September 11, 2001 - 8 Years ago today

[Azure]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

I for one will be really interested in George W's Autobiography when it comes out, I just cant fathom how or why his administration chose the path they did? Maybe these memoirs will shed some light - I don't know?

I think a lot of people will be surprised with what he says.

I have never perceived him to be the stupid idiot that so many think he is. I just think he had bad people in his administration that he allowed to control the direction the US was going.

His greatest accomplishment, to me, will always be taking the advice of General Petraeus, and despite a 30% approval rating and numerous people within his OWN administration disagreeing with him, not to mention all the Democrats, putting more troops in Iraq and turning the WHOLE campaign around in months.

Cheney has openly talked that he felt Bush pushed him out of the way during his 2nd term. Geez, I wonder why.

A President that will always be remembered, that is for sure. Rightly or wrongly.

[enthused]

I was in grade 9, and my mom was driving me to volleyball practice before school when we heard on the radio that a plane had hit the World Trade Centre. I remember thinking it must have been a really freak air accident or something. By the time practice was over and we got to class, the second plane had hit and it was apparent that it was a terrorist attack. We spent the rest of the day watching TV in all of our classes. I still don't think I fully understood the magnitude of what was happening at the time though, as I was still pretty young.

[dissentowner]

What is sad about this tragic event is all the merchandising crap that has come out. Like those bills and coins, come on, this was a horrible event and mints are making a buck off it. Sad.

[Russic]

Can't say it changed me personally. The world around us sure, but I don't have a personal connection to the tragedy.

To this day I still don't understand how the greatest military strength in the world could just let this slide. They went from hunting Osama to hunting Hussein and many Americans seemed to be just fine with it. It makes no sense to me.

[flylock shox]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

What is sad about this tragic event is all the merchandising crap that has come out. Like those bills and coins, come on, this was a horrible event and mints are making a buck off it. Sad.

Nicely put.

[Playfair]

What was sad personally was that one of my best friends died of cancer the day after... two stunning days in a row.

What I think has changed in the world is that the terrorists won. I am sorry to say that, but I mean it. They wanted to instill fear, and fear is what we got. It isn't as bad here now, at least not in this part of the country, but everyone has been or is on edge. There is always the fear of another attack now. We never used to think of it before.

Then the Bush administration played on those fears. They used it for their own political gain. And the entire USA ate out of their hands. There is nothing connected to 9/11 in Iraq. The only reason why Bush was reelected in my opinion is fear. He was the Texas gun slinger who would save the day.

Maybe I am being a glib, but to me the terrorists won. They won the war of fear.

[Schultzie]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

What is sad about this tragic event is all the merchandising crap that has come out. Like those bills and coins, come on, this was a horrible event and mints are making a buck off it. Sad.

Yeah, but does it honestly surprise you?

[troutman]

http://money.canoe.ca/News/Other/200...803226-ap.html

The five skyscrapers were all supposed to rise by early next decade to replace the ravaged World Trade Center, with the city’s tallest towers set in a spiral evoking the Statue of Liberty’s torch.

They would frame a massive memorial in a tree-filled park, plus a theater and a transportation hub with uplifted wings — one of several symbols intended to defy the terrorists who destroyed the 16-acre site in under two hours.

Standing on the site now — a multi-level labyrinth of concrete and steel, from the entrance resembling the rooftops of an underground city — the sweeping design unveiled 61/2 years ago still hasn’t materialized.

And while the most symbolic pieces of the puzzle at ground zero are taking shape, it’s become increasingly clear that the grand scheme will take decades to be fully completed, if it ever is at all.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

I for one will be really interested in George W's Autobiography when it comes out, I just cant fathom how or why his administration chose the path they did? Maybe these memoirs will shed some light - I don't know?

I wouldnt expect too much truth from that.

[Puppet Guy]

[quote=Canada 02;2022565]honest question. people say 9/11 changed their lives. How?

the line I think best applies was "the world didn't change on 9/11, it's just that America joined it". It tore off the veil that this side of the Atlantic - Canada included - was impenetrable. Better or for worse, I think it's better to have that innocence gone.

Not to sound like Mister Sunshine, but one of the things I took from 9/11 was how humanity can show its best when things are at their worst. I was living in Halifax when it happened, and the airport there took in over 60 planes (the only city in Canada which took in more was Gander, NL). As soon as the planes were on the ground the city put out a call for the locals to take in billets. Halifax responded immediately with hundreds of people opening their houses to strangers until they were allowed to take off again days later. This happened all over the East Coast (there's a book called "The Day the World Came", I think, which is about Gander's experience), and the bonds are still there.

As horrible as 9/11 was, actions like those in NS kept the flame of hope for humanity alive.

[Bob]

Originally Posted by troutman

http://money.canoe.ca/News/Other/200...803226-ap.html

The five skyscrapers were all supposed to rise by early next decade to replace the ravaged World Trade Center, with the city’s tallest towers set in a spiral evoking the Statue of Liberty’s torch.

They would frame a massive memorial in a tree-filled park, plus a theater and a transportation hub with uplifted wings — one of several symbols intended to defy the terrorists who destroyed the 16-acre site in under two hours.

