On 9/11/01, I was 51 years old, and spent several hours with one of my Hospice patients, who turned 40 that day, we watched the TV. He talked more about his life and experiences that day than ever before. He lived in squalor with people who took his disability check but barely fed him. I did the cleaning when I could. Dreadfully ill, he died a few weeks later in our inpatient unit. That has never left me. I think of that man nearly every day 👹 someone very unlike me, but I genuinely cared for him.
I was never in favor of war against Iraq, even though I was 50+ on 9/11. After having lived in two Muslim countries, I was appalled by the torture at Guantanamo, the Islamophobia, the needless destruction of Iraq and then Afghanistan, our heroes killed, our dollars wasted.
I frequently ponder how different - perhaps- the US response would have been if the Supreme Court had allowed a recount in Florida during the 2000 election.
The USA continues its culture of continuous wars. I wish our connection to humanitarian ideals such as universal healthcare surpassed our commitment to war.
So well said: the lessons, the conclusion. I remember it all. But as I sit here I am in greater dread than ever. The path for those who understand what needs to be done now is blocked. The road to recovery has been torn up in the intervening years and I don't see the debris being cleared. Newly released information, the corruption has only gotten worse. I limit my news these days - I need to come up for air. I think this election is the time to define who we are. Right now we and the world have not the slightest idea.
Hundreds of thousands dead and $8 trillion wasted on the "war on terror." What a sickening and disastrous folly. I lived in downtown NYC on 9/11 and felt more traumatize by the US government's ineptly planned and hideously violent response. There was no one in power to stand up for even the smallest bit of wisdom. So here we are now. Ugh!
I totally agree with you and agreed with you at the time. When I saw Republican and Democratic Senators and Representatives standing together on the steps of the capital building as though they were were of one mind I wanted to throw up! I knew they did not feel the same and that they were just standing there behaving the way they thought was expected. Any politician who disagreed with the Georgia W Bush administration's push towards war and in Afghanistan and Iraq were afraid to say so because it wouldn't be politically expedient. So instead they went along with the horrible loss of lives and poorly spent tax dollars while waving the US flag.
When I first heard about it, my first thought was "I hope it's not muslim terrorists" Not because I feared that in particular. But because of how people might respond to ordinary muslims in Norway. There is a fair bit of xenophobia and white supremacy attitudes in Norway. I think they are a minority, but if muslims were blamed for this. It might florish. I never blamed muslims for 9/11 and I knew from day one that religion had nothing to do with 9/11. Although I knew far less about Islam then than I know now.
It is an enormous problem to solve--the need for truth and justice in this country. We can only try. Not only does our government lie to us, so does all of mainstream media. It does no service to this country, in the long run, to tell all news stories from the "patriotic" position--America is always the free and fair country. So much needs to change, from the ground up. Unfortunately, sometimes great people give up, or have to. Lonnie Bunch III stepped down as Director of The Smithsonian. We have to help support independent journalism because we have to be able to get the truth somewhere--and IJ is our only hope.
The week after 9/11 I was a nurse on the labor and delivery unit. A pregnant woman and her husband came under my care. They were tense but became more relaxed. The husband spoke English and told me he was relieved I treated his wife like she was my sister, and that we all worship the same God. I’m glad I could give them safety for the birth of their child.
I wish we had someone like you in the U.K.! You are a voice of reason and sanity in a world growing uglier every day. (Former 55-year California resident.)
On 9/11/01, I was 51 years old, and spent several hours with one of my Hospice patients, who turned 40 that day, we watched the TV. He talked more about his life and experiences that day than ever before. He lived in squalor with people who took his disability check but barely fed him. I did the cleaning when I could. Dreadfully ill, he died a few weeks later in our inpatient unit. That has never left me. I think of that man nearly every day 👹 someone very unlike me, but I genuinely cared for him.
I was never in favor of war against Iraq, even though I was 50+ on 9/11. After having lived in two Muslim countries, I was appalled by the torture at Guantanamo, the Islamophobia, the needless destruction of Iraq and then Afghanistan, our heroes killed, our dollars wasted.
I frequently ponder how different - perhaps- the US response would have been if the Supreme Court had allowed a recount in Florida during the 2000 election.
The USA continues its culture of continuous wars. I wish our connection to humanitarian ideals such as universal healthcare surpassed our commitment to war.
So well said: the lessons, the conclusion. I remember it all. But as I sit here I am in greater dread than ever. The path for those who understand what needs to be done now is blocked. The road to recovery has been torn up in the intervening years and I don't see the debris being cleared. Newly released information, the corruption has only gotten worse. I limit my news these days - I need to come up for air. I think this election is the time to define who we are. Right now we and the world have not the slightest idea.
I remember seeing Jon Stewart repeatedly pushing Congress to at least guarantee health care for 9/11 responders, and they wouldn't even do that.
Hundreds of thousands dead and $8 trillion wasted on the "war on terror." What a sickening and disastrous folly. I lived in downtown NYC on 9/11 and felt more traumatize by the US government's ineptly planned and hideously violent response. There was no one in power to stand up for even the smallest bit of wisdom. So here we are now. Ugh!
I totally agree with you and agreed with you at the time. When I saw Republican and Democratic Senators and Representatives standing together on the steps of the capital building as though they were were of one mind I wanted to throw up! I knew they did not feel the same and that they were just standing there behaving the way they thought was expected. Any politician who disagreed with the Georgia W Bush administration's push towards war and in Afghanistan and Iraq were afraid to say so because it wouldn't be politically expedient. So instead they went along with the horrible loss of lives and poorly spent tax dollars while waving the US flag.
22nd July 2011 was Norway's 9/11.
When I first heard about it, my first thought was "I hope it's not muslim terrorists" Not because I feared that in particular. But because of how people might respond to ordinary muslims in Norway. There is a fair bit of xenophobia and white supremacy attitudes in Norway. I think they are a minority, but if muslims were blamed for this. It might florish. I never blamed muslims for 9/11 and I knew from day one that religion had nothing to do with 9/11. Although I knew far less about Islam then than I know now.
It is an enormous problem to solve--the need for truth and justice in this country. We can only try. Not only does our government lie to us, so does all of mainstream media. It does no service to this country, in the long run, to tell all news stories from the "patriotic" position--America is always the free and fair country. So much needs to change, from the ground up. Unfortunately, sometimes great people give up, or have to. Lonnie Bunch III stepped down as Director of The Smithsonian. We have to help support independent journalism because we have to be able to get the truth somewhere--and IJ is our only hope.
Great piece! Thanks for sharing.
The week after 9/11 I was a nurse on the labor and delivery unit. A pregnant woman and her husband came under my care. They were tense but became more relaxed. The husband spoke English and told me he was relieved I treated his wife like she was my sister, and that we all worship the same God. I’m glad I could give them safety for the birth of their child.
I wish we had someone like you in the U.K.! You are a voice of reason and sanity in a world growing uglier every day. (Former 55-year California resident.)
I appreciate you, Anne! Thank you.