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The World Trade Center - RushOnline.com (Pg 1 of 2) You could add this to your page it may be the national anthem by the end of the month. http://www.madblast.com/oska/bin.cfm Terry L Lantz * * * From the Oval Office 8:30 P.M. EDT 9/11/01 THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining. Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America -- with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could. Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C. to help with local rescue efforts. Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks. The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington, which had to be evacuated today, are reopening for essential personnel tonight, and will be open for business tomorrow. Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business, as well. The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. I appreciate so very much the members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks. And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance. America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism. Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me." This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world. Thank you. Good night, and God bless America. * * * God Spares Deacon from Death on the 81st Floor By Dan Van Veen Assemblies of God News Service A testimony of God's hand of protection amidst tragedy at the World Trade Center Crosswalk.com News Channel - Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, began like any other day for Bethel Assembly of God deacon and Sunday school superintendent Stanley Praimnath of Elmont, Long Island. He got up early, took a shower, prayed, got ready and headed for work. The drive was uneventful. The train ride was the same. Yet, this day he would see the hand of God spare his life. "For some particular reason, I gave the Lord a little extra of myself that morning [during prayer]," Stanley said. "I said, 'Lord, cover me and all my loved ones under your precious blood.' And even though I said that and believed it, I said it over and over and over." When Stanley arrived at World Trade Center Tower Two, he took the elevator up to his office on the 81st floor. "I work for the Fuji Bank Limited," he said. "I'm an assistant vice president in the loans operations department. The company is located on the 79th through 82nd floors." Stanley greeted Delise, a woman who had arrived before him. After talking briefly, he headed over to his desk and picked up his phone to retrieve his messages. "As I'm standing there retrieving my messages, I'm looking out at the next building, One World Trade, and I saw fire falling from the roof," Stanley said. "Now, this entire building is surrounded by glass, and you can stand up and from there you can see all the buildings, planes and everything flying at the same altitude." As Stanley saw "fire balls" coming down, his first reaction was to think of his boss who works in that building. He decided to try to call him to see if he was OK. "I'm dialing his number, and getting no response. So, I say to Delise, the temp, 'Go, go, go -- let's get out.'" Delise and Stanley got on the elevator and went down to the 78th floor.Some other people were there. The company's president, the CEO, the human resources director and two other men joined the group and headed down tothe concourse level of Two World Trade Center. If they had continued on and exited the building, all of their lives would have been spared. As it was, that's not the way it happened. "As soon as we reached the concourse level, the security guard stopped us and said, 'Where are you going?' Stanley explained about seeing the fire in Tower One. According to Stanley, the guard said, "Oh, that was just an accident. Two World Trade is secured. Go back to your office." That turned out to be fatal advice -- aside from Stanley, Delise was the only one of that group to survive."We were joking, and I told [Human Resources Director] Brian Thompson, 'This is a good time to think of relocating this building -- it's not safeanymore.'" Stanley headed back to his office, but before he got there, he told Delise, that with the events of the day, she should go home and relax. Thompson went to the 82nd floor, the president and CEO went to the 79th floor and Stanley got out on the 81st floor. When Stanley got to hisoffice, his phone was ringing. "It was someone from Chicago calling to findout if I'm watching the news," he said. He told the caller everything "was fine." But everything wasn't fine -- far from it. As Stanley was talking, he looked up and saw United Air Lines Flight 175 heading straight for him. Out of Control "All I can see is this big gray plane, with red letters on the wing and onthe tail, bearing down on me," said Stanley. "But this thing is happening in slow motion. The plane appeared to be like 100 yards away, I said 'Lord, you take control, I can't help myself here.'" Stanley then dove under his desk. "My Testament [Bible] was on top of mydesk," explained Stanley. "I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that theLord was going to take care of me once I got there." As he curled into afetal position under his desk, the plane tore into the side of the building and exploded. Miraculously, Stanley was unhurt. However, he could see a flaming wing of the plane in the doorway of his department. He knew he needed to get out ofhis office and the building fast. But, he was trapped under debris up to his shoulders. "Lord, you take control, this is your problem now," he recalled praying. "Idon't know where I got this power from, but the good Lord, He gave me somuch power and strength in my body that I was able to shake everything off. I felt like I was the strongest man alive." All the while, Stanley was asking the Lord to spare his life. "I'm crying and I'm praying, 'Lord, I have things to do. I want to see my family, Lord,help me through.'" Stanley's office resembled a battle zone -- walls flattened into dustyheaps, officeequipment strewn violently, flames flickering about and rubble everywhere. "Everything I'm trying to climb on [to get out] is collapsing and I'm going down," he said. "I'm getting cuts and bruises, but I'm saying, 'Lord, Ihave to go home to my loved ones, I have to make it, You have to help me.' " Suddenly Stanley saw the light of a flashlight. For a moment, it stunned him. "What were the chances of someone bringing a flashlight to this floor?" he thought. "My first gut reaction was, 'This is my guardian angel-- my Lord sent somebody to save me!'" Stanley began screaming, "I see the light, I see the light." But afterclawing his way through the debris, he realized that he couldn't get out -all the exits were blocked and his "guardian angel" couldn't get to him --a wall was between him and the staircase. "He can't get to me and I can't get to him, and by this time I can't breathe," Stanley said. "I don't knowif it was sulfur or what [burning jet fuel, perhaps], but I can smell this thing. I got down on my knees and said, "Lord, you've got to help me.You've brought me this far, help me to get to the staircase." But then Stanley did something surprising. While praying on his knees, he called out to the man behind the wall, "There's one thing I got to know, do you know Jesus?" The man replied he went to church every Sunday. Then theyprayed together to enable them to break through the wall. A Burst of Power -"I got up, and I felt as if a power came over me," said Stanley. "I felt goose bumps all over my body and I'm trembling, and I said to the wall, 'You're going to be no match for me and my Lord.'" Moments later, he punched his way through the wall and, with the help of the man on the other side, was able to squirm his way through the hole in the wall. "The guy held me and embraced me and he gave me a kiss and he said, 'From today, you're my brother for life.'" But the danger wasn't over. The man on the other side of the wall, who introduced himself as Brian, was an older man and they still had 81 floors to walk down, with the building on fire and, unknown to them, in danger of collapse. "We hobbled our way down, and at every floor we stopped to see ifanybody was there, but nobody was, except a man was on the floor, and his back was gone, and he was covered in blood." Stanley asked to be allowed to carry the man out, but a security guard told him it would be better to send somebody up. When they finally made it down to the concourse, only firefighters were there. "They were saying, 'Run!Run! Run!', they were telling us to run out, but they were not concerned about themselves," he said. Stanley and Brian would have ran from the building, but now the concourse was surrounded with fire. Wetting themselves under the building's sprinkler system, they held hands and ran through the flames to safety at Trinity Church, about two blocks away. "I wanted to go to the church to thank God,"Stanley explained, "As soon as I held onto the gate of that church, the building [World Trade Center Tower Two] collapsed." Stanley and Brian made their way safely out of the danger area. Before they parted, Stanley gave his business card to Brian in hopes of contact at a later time, and said, "If I don't see you, I'll see you in heaven." Cut and bloodied, with clothes tattered and wearing a borrowed shirt, Stanley finally made it home hours later to his wife, Jennifer, and his two girls, Stephanie, 8, and Caitlin, 4. "I held my wife and my two children and we cried," said Stanley. After thanking God for sparing his life, Stanley told God whatever he did, it will always be for His glory. "I'm so sore, but every waking moment, I say 'Lord, had you not been in control, I would not have made it.' "For some divine reason, I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the good Lord's mighty hand turned the plane a fraction from where I was standing," said Stanley. "Because when it crash-landed, it was just 20 feet from me. I don't care who would rationalize -- what people would say now or years from now, but I know it was the handiwork of the Lord that turned that plane. My Lord Jesus is bigger than the Trade Center and His finger can push a plane aside!" from http://news.crosswalk.com/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID74088|CHID211716|CIID844416,00.html So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) * * * Eye Witness Account of Ground Zero How Does This Make You Feel? Every Firefighter and Police Officer on the Scene at 'ground zero' will tell you that the media is relentless. Sticking microphones in faces and asking stupid questions has been a sort of trademark for some reporters. It seems that the only question they ask is, "How does this make you feel?" I refused to answer, because frankly, I didn't think they cared. But maybe you do. I guess I wasn't ready for what I saw. The television is insufficient at portraying this type of destruction in its entirety. In the middle of this media circus and in the midst of public spectacles seeking world attention, sits a quietly burning mountain of debris that used to be the signature of the greatest city in the world. What I watched on TV Tuesday seemed to be a special effect in a movie or some sort or surreal nightmare. That changed when I got there. That area of immense activity and magnificent architecture, which seemed to be alive at one time, appears to be more like a deserted French town after a German bombardment in WWII. What has been the sign of American prosperity has now become the scene of American tragedy. Seeing the World Trade Center leveled like a child's sand castle by a tidal wave has shocked me. I don't quite know how this makes me feel. You see, beneath that mountain of ruin, lay the sleeping bodies of those who worked in and protected the city that never sleeps. Their major 'sin' on Tuesday was that they came to work on time or responded to disaster in the nick of time. Civil servants known to be the bravest and finest are now left to bury their own. Wives have lost husbands, children have lost fathers and America has lost heroes. Knowing that there is not a thing I can do about it, well: I don't quite know how this makes me feel. We have been hit hard. We have lost precious irreplaceable lives. We are licking our wounds now. But something has happened in America since these acts of terrorism. I believe that America is standing taller today than those towers ever stood. Those buildings were only the signature of America. America has not been destroyed. This 'melting pot' has begun to meld people of different ethnicities into Americans. The Spirit of Patriotism has been awakened from a long slumber. People have taken their eyes off of their own situations and rallied around the situation facing their country and countrymen. Make no mistake; America did need a wake up call. However, this rude awakening has done more than just end our 'sweet dreams'. It has brought a fictional nightmare to real life and ushered it into the living room of the American home. It has also come through those who had no right and has come to those who did no wrong. Therefore, this hibernating bear has awoken with a raging hunger that will only be satisfied with justice. And this is not a justice that can be found in any courtroom. America is like the fighter who has tasted his own blood. He pauses to assess damage and he will respond with the righteous indignation of a raging bull. Yet, I don't quite know how this makes me feel. You see the enormity of this despicable act has not fully sunk in. The mourning process has begun, but feelings of shock and anger have seeped in. As a firefighter I feel frustrated and helpless, but as an American I have never felt prouder. I have been bonded to those generations that went before me in some crazy way. The people who penned "In God we trust" had to depend on God. They needed Him for their very existence. Maybe this has shown us in a graphic way that we are not immune from tragedy. Maybe the abstract feeling that we should return to the morals and belief of our founders is now etched in the soul of Americana now. I believe it is. I believe that this attack was not just on America, but on what America is. The ideology, the freedom and yes, the Christianity of America has been ambushed. This, my fellow Americans, make me feel like responding! To you who did this: Maybe you think Christian Americans are weak because we are compassionate. Maybe you think Christian Americans are pacifists because we love peace. Maybe you think your hatred is stronger than our love. Maybe you just think that you can murder innocent people and get away with it. I don't know what you think, and right now, I don't really care what you think, but let me tell you what I know. I know that the smoke will clear. I know the rubble will be removed. I know the dead will be buried. I know the news teams and cameras will leave. And I know that the American people will respond. I know that those who are the most religious are also the most ferocious when attacked or threatened. I know our Christian founders picked up Bibles with one hand and bayonets with the other when duty called, and I know that we will do it again. I know that America is a nation who defends the weak, supplies the poor and comforts the suffering. We are also a nation that worships the God of love who is stronger than your God of hate. I know that since God is for us, it doesn't matter who (even if it is the rest of the world) is against us. You tell us to be ready for a "Holy War" proving that you are too stupid to know that it is a contradiction of terms. So now, if you ask me "How does it make me feel to know that other peoples have declared war on America, I'll tell you how it makes me feel. It makes me feel like climbing to the top of the Statue of Liberty with the biggest American Flag I can carry and with all of the rage, anger, pain and vengeance of all those who died for my freedom, and scream at the top of my lungs "God Bless America and God help those who did this to us!" Kevin, Lieutenant Fire Department,NY * * * THIS IS WHAT RUDY GIULLIANI WAS TALKING ABOUT AT THAT PRAYER CEREMONY SUNDAY IN NEW YORK HOSTED BY OPRAH WINFREY. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? BECAUSE THIS CHAPEL IS A SYMBOL OF AMERICA BEING A GODLIKE NATION. ALSO, THAT AMERICA IS NOW BEING LED BY A GODLIKE MAN- WHICH IS ONE REASON WHY I, A WARRIOR READY FOR BATTLE NOW, AM STILL CALM-IT IS MORE THAN FAITH WITH ME IT IS TRUE BELIEF- BRAD IN HOUSTON: * * * http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/269/nation/A_chapel_spared_stirs_talk_of_miracle-.shtml STILL STANDING A chapel spared stirs talk of miracle By David Abel, Globe Staff, 9/26/2001 NEW YORK - All around it, once-mighty buildings are either in a heap of rubble, charred black and windowless, or still smoldering, with smoke rising through giant gashes scarring their facades and wrecking their foundations. Yet somehow St. Paul's Chapel, Manhattan's oldest public building and the house of worship George Washington visited in 1789 after his inauguration at nearby Federal Hall, is intact. A block away from the World Trade Center, the small, ornate chapel doesn't even have a broken window. When the Rev. Lyndon F. Harris began traversing the maze of checkpoints set up after the Sept. 11 attack, he was certain his 235-year-old chapel would be in ruins. ''My heart was beating so loudly, you could hear it in my chest,'' said Harris, who was nearly crushed by falling rubble when he rushed to help in the rescue operation after the first jet hit the Twin Towers. He imagined the destruction of some of the earliest relics of American history that have remained in St. Paul's over the years - the oldest known oil painting depicting the Great Seal of the United States; the 200-year-old, cut-glass chandeliers from Waterford, Ireland; and an array of monuments and tombstones depicting and commemorating some of the country's earliest heroes. Early in the morning on Sept. 12, police escorted him to the chapel, and Harris still can't believe his eyes. ''It's hard to say this isn't a miracle, the fruit of some divine intervention,'' he said. ''I think it stands as a beacon of hope and a metaphor of good standing in the face of evil.'' Other houses of worship were not so lucky. A few blocks away, among the mounds of twisted steel and pulverized concrete, is what remains of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. What happened to St. Nicholas has left many of St. Paul's nearly 200 congregants uneasy. ''I don't know why it was us and not them,'' said Nancy Nind, 55, a parishioner at St. Paul's for the past three decades. ''I think our fate means we have a mission to do something.'' Part of that mission, she said, is to help out as much as possible with the rescue operation. In addition to serving as a depot for air filters, medical supplies, and bottled water, the chapel's pews over the past two weeks have been beds for droves of police officers, firefighters, and soldiers taking a break from shifts often lasting as long as 20 hours. Hundreds of rescue workers have been fed in the chapel. ''It's amazing how peaceful this place can be, given how much is going on around it,'' said David Capellini, a police officer who had walked by St. Paul's for years without entering. ''This church will always mean something to me, especially now that I know its history.'' He took solace in a prayer by Washington, etched in bronze a few feet away. It begins: ''Almighty God we make our earnest prayer that thou wilt keep the United States in thy holy protection.'' In a speech before thousands of New Yorkers at a prayer service on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani described the unblemished brownstones and Ionic pillars of St. Paul's as the ''miracle of September 11.'' ''The presence of that chapel, standing defiant and serene amid the ruins, sends an eloquent message about the strength and resilience of the people of New York City and the people of America,'' he said. That's also how Roy Henry, the church's 68-year-old head of security, felt when he first returned to St. Paul's after running for his life from the chapel during the attack. Chunks of steel, a blizzard of paper, and assorted rubble were scattered all around the chapel. Ash several inches thick coated the Georgian masonry and drifted through an open window, dusting much of the sanctuary inside. But everything was intact. ''Just look around,'' Henry said. ''If this isn't a miracle, I don't know what is.'' * * * From: "Mona Losh" I received this today from a friend in England. I am so proud to send this to you,to know that there are others here that can feel your pain and grief,even the Queen.She made History on behalf of the US and the people here. Thursday, at Buckingham Palace, on the orders of the Queen, the Changing of the Guard, for the 1st time ever, will be done, accompanied by a band, that band played the "Star Spangled Banner". 1000's gathered at the railings of the palace, in the pouring rain, and waved US flags. It was followed by a 2 minute silence. The stairs of the US Consulate in Edinburgh cannot be walked, simply because of the swathes of Flowers and messages laid in sympathy. All flags that are flying in the UK are flying at half-mast. Tomorrow, [Friday], the UK will have a 3 min. silence at 11am, to commemorate all the victims..[It is only a 2 minute silence when we commemorate the War dead]. Within minutes of the actual news breaking, Tony Blair, UK Prime Minister, went on the air, and declared that the UK would stand "shoulder to shoulder", with the U.S. So, sweet friend, never feel alone, do not feel isolated, we grieve with you, we cried as you did, and many still cry. For some, I am sure, those who have lost loved ones, the crying will never end, and no words will ever ease their wounds. But know, that our thoughts, our prayers, and our hearts are with you all.....and we will stand "shoulder to shoulder" with you. Blessings sent to all through loving prayer, Your Friend from England, Cathy * * * An American View from Canada help from other Countries around the world. I was startled by the Canadians reaction on Tuesday... many Canadians were crying as they walked down the street and the entire downtown area completely shut down. We had a terrible time just finding anything open. Many of the planes as you know were diverted to Toronto. We were told by the Hotel staff that there was not a hotel room available in the city because of the Toronto International Film Festival which was going full swing. A travel agent said that the Canadians had been asked to open their homes to the incoming travelers. We heard that they were helping on a grand scale. People were also asking how and where to give blood. There was an Ontario press conference in the Sheraton that we were staying in and it was announced that the Canadian hospitals on the east coast had cancelled all non-emergency surgeries. They had medical personnel standing by and also ready to fly out as soon as the U.S. responded to their offer of assistance. I was told by one shop keeper that "Americans have no idea how unified and connected the Canadian people feel to the States" What a comfort to know that we have such great friends so close at hand! Sincerely Leslie Hoff * * * The Heroes Who died Near Philadelphia The brave civilians who refused to let their airplane become a guided missile to take out either the White House or the Capital building are American heroes. Facing certain death they prevented the loss of a National symbol and saved the lives of many of our elected leaders. The crash site should be purchased and a lasting memorial should be raised on the the spot as an eternal reminder of uncommon valor of the common American. God Bless America! John Rushing / AL * * * Palestinians Celebrate terrorism I think the spontaneous celebrations we saw in the West Bank Gaza and Lebanon were disgusting. The palestinians rejoice in our suffering. While the Palestinian leadership has rushed to cover up the true sentiment of the Palestinian people with official messages of condemnation they have also threatened AP reporters and photographers with death if they broadcast scenes of the celebrations. Palestinian television continues to send messages of hate aimed at the US and actually support Bin Lauden and others that would attack the US. Ari Denver CO * * * DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- A local NAACP leader has drawn stern criticism from NAACP President Kweisi Mfume for criticizing President Bush and calling for a nonviolent response to last week's terrorist attacks. Durham NAACP President Curtis Gatewood also said that many of the World Trade Center companies discriminated against blacks. Blacks would be sent to the front line of any war, only to return home and "be discriminated against by people whose businesses were headquartered in the World Trade Center," he said. "This is not the time to sacrifice our fathers, sons and brothers to a country that has not protected our rights," he added. Gatewood's remarks directly contradict the NAACP's position on the issue, which calls for "all Americans to stand united and to defend the ideals of a free and open society where terrorism has no place," Mfume said Tuesday during a telephone interview with The Herald-Sun of Durham. "Mr. Gatewood surely has a right to his beliefs, but they are not the beliefs of the NAACP," he said. The national office would probably contact Gatewood to discuss the matter, Mfume said. He said he hoped that would end the controversy. "This is not a time to sit back and pontificate with pointed fingers about the fact that there are imperfections in our society. This is a time to find a way as Americans -- without the hyphen -- to work together to protect our way of life and the lives of innocent people," Mfume said. Gatewood, who in 1995 proposed that blacks boycott Santa Claus because he said Christmas put too many black families in debt, said his call to refrain from violence reflects the NAACP's nonviolent, spiritual and cultural roots. Black Americans should not listen to the nation's arrogant calls for blind patriotism, retaliation and hatred, he said. Gatewood added that the attacks may have come from foreign forces that view the American government and current administration as a 'threat to justice everywhere'. Several local and state NAACP members condemned Gatewood's statement Tuesday and said they had not seen it before its release. Florine Roberson, a board member and local chapter past president, said she had received several calls from unhappy members. "I don't think his comments are appropriate during the crisis that we are going through now," Roberson said. "This is a time that all Americans -- black and white, Jews and gentiles -- need to come together in unity." * * * We are still PROUD! We can still hear sirens outside our windows in New York. We can still smell that horrible stench that won't go away. We can still feel the effects of Tuesday's attacks.But despite it all, we are still proud to be Americans! * * * Well, you hit the World Trade Center, but you missed America. You hit the Pentagon, but you missed America.You used helpless American bodies to take out other American bodies but like a poor marksman, you STILL missed America. Why? Because of something you will never understand. America isn't about a building or two, not about financial centers, not about military centers.America isn't about a place, America isn't even about a bunch of bodies.America is about an IDEA. An idea that you can go someplace where you can earn as much as you can figure out how to, live for the most part, like you envisioned living, and pursue happiness. (There are no guarantees that you'll reach it, but you can sure try) So go ahead and whine your terrorist whine, and chant your terrorist litany:"If you cannot see my point, then feel my pain." This concept is alien to Americans.We live in a country where we don't have to see your point but you're free to have one. We don't have to listen to your speech but you're free to say one.Don't know where you got the strange idea that everyone has to agree with you - we don't agree with each other in this country almost as a matter of pride. We're a collection of people that don't agree called States. We united our individual states to protect ourselves from tyranny in the world. Another idea we made up on the spot. You CAN make it up as you go, when it's your country. If you're free enough. Yeah, we're fat, sloppy, easy-going goofs most of the time. That's an unfortunate image to project to the world, but it comes of feeling free and easy about the world you live in. It's unfortunate too, because people start to forget that when you attack Americans, they tend to fight like a cornered badger. The first we knew of the War of 1812 was when England burned Washington D.C. to the ground. Didn't turn out like England thought it was going to, and it's not going to turn out like you think, either. Sorry, but you're not the first bully on our shores, just the most recent. No Marquis of Queensbury rules for Americans, either. We were the FIRST and so far, only country in the world to use nuclear weapons in anger. Horrific idea, nowadays? We have news for you bucko, it was back then too, but we used it anyway. Only had two of them in the whole world and we used 'em both. Grandpa Jones worked on the Manhattan Project. Told me once, that right up until they threw the switch, the physicists were still arguing over whether the Uranium alone would fission, or whether it would start a fissioning chain reaction that would eat everything. But they threw the switch anyway, because we had a War to win. Does that tell you something about American Resolve? So who just declared War on us? It would be nice to point to some real estate, like the good old days. Unfortunately, we're probably at war with random camps, in far-flung places. who think they're safe. Just like the Barbary Pirates did, IIRC. Better start sleeping with one eye open. There's a spirit that tends to take over people who come to this country looking for opportunity, looking for liberty, looking for freedom. Even if they misuse it. The Marielistas that Castro emptied out of his prisons were overjoyed to find out how much freedom there was. First thing they did when they hit our shores was run out and buy guns. The ones that didn't end up dead ended up in prisons. It was a big pain in the ass then (especially in south Florida), but you're only the newest pain in the ass, not the first. You guys seem to be incapable of understanding that we don't live in America, America lives in US! American Spirit is what it's called. And killing a few thousand of us, or a few million of us, won't change it. Most of the time, it's a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of Spirit. Until we're crossed in a cowardly manner, then it becomes an entirely different kind of Spirit. Wait until you see what we do with that Spirit, this time. Sleep tight, if you can. We're coming... * * * Letter to myself, It is 12:20, just past noon, September 11, 2001. I am sitting alone in the offices of The Department Of Energy EM7.2 office, . Outside my office, about 20 feet away, right through my window, I can still see the smoldering wreck of a car fire that started at around 8 oclock this morning. A lot has happened between then and now. DC has emptied out, except for a few offices like FBI. The entire Forrestal Building, my building, is completely abandoned, as everyone is so anxious to get home. But I have remained, perhaps not out of any sense of determination, but because Agnes, my wife, is still at FBI. She cannot go home, as too much is happening, and they need her there. Well, Im not going home without her, so here I sit, as DC burns, and the page of history is about to turn. My first impression is one of supreme anger. How could this happen. Was CIA asleep at the wheel? My anger seems more directed at our own ineptitude, rather than the people that did this. They will get theirs, soon enough. But what the hell is CIA FOR but to protect us against this sort of thing. I feel they should fire half of them and then give them 10 times the budget they presently have. The intelligence community of the Unite States has completely let us down here. This was a conspiracy of the highest order, and it seems inconceivable to me that we did not know anything about it. Not a whisper, not a peep. What the hell do we pay CIA and NSA for, anyway? Well, perhaps we havent been budgeting enough. This day, a day that will live in infamy (to borrow a phrase), will NEVER be forgotten. It will live in the collective memory of the United States for the next 10,000 years. Then there is the issue of vengeance. There will be vengeance, I guarantee it. If the Murrow Building was called the worst terrorist incident in US History, what do we call THIS? Oklahoma City was a pipe bomb compared to this. I pray for a lot of people who have died today. But I pray most of all for all the innocent and the guilty that will die tomorrow. Enjoy your rejoices, oh warriors of the Jihad. The whirlwind you have reaped will make today look like a matchbox flickering in the night. Daniel United States Citizen / Civil Servant * * * Sepember 11th, 2001 - "A date which will live in infamy!" Given the current situation, I dont know what time of day you will read this. Damn how I hate it when Im right. I have said for years that the American people simply do not have a clue as to how people born and raised in other parts of the world, under different culture and belief systems, look at things and think about things. They turned their colective heads during the war in Vietnam when toddlers were handed bombs to crry up and give to American GIs. The toddlers were told that it belonged to the GI and that the GI had lost it. Life is cheap there and they just dont understand how cheap. I first went to Saudi Arabia in 1992. Rush, the culture, outlook, values and beliefs are so different, it was as if I had beamed down to another planet from the Starship Enterprise. The difference was, Saudi was real, the other planet was fantasy. Now that the current generation of Americans have some idea what Pearl Harbor might have been like, maybe they will get off their self-righteous know-it-ll asses, and accept the fact that no matter how well intentioned we as Americans may be, people from other countries hate us just because we are who we are. To the Islamics, if you are not Islamic, you are Infidel. Infidels are equated to animals who do not deserve to live. Hopefully, the American public now understands how Islam feels about them and their place in the food chain. It is fortunate that we still have a military able to inflict punishment on the perpetrators. And there are plenty of people like me, who retired from the military in the last few years, who would love to help. I hope we become stronger now. * * * Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 11:18 AM Subject: LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD THROUGH OUT THE LAND.....,NOW ! Dear Friends, Family and Constituents: Do not mourn for America......America like the Phoenix WILL RISE FROM THE ASHES !! Mourn for those wonderful Americans who lost their lives in the most cowardly acts of recorded human history ! REMIND everyone in our Government from the garbage collector to the President of the United States......that the American People are mad as hell !! REMIND them that America is Alone in the world...always has been, always will be. AMERICANS HAVE ALWAYS GONE IT ALONE !! REMIND them that this is the result of open borders to all who set foot in the land....illegally, legally. REMIND them that this is the result of treaties, pacts, secret agreements,sharing of technology, secrets, etc with OUR ENEMIES !! REMIND them that our nation is only as strong as we make it from within...regardless of which traitorous nation(s) asks us to lay down our arms !! REMIND them that this is what happens when we are lulled into a false sense of security by those who would destroy us and IT HAD BETTER BE THE LAST TIME WE ARE "ASLEEP AT THE GATE " ! REMIND THEM THAT WE ONCE SUPPORTED, SUPPLIED AND WON A WORLD WAR AND WE MAY HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN OR PERISH AS A NATION ! REMIND them that the tears in your eyes, the sadness in your heart, and the anger in your gut will be directed to them if they do not heed the will of the American People. Global Village....bullshit !! I charge you with the responsibility of sending this message, or one like it, to every one on your mailing list and to the Government Officials that are responsible for the area in which you live. DO NOT WEEP FOR AMERICA......DO NOT EVEN PRAY FOR HER.......INSTEAD.. STAND BESIDE HER, GUIDE HER AND KEEP HER SAFE AND STRONG. INSTEAD.....PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES AND WHAT WE WILL DO TO THEM. ONCE AGAIN THE SLEEPING TIGER HAS BEEN AROUSED !! GOD BLESS AMERICA AND HER PEOPLE. A VERY ANGRY BARBARA GOODMAN * * *   Donald Taylor, Bellevue NE Yes, we are coming. But we aren't just coming with our Army, Navy and Air forces. We are all coming. Everyone who calls themself an American will be there. We will be aboard every warship. We will be in every bomber and fighter. We will be crammed into every tank and submarine. We will walk the battlefield with each and every soldier, sailor, airman and marine. You will not see us, but be certain ... we will be there. We won't be carrying the conventional weapons you are accustomed to seeing. No, we will be the ones carrying the Flag and Spirit of America. Watch your back ... we're coming ...Tears from the womb fall silently upon your cheek. Will you wipe them away or taste the salt of their plight? * * * September 20, 2001 America has long been a welcome haven to many people from around the world. Their roots are from all nations and all faiths. We have always welcomed and embraced those who would come to make a better life for themselves and their families. They bring their strengths, their desires and their dreams and they strengthen the fabric of America. We have opened our institutions of higher learning, our financial markets and our economy to individuals who would come here to learn and to bring back to their countries the ideas and skills needed to enrich their own lands. This is part of the promise, the dream of America. The events of the past week have shown us our weakness in our openness. And it has shown us our strength. The dream of America can not be extinguished, because it is birthed in the soul of every little boy and girl that is born into this world. I believe this desire to live free is given by The Creator, who created all men equal in the safety of their mother's womb. I have seen that dream alive even in the midst of our pain. I have heard the dream sung by Congress when they soberly sang "God Bless America" unified together on the steps of the Capitol Building this past week. The dream was alive in the prayers of Religious and National leaders throughout the world praying together in acknowledgment of Almighty God in our affairs. I have seen the dream alive in the eyes of the rescue workers relentlessly laboring day and night to find the missing. I have seen the dream alive in the hospital workers and the countless volunteers who are helping their neighbors in any way they can through this critical time. I have seen the dream alive all across our land with blood drives and donations and offers of help from every corner of our nation and from around the world. And yes I am witness to the living dream in the eyes of countless others who are doing their part in keeping our Homeland the beacon of light that continues to shine to a hurting and dark world. I am proud of the United States of America and today I am proud to be called an American. I am praying for all American's today, and in the days ahead, to keep this dream alive. I appeal to you to join me in this prayer. True courage is birthed in adversity and is always activated by love. Love for God. Love for Country. Love for Family and love for fellow mankind. True courage is always rewarded, because true love never fails. Sadly there are times when this selfless courage is rewarded posthumously to those who were willing to pay the supreme price. There is no greater love than a man lay down his life for his friends. America's heritage is rich in this type of love. So it is today we must have the love to foster courage in our adversity in order to protect our families and our institutions from those who would destroy all for which this great nation stands. To this end, we must be committed to search out and destroy the evil that seeks to put an end to the dream of America, so that one day we will rejoice together in Victory over this Global evil. Rest assured that one-day this Victory will come! In the days ahead, there will be a price to pay and I pray that each one of us will look deep within ourselves and not be found wanting of what it will take to overcome our common foe. Make no mistake our victory will only come from our unified determination, courage, and persistent efforts over the long haul. But most of all I believe we will emerge from this War as Champions of Freedom only if we keep a strong and selfless faith in the supreme ability of God Almighty, Who alone is the author of True Freedom. Faith without sacrifice gains nothing. Therefore we must be willing to sacrifice, following the example of the Founding Fathers of this our Homeland, who I believe gained their wisdom from the Holy Bible. For in the scriptures we learn that the ultimate act of selfless faith was activated by love. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever would believe on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. In closing I must add that the outpouring of support our nation has received from around the world is encouraging. For other nations, too have tasted terror's heavy toll, and are joining us in our fight to destroy this evil force. Together, we can see the hope of a brighter day when all the children of the world may grow up without the threat of the terror that we have witnessed in these last days. Let us remember this evil attack of September 11, 2001 and not ever forget that this was a most base and brutal demonstration of the deepest indiscriminate hate against men, women and children of every faith and race. And let us remember also the countless people from other Nations that share our deep and common desire to keep alive the dream that continues to make America the greatest Nation in the world. Let the motto "In God we trust" not only be written on our currency but also on the heart of every American.God Bless America One of the many proud Americans Frank * * * Twas red with the blood of freemen and white with the fear of the foe; and the stars that fit in their courses 'gainst tyrants its symbols know. -Julia Ward Howe in "The Flag" I am saddened by what our country has experienced in New York, yet my heart sings as I witness the outpouring of the American people with monetary support, volunteers, etc. for New York; only to be distressed by our paralyzed travel industry that is hurting our economy by imminent massive layoffs in and litigation against our airline industry. Please consider what potential economic implications suing our own airlines or any American company due to a behavior completely out of the control of any US company. The terrorists have already killed over 5,000 innocent civilians by using our assets against us. Do we wish to perpetuate the damage they inflicted by suing our own airline industry due their sadistic fanatic behavior? We are telling the offenders, "You have hurt us bad and we will sue our very own companies that have provided jobs for countless thousands that has made our great economy strong. We'll show you the American Spirit." The layoffs and expensive legal proceedings are not going to change what has happened. It will only worsen a bad situation. Who pays for the privilege of bailing out an industry to the tune of multi-billions of dollars? It falls on each individual AMERICAN taxpayer. Not the guilty ones who cut the nation off at the knees. Fellow Americans, freedom and liberty are a privilege. They are not free. They are not an entitlement. This country has become exceedingly complacent by erroneously thinking we have the right to be free. A strong economy is a potent message to the offenders that they are powerless as we are united and we will collectively sacrifice to keep our nation free because THAT is the American Spirit. Also be mindful about how much control we surrender in the name of demanding safety and protection in every day life. It has far reaching implications for generations to come. Had Abraham and Sarah (Biblical history) been patient and trusted that God would give them a son, we would not have experienced these attacks. Who would have thought that so many generations after Abraham and Sarah's disobedience we would still be paying for it. I am just asking that we think about how our shortsighted behavior and anger will impact many, many generations to come. No amount of money will bring back the twin towers or the lives lost. Our innocence has been stripped. We must acknowledge that. Perhaps we need to shift in our focus to discriminate at the US borders in lieu of penning up "formerly known as" free Americans. A culture that does not appreciate, nay loathe, the American spirit and people, need not enter our borders. America is to be preserved for those, and only those, who love and embrace its Spirit. We simply need to consider the implications of the choices we make today, individually or as a nation, on America's future as a whole. * * * Socialists blame the free market for the attack Today Dave Wessel in the WSJ blames the free market for not giving us the security we needed to avoid the WTC attack. Instead, he claims, airlines competed for air traffic profits by providing biger overhead bins, etc. He quotes Susan Sontag's comments in the New Yorker, a rabid Clinton supporter, who asks we grieve together but not be stupid together, as we rally to defeat terrorism. Now, I don't recall Hillary wanting to take over the Health care industry, not the airline industry. In all the crises invented by liberals during 8 years of Clinton socialism, not once did they seriously consider airport security with the same vehemence they spent on big tobacco, SUV's and global warming. In all their arrogance, as blantantly displayed by Dave Wessel, Clinton's central planners never directed the FAA, the agency regulating the airline industry, to redirect resources into cockpit security. When they were scaring old people to death about Republicans' intentions to poison the air and water, steal Social Security funds, and deprive grandma of needed medicines, never did we hear a peep from this crowd about airline security. Rather, they cut the military to bone and conspired to deny this country protection from rogue ICBM attack. So if free markets did not provide the people what they, why did the worshippers of government control not persuade the people about the real crisis in anti-terrorist security? Talk about trying to put the shoe in the other foot. Even chickens lose their feathers when scared and chased, but Liberals never change their stripes. * * * The Rarer Action Comments on Tuesday's Tragedy, by Andrew Keating It is a sad fact that most everything that is truly profound has already been said by those who have gone before. Great oratory, being an art almost lost, is hard to come by. It is at tragic times like these that you hear people quoting these past masters in order to help define the present. It is important, however, to choose the proper quote for the occasion. By not doing so, those trying to make sense of the here and now can muddy it with links to the past that are out of context, and/or deliver the wrong message. Due to the nature of the attacks in Washington D.C. and New York City, one quote that has been repeated over and over was a line from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt from a speech delivered to congress on December 8, 1941. It has been paraphrased, "this day, September 11, 2001, is a day that will live in infamy." This is no doubt true. The tragedy of Tuesday will go down as one of those rare "time-split" events, an event that is used as a benchmark to measure history as being "before" and "after." Before Tuesday, we as Americans felt relatively safe. Now we know better. Another FDR quote, however, has greater relevance and importance at this time: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."It is fear that threatens us now, more so than the threat of airliners exploding and buildings collapsing. Fear that we are not as we conceived ourselves to be, that we have lost our greatness. By definition, "terrorism" is an act that is intended to spread fear out of proportion to it's actual impact. To overcome fear requires courage. Mark Twain once said , "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not the absence of fear. While we must acknowledge that the acts of Tuesday were horrific in nature, we must not allow fear of their repeat to change us. It is important to remember that it is not a flag or symbol that makes our country great, but the resolve, spirit, and moral content of it's people. We must not give in to the temptation to alter our lives. We must not change our habits. We must not lose confidence in our institutions. We must not lose sight of the fact that it is our freedoms and liberties that have given to us the greatest society that has ever existed. To succumb to the pressure exerted by an outrageous minority, no matter how evil or vile their actions have been, is to acknowledge defeat, and cast doubt upon that which created us. Tuesday's tragic events have Americans calling for blood. Quite understandable, and I am one of them. The need to collect our pound of flesh is encompassing and grand. After all, isn't it so that "To choose one's victims, to prepare one's plan minutely, to slake an implacable vengeance, and then to go to bed there is nothing sweeter in the world." No, not necessarily. This was an act that demands retribution, of that there is no doubt. However, we must be careful not to stoop to the level of those responsible. The previous quote, that "there is nothing sweeter in this world," was uttered by Joseph Stalin, shortly before he authorized 40,000 execution warrants. To lash out without direction would be as bad, or worse, than that which has been done to us. Much worse, for we know better, and are above such actions. It is the words of William Shakespeare, not Joseph Stalin, that we should abide at this time: "Though with their high wrongs I am struck to the quick, yet with my nobler reason 'gainst my fury do I take part. The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance." We are a virtuous society, and we must let our virtue guide us in this manner, not our outrage. We must demonstrate justice, not execute revenge. There is no question, however, that we should aggressively and vigorously pursue those responsible for the events of Tuesday. Those who perpetrated this crime may want to ponder the words of Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese Admiral who designed and carried out the first "day of infamy", Pearl Harbor: "I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve." Yamamoto was killed on April 18, 1943, before he could see the end of the war. He was killed by a detachment of American fighters planes, specifically sortied to shoot down his plane when naval code-breakers discovered it's flight plan. Thus can we let our resolve be known. Lastly, hear the words of Winston Churchill: "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves that if (our nation and society) last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'" It seems that we as a nation examine ourselves, and what we are, only at times like these. From the midst of peril, fear, death and tragedy, we uncover our strength, compassion, courage and determination. These are the attributes that define us, as Americans. May God bless the victims, God bless us all, and God bless the United States. * * * America was not wounded by the death of 5,000 of her citizens. She died for the moment - her heart arresting in the attacks that pierced her flesh and damaged vital organs. America was shocked back to life with a new conscious, suddenly aware that she is no longer the innocent, isolated bastion of democracy and freedom. Ashamed to have let such foes have their way. Resolved to restore so much that was lost. Committed to never againsleep on her watch over freedom. All of us as Americans were violated by this attack in our home - naively secure within our borders. Now we are forever changed by the actions of people who value not even their own lives above their thirst for hatred and revenge. We weep because no mighty force will resurrect our dead - no vigilant watch will return our trust. We stand proud because no foe can steal what makes us great. Our love for freedom and respect for every life can only be given away. I hear the cry of a nation reborn under just cause.Now is the time to step away from all that divides and run to the fight that unites us all as Americans - one nation under God. Jon Petersen, MD * * * Many of men and women have served our country. Many gave their lives for freedom so we can live as we have. Let us not forget those and let us never forget those who fell on 9/11/2001. Let us remember that this is the United States where we must remain united and stand hand in hand and never fall. Remember our flag, the Red, White, & Blue. These colors do not run from anyone. God bless all Americans. My heart is aching for all the loved ones lost and for their families. Pat * * * I was just outside sitting on the stairs awaiting a new dawn. An ironic thought: Death Toll from September 11, 2001: 15 terrorists, who pray to a God that promises them eternal heaven if they slaughter thousands of innocents on His behalf. 10,000+++ innocents, who pray to a God that promises them eternal heaven if they love, cherish life, be kind and help others in His name. Ed Norwalk, CT * * * As I await the Presidents address I can confidently assert that we have reached a watershed event in American history. Using a common sports metaphor - "We just took it to the next level." I wonder how much the decades of decadence have affected the "national character." In the past a common error of our enemies, whether the Japanese (Pearl Harbor) or Saddam Hussein (Kuwait) has been a tendency to understand the fundamental American character. Much like a bear the United States can tolerate small stings here and there. When some terrorist group blows up a destroyer in Yemen, or a building in Saudi, we, Americans, respond with indignation but not necessarily with fury. Yet, if you attack us in our homes, as we sleep, killing untold innocents Americans should respond with a vengeful rage so forceful it will be unfathomable by those who perpetrate such acts. This country was built by people like Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, Harry Truman. It is my hope there is still enough of that "guns, guts, and glory" spirit remaining to take on this fight. Its time to revert to our Kentucky roots because there can be no doubt this is a "blood" feud. The US leadership now has unprecedented moral latitude, and perhaps the national resolve (at least temporarily), to undertake decisive action to eliminate many of our self-professed enemies. GW is the QB. If Im the coach here are the plays: Step 1: Give the Taliban 24 hours to deliver Bin Laden or face the total and sustained destruction of their entire governmental and military apparatus. Step 2: Give Saddam Hussein 24 hours to step down from power or face a similar fate. Step 3: Begin a sustained unilateral assault on terrorist facilities and forces worldwide. (Bekaa Valley, Camps in Yemen, Iraq). Step 4: Pursue steps 1, 2, and 3 with utter resolve and determination until the threat is eliminated. Perhaps, the Romans were right when they completely destroyed Carthage and salted the fields to ensure it would never rise from its ashes. God Bless America Clar * * * Ill always stand by the side of America Dear American People: Im so sorry to the terrible day. Thats hard to believe. When I heard the terrible thing happened in New York City, I cried. I cried for those People who were murdered in the building,and those who may be in those lifts (Inside ,there must be children,old people,visitors...). I cried for the Chinese around me, some of them even regard the catastrophe as a funny thing. Those Chinese gloat over others misfortune! Actually,Im a Chinese student live in China,but raised by American thoughts.So,whatever happen, I'll always stand by the side of Americans. I believe that the great American People can finally beat the terrorist and give them the havist punishment. I love the free U.S.A. , Ill always be with her in my heart, and may God bless her and her People. A Chinese Student * * * I asked God "Why did you let this happen?? Cant you see what this has done to our great nation??"   God replied..."Yes, I see what it has done to your nation. First of all I see many down on their knees in prayer. People who normally wouldnt are crying out to me to help them. To be with them. To comfort them. I see Congress on the steps of the Capital singing in together "GOD BLESS AMERICA" How often does Congress agree on anything. But this has brought them together. Republicans and Democrats are uniting to find out who did this and are working together for the same goal...justice. Did you see the black man and the white man comforting one another in the streets of NY? Did you see the Oriental woman and the Mexican woman crying together rejoicing that they had made it out alive? My ways don't always make sense to you. But look at what good has come out of this horrific situation. This Nation has join together to cry out to me to help them. Black and white, Republican and Democrat, Christian and non Christian. They are joining together on what the founding fathers of your country based this country on ME! One nation under God.....God Bless America...this is a wake up call for your country and the world. Come to me...I will never forsake you." * * * Faith Groups Respond To "Attack On America" Dear Concerned Faithful, We share in the grief of our nation and the world following the recent terrorist acts. We invite you to please join us in prayer. Compassionate and Loving God, In the face of such violence, we come to you for your support and solace. We are angered by the hatred that leads to a ruthless disregard for the sanctity of life. Keep us in your loving arms and help us overcome the fear that destroys community and trust. Remind us constantly of your gifts of hope and all-encompassing love. Care for those who have been taken from us. Comfort with your healing touch the loved ones who mourn. Stay the hands of those who seek violence. Lead us in the ways of justice toward the promise of peace. * * * Continue to pray we knew people at the pentagon and I have now drove past it 4 times going to and from work. It was a wonderful symbol to see the flag draped over it this morning. I will pray for my cousin nightly and I will share this with you if it eases your thoughts any. Some of my friends (ex- Army Navy Marines and Air Force) have shared one thing with me over the last two days. We want to dust off our sea bags our Uniforms and return to service. We just as I am sure my cousin is feel a sense of duty honor and a need to do something to help defend and protect. And make no mistake about it even now it would be in defense our nation. The embassies the USS Cole they were never retaliated for. They were left to be "investigated" but nothing was ever done. Clinton wanted a legacy and he got one - he has placed the cross hairs on America. But we will and should retaliate we have to Aunt xxxxx you see our very way of life is at stake do not run do not hide be proud that you are an American and be even prouder that your son is there to defend us. Dave Gibson * * * The low life vermin who are behind the heinous acts are cowards. They have brainwashed their own followers into believing that committing suicide will advance the "Cause". This of course is rubbish. All these heinous acts have done is meld the entire world into "One thought". This one thought the systematic elimination of all those involved with orchestrating such a travesty. The leaders of the vermin are weak pathetic and incapable of human thought. They are incapable of contributing to humanity. They must not be very proud of their follower's actions since they have not spoken up yet. With Terrorism there are no winners just despair. I challenge the Cowards to come out and face the world. To accept responsibility for their actions. I have wiped away many tears since these tragic events occurred and will feel the pain for long long time. We the free world must join together in eradicating the world of such fundamentalist radicals bent upon destruction of innocent lives. * * * In a very short period of time our country has forgotten that freedom is not free! How could we forget Pearl Harbor? And now another horrible attack on our freedom how long will it be before we forget this one? I am sorry to sound inconsiderate but there is so much talk in the news media about how to counsel people and how to approach the children about this when this attack should be no big surprise to anyone. It is time that Americans realize that the world outside our borders is not a friendly place. There are deranged fanatics out there that are jealous of our freedoms are hateful of the giving nature of Americans and have now served it back to us on a platter. They have taken advantage of our open and welcoming nature and as I have said for a long 8 years laughed at our leadership or Clinton as he demoralized our military and talked down the need for more defense spending or a missile defense. It is the dream of the terrorists groups for us to talk this way and to continue to welcome everyone to our country no questions asked. I hope that the positive side of this attack will be a consciousness of what I stated above and that our children will start developing respect for their country and their freedom. It is not a right freely given to them by birth. It is a right to be earned and a huge responsibility of every American to protect and defend....and not to be taken for granted. I also hope our federal government will now start to focus its attention on their REAL job - to protect and defend our borders and citizens!! Please everyone.....wake up!!! * * * I have some experience with the subject after 32 years in the USMC and 7 at the Pentagon.It is not money never about money. These people have been raised since babies to hate the west and give their lives to bring the west down. Rush close the American Borders for 2 years. Let the doors swing the other way. All who are not documented will have to leave. Former Col. United States Marine Corps * * * Hello fellow Americans As sadness pulls at my heart and anger boils through my veins the only thing I would like to say is that I believe that Senator John McCain said it best..."May God have mercy...because We won't!" As a blessed citizen having grown up during peace time the rage that burns over my is impossible to describe. As I look at my one year old son I must say that this horrible attack should be seen as nothing more than horrible and the only actions that we the people can do is to suck it up stand tall and search our souls for that peace of our grandfathers that made this country great and bring it back to the surface. Just like our ancestors what makes an American an American will shine through these early days of war. May we all put away our trite differences and hyphens and unite against this great threat. God Bless You and all of America James Bumgardner Harrison Arkans * * * Terror vs. Freedom On September 11 2001 freedom was attacked by terror and the United States must respond with a swift and awful resolve. War in any case is a crime but it is a necessary response. The resolve of the Palestinians is that of giving up their own lives to destroy with the greatest happiness hundreds of American lives. We represent a threat to their God their Country and their Heros. We block them from achieving their holy land. We protect our economic interests at any cost. Yet we are the United States of America and we shall not be rocked by planes tunneling through the bodies of our people we shall not be discouraged from order and reason replacing it with confusion and horror as the Palestinians have done in their own countries. We must put aside our hatred of war and our desire of peace in order to achieve the necessary premises for each freedom and order. The enemy is terror. It comes at children without regard at women and men as equals. It cares not for its own life for it knows its life to be inconsequential compared to its movement. For the first time America faces a movement instead of a country but we must crush the armies and governments of the countries that harbor this movement to squeeze out the movement from within our borders and show the world that the United States of America is truly the warrior of independence the leader of liberty and the citizen of self-rule. The people of this country must demand our government to act and act swiftly. We must demand that the governments cultures and armies that harbor this movement of terror be destroyed from the inside out. We must take control of a world that has gone into chaos because they lack our order they lack our freedom and they lack our democracy. In order to have peace we must rid ourselves of chaos we must rid ourselves of terror and unfortunately we must rid ourselves of the Palestinian State (Government Army and Culture). The United States of America has united as one country again and now we must unite the world. Let us stand up as a planet against chaos a planet against disorder and a planet against terror. - Steven Brodie Tucker - On strike against self-immolation. * * * Total and Abject Failure of terrorists Do the terrorist groups not want to hear how brilliantly calculated their efforts were? Why not say on the national news and in press conferences what a total failure their mission was? They FAILED to destroy our government They FAILED to destroy our fighting Spirit They FAILED to change our stance on foreign policy and They FAILED to destroy our alliance with other countries They FAILED to destroy our economy. if we say this enough times Maybe the American people will believe this and the Terrorist will FAIL to destroy our way of life in the United States of America. Barbara * * * I am reminded of the hymn of Horatio B. Spafford "It is Well With my soul" as I hear and watch the terrible aftermath of the tragedy on Television. This was written after Spafford visited the sight where he had lost his family on the Titanic. As he had sailed to the sight where the Titanic sank these words came to him. I do believe that it is well with America's soul. We will survive and we will endure and we will persevere. If you would like to hear this hymn in all it's majesty go to http://www.worshiptoday.com <http://www.worshiptoday. com&nbsp;> . When there look for the alphabetical listing of all songs and you will find it listed there. The words are especially significant for the survivors today. Sincerely Mary * * * Please remind those Americans who wish to limit our freedoms in exchange for so called security of the words of a great American who was once faced with similar options.... Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God! I know not what course others may take but as for me give me liberty or give me death! I believe those who died as a result of these evil and cowardly acts would not want their legacy to be a loss of American freedoms. I am speaking espeacially about those passengers who found out about the WTC attacks and voted to attack the hijackers. Better their legacy be a recommitment by Americans to our beliefs about liberty and a fervent determination to battle terrorism where ever we find it. If we make it such than their deaths will not have been in vain. John / Greenville SC * * * In an effort to show support for our nation, the victims and families of the WTC disaster and to commemorate the loss of our police and fire sisters and brothers in New York the officers of UM Public Safety attempted to place American flags on our cruisers, as many police and fire agencies all over the country have done. Our administration ordered us not to do this under threat of disciplinary action. The people in the trade shops attempted to do the same thing with their shop vehicles and were ordered to take the flags off. I think this is deplorable. At a time when we should all have the courage to show our support for our nation and the freedoms that many of us work so hard to protect we are prevented from doing so because our administration fears they might offend someone by showing such support. I can not imagine how a flag that represents this nation and the freedoms she guarantees her citizens and visitors can possibly offend anyone. Thanks for listening. Sometimes you just have to get it off your chest. David 25 years in service to University of Maine * * * OK, we have all heard about giving blood and donating money to the Red Cross. But what else can we, whose lives have been barely touched so far by the tragedy of September 11, do to show we received the news, sympathize with the direct victims, and acknowledge that we must all behave differently to defend our homeland? I say LIVING WELL IS THE BEST REVENGE! So here are some things I have thought of while driving around listening to the talk radio hosts discuss the tragedy: (Caveat: I am not perfect and thus have not yet even tried to accomplish most of these. Changing habits takes hard work and time and practice. Also, if you don't like one or more of these items, don't use it. Some of these sound trite or hokey or old-fashioned. MAYBE THAT IS WHAT WE NEED! Customize this list to your personal style. However, behaving differently may involve trying something new, so be open minded. If you like this, pass it on &SHY; If not, trash it. Some of these are ideas I have picked up from other sources with my thanks even though I am not naming them. If you want to add something be sure to put your name and the date next to your addition, then send me a copy) WHAT CAN I DO AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, 2001? 1. PRAY: For America, for those left behind, for the world, for healing and comfort, for myself, for guidance and wisdom for our leaders, for the redemption of our enemies, etc. 2. TAKE A RISK ON AMERICA: FLY, GO ON VACATION, SPEND SOME MONEY, BUY SOME STOCKS. In so doing, we LAUGH in the face of our enemies. 3. GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS (the terrorists try to live where people don't know each other) Let's not be a nation of strangers. 4. Say HELLO to people on the street. 5. Ask for HELP if you need it. It's OK, Really! 6. Get help for an ADDICTION if you have one. 7. COMMIT RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS ( Or "Pay it Forward" &SHY; like the movie). [If you haven't already] 8. Do something really nice for someone in your town who needs your help (thanks for donating to the relief causes in NY, DC and PA if you have already done so). 9. Decide on one way you can be DIFFERENT and BETTER than you were before September 11, 2001 and try it for 3 weeks. 10. BE KIND (Follow the golden rule &SHY; Remember that?) 11. STAND UP AGAINST EVIL and WRONGDOING wherever you find it. 12. PRACTICE AND Teach your children or someone else PATRIOTISM, GOOD CITIZENSHIP and AMERICAN HISTORY (if you don't know enough to teach them, get some help and learn it yourself &SHY; What is Independence day all about, What freedoms do we have that others don't and why? Education is a great weapon. 13. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. 14. GO BACK TO A CHURCH (or TEMPLE or MOSQUE) &SHY; Or GO FOR THE FIRST TIME! 15. Consider hosting an EXCHANGE STUDENT. 16. Call or go in person and APOLOGIZE to someone for something you did to them (small or large). 17. Call or go in person and FORGIVE someone for something they did to you.18. Tell someone you've never told before that YOU LOVE THEM. 19. FIND lost loved ones, mend fences, make-up, speak to someone you haven't been speaking to. 20. Approach things with an attitude of true BIPARTISANSHIP (We are all in this together). 21. Keep your eyes open and report TRULY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY &SHY; nothing unsubstantiated or frivolous or speculative. 22. Don't spread UNSUBSTANTIATED RUMORS (If you weren't an eye-witness don't talk about it). 23. Be FAIR, REASONABLE & UNSELFISH in dealing with friends, co-workers, salespeople, spouses, ex-spouses, children, in-laws, parents, etc. 24. Seek Justice &SHY; Don't win just to win at any cost. 25. Be SLOW to Anger. 26. Don't FALSELY accuse anyone. 27. Don't sue anyone frivolously (The courts are busy enough). 28. SHARE and PLAY NICE.29. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. 30. Clean up your language and talk to others about getting television land to do the same. ( I am appalled it is ok for them to use _itch and Butt and there is an awful lot of burping and farting on TV these days. Unbelievable. Vote with your feet.) 31. Don't watch TV shows where people talk ugly to one another or yell too much or shows that have too much violence. 32. Tell the truth, have some integrity, don't take bribes, don't cheat, curb your greed. 33. Eat Healthy (Fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats &SHY; not too much bread, pasta, prepared, store-bought junk food, etc.). 34. Get enough sleep (you know what is right for you &SHY; now do it). 35. Drink enough water, preferably filtered. 36. Get some exercise on something of a regular basis. 37. Take a break from the news every once in a while. 38. Turn off the noise (radio in the car, constant music, tv background noise, etc.) and let your ears and your brain REST. WE WERE AND ARE AND CAN BE THE GREATEST NATION ON EARTH! God Bless America M. Dixon, Baton Rouge * * * I have a great suggestion for you to pose to any americans able to aid this cause. Shouldn't one of our #1 focuses be on EDUCATING EVERYONE