Standing on the site now — a multi-level labyrinth of concrete and steel, from the entrance resembling the rooftops of an underground city — the sweeping design unveiled 61/2 years ago still hasn’t materialized.

And while the most symbolic pieces of the puzzle at ground zero are taking shape, it’s become increasingly clear that the grand scheme will take decades to be fully completed, if it ever is at all.

I liked the Penn & Teller (and Trump, and others) idea: they should just rebuild the originals, just a bit taller, with better construction. Two giant middle fingers to the terrorist *******s!

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by Bob

I still remember almost everything I saw and heard that morning.

Edit: Grade 8? Some of you are young bucks. I was in 3rd-year engineering when that happened. I was sitting in traffic on 14th st @ 90th avenue when the second tower fell.

Hmm... I was in 1st year engineering!

I remember it because I'd only been dating my now-hubby for less than a week. It was a weird way to start the relationship because it was quite a life-changing event.

[Jimmy Stang]

I was still living at home and got up and my Dad was standing in the living room shirtless staring at the TV - kind of a suspended reality moment. This was in between the first and second planes.

Like others have mentioned, it felt like perhaps it was an accident. A bad accident, but still an accident. Then things went to s*** real fast. I'll never forget that feeling of listening to the radio all day at work. Trying to get news online but everything was slower than molasses.

It truly was the developing news story of our era. We had become so accustomed to (and now, even more so) getting information and understanding immediately. There was so much uncertainty about what had happened, whether it was over, and what was going to happen next.

I remember feeling a real sense of sympathy for, and solidarity with, the American people.

And also, like others have mentioned, debacles like Iraq and the incorrect/botched/false intelligence that pointed the guns at an old, neutered enemy instead of the real perpetrators and threat, was disappointing.

Colour-coded fear meters, freedom fries, duct tape and poly. It was all just a bit too much in the months and years following.

[Canuck-Hater]

I was in grade 11 out back behind EP Scarlett, and heard about it through word of mouth, and at first I didnt know whether to believe it or not. So I walk down the hallway and noticed the tv on in the janitors office, I was stunned at what I saw.

I was really bothered after about how the friends and family members of the victims were jerked around by the American Government. These people deserve answers. If Bush would of read and actually took the time to review the information of an imminent terrorist attack this could of been prevented or been scripted differently with less casualties. Instead Bush was on vacation. Way to take terrorism seriously Mr. President.

[Bob]

One thing I remember is that the internet news sites as a whole pretty much cratered that day. CNN et al. were down to static HTML pages with basic links. One of the only big sites (back in those days) to really weather the storm nicely was Slashdot. Go back and read some of the comments in that story (or any forum from that time). The confusion and chaos was quite evident in the first hours afterwards.

[Flames_Gimp]

[Canuck-Hater]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

I was still living at home and got up and my Dad was standing in the living room shirtless staring at the TV - kind of a suspended reality moment. This was in between the first and second planes.

Like others have mentioned, it felt like perhaps it was an accident. A bad accident, but still an accident. Then things went to s*** real fast. I'll never forget that feeling of listening to the radio all day at work. Trying to get news online but everything was slower than molasses.

It truly was the developing news story of our era. We had become so accustomed to (and now, even more so) getting information and understanding immediately. There was so much uncertainty about what had happened, whether it was over, and what was going to happen next.

I remember feeling a real sense of sympathy for, and solidarity with, the American people.

And also, like others have mentioned, debacles like Iraq and the incorrect/botched/false intelligence that pointed the guns at an old, neutered enemy instead of the real perpetrators and threat, was disappointing.

Colour-coded fear meters, freedom fries, duct tape and poly. It was all just a bit too much in the months and years following.

Oh it really was disappointing. I was just amazed how Rumsfeld could come out and say Iraq disobeyed the Geneva convention-Which Im sure is true, but I mean bombing a nation without complying to the UN is Arguably a breach of the Geneva Convention as well. He looked like a complete hypocrite.

[Playfair]

Originally Posted by troutman

http://money.canoe.ca/News/Other/200...803226-ap.html

The five skyscrapers were all supposed to rise by early next decade to replace the ravaged World Trade Center, with the city’s tallest towers set in a spiral evoking the Statue of Liberty’s torch.

They would frame a massive memorial in a tree-filled park, plus a theater and a transportation hub with uplifted wings — one of several symbols intended to defy the terrorists who destroyed the 16-acre site in under two hours.

Standing on the site now — a multi-level labyrinth of concrete and steel, from the entrance resembling the rooftops of an underground city — the sweeping design unveiled 61/2 years ago still hasn’t materialized.

And while the most symbolic pieces of the puzzle at ground zero are taking shape, it’s become increasingly clear that the grand scheme will take decades to be fully completed, if it ever is at all.

That is very sad.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Flames_Gimp

I was wondering if anyone was going to bust that out. Hope you put your flamesuit on...

[Dion]

Originally Posted by lambeburger

Those Hulk Hogan photoshops are just in plain poor taste.

It shows an incredible lack of respect for those that died that day.