn Obama for taking credit for pulling the trigger on Osama.
David R. Boag, DDS
September 11th, 2012
8:40 pm
Mike @ 8:18,
Try to be nice. You can if you try.
Relax with the political stuff today
Otherwise, we really don’t want to hear this kind of stuff today. Maybe tomorrow, we’ll engage.
Listen to the tone of what you are posting vs. Kyle’s post, and if you can’t stop yourself we will all just
Laugh at you, because you’ll make it so easy for us to see what you are.
@@
September 11th, 2012
8:41 pm
Another one!!??!!
An armed mob attacked the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, late Tuesday, hours after Egyptians stormed the U.S. Embassy in Cairo to protest a film they denounced as blasphemous against Islam. One American was reported dead and one slightly wounded.
JDW
September 11th, 2012
8:42 pm
@@@..Believe me…after witnessing your political opportunism on a day intended as a memorial to lives lost, my perspective is clear.”
Political opportunism…HAH..9/11 is one of the key events that shaped my political view.
Incompetent is incompetent and ignoring that fact is doing those that died a disservice. Our responsibility is to make sure that it doesn’t happen again…cloaking yourself in the flag and refusing to face facts does no good.
Del
September 11th, 2012
8:43 pm
Obama for taking over the top credit for pulling the trigger on Osama.
Fixed the typo. Carry on
@@
September 11th, 2012
8:43 pm
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
JamVet
September 11th, 2012
8:45 pm
whiner, @@, kayaker 71, lil bb, del, linda, mike and Au Lib among others, can’t you losers just dial the political rhetoric down a bit on this day?
Have you no decency?
Del
September 11th, 2012
8:47 pm
“Laugh at you, because you’ll make it so easy for us to see what you are.”
David R. DDS, I can help you there…he’s a name changer from Bookmans blog.
mike
September 11th, 2012
8:47 pm
In a fantasy land far, far away, terrorists attacked the United States after President Obama had advanced warning and did not act on it. If you had to guess, what would be the reaction of the right?
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
September 11th, 2012
8:48 pm
An armed mob attacked the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, late Tuesday, hours after Egyptians stormed the U.S. Embassy in Cairo
———————-
B-b-b-but Obozo won the Nobel Peace prize–didn’t they hear?
Del
September 11th, 2012
8:49 pm
P-jammy, your guy’s raised it up. Crawl back.
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
September 11th, 2012
8:49 pm
mike, even Bill Clinton called BS on your little libtard narrative. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Linda
September 11th, 2012
8:54 pm
mike@8:31, My posts were offensive? I only had two before your comment. What did you find offensive with my 6:20 post? I guess my 8:16 hit home to you. I would never hire a liberal or rent to a couple who were shacked up. A person who is immoral is immoral.
Del
September 11th, 2012
8:55 pm
It appears Kyle’s blog is being infested and next we’ll have fat body and squaw boy over here making insane posts. Oh well…Taps
Linda
September 11th, 2012
9:03 pm
JamVet@8:45, Can’t handle the truth? Kiss my grits.
We’re LOSERS? Why don’t you tone down YOUR political rhetoric? We’re not decent? Are you kidding?
David R. Boag, DDS
September 11th, 2012
9:14 pm
Linda @ 8:37 pm,
Linda, I used to work at practices where a majority of patients were Medicaid (MC). I have worked in Atlanta area practices and I worked in one in LaGrange. There was a VERY significant difference in the quality of the people who I saw in the two areas.
In LaGrange, those who were on MC treated my boss and I with respect, because they knew we were taking a huge pay cut to see them. They were appreciative, and most of them were just simply down on their luck and not trying to abuse the system or act like they we owed anything. There were, of course a FEW exceptions, but for the most part, they were good people, and I felt good helping them out.
But the MC patients in ATL were the POLAR OPPOSITE! Most treated me like they were OWED the work. There were more a users of the system than the exceptions who were just simply good people who were down on their luck. Heck, I saw too many driving nicer cars than I drive bringing their 5 kids. It taught me QUICKLY that I NEVER want to have a MC practice in the ATL area. I would rather be gracious and generous to families and individuals for whom I personally have compassion.
To be honest with you, as bad as those patients could be, NOTHING was worse than treating atlanta-area DMO patients. They were worse, because they THOUGHT that because they paid $8 per month to an insurance company that they should then have access to th best dentistry for practically nothing more, and unlike the MC people, they PAID for it, so they were quite belligerent. Miserable. I will never work in those environments again. There are rumors that the government might one day FORCE all dentists to take some MC. I will MOVE or QUIT first! I am a generous man, but I want the right to choose when whom I am generous, not have the government force me to be generous to who they want me to.
I have chosen to have a practice where I offer some of the very best dentistry. I don’t always DO the best dentistry, because many can’t afford to do it the best way. But I firmly believe that the best medical system is one that COMPLETELY eliminates third party payers, where a patient and a doctor decide what is the best direction to go and how much the fees are. I say this BOTH as a patient and as a doctor.
People try to say it is a pipe dream, and to some degree it is, but every time someone complains about the state of health care, if you simplified it to an agreement between doctors and patients, it eliminates WAY more problems than it creates. I say this as someone who has to pay full price for his dentist to see him. I do it because he is the best, and that’s what I want for myself. When it comes to my mouth, I want the best, and I’m willing to save my money to get it. I think about all the crap I get around by just saving my money and paying cash for my work to be done. If you think that ANYONE who uses a participating provider is getting the best dentistry, I can tell you for certain that they are not. I cannot offer my highest level of care to my in-network patients. I lose money if I try, and no one goes into business to lose money. They have to settle for pretty-good dentistry, and most are happy with that. If anyone thinks they can get the best care at a discount, they are fooling themselves.
Hope that helps bring a reasonable context to my answer to your question.
JamVet
September 11th, 2012
9:27 pm
Del and Linda, have you no decency?
On this, of ALL days?
How sad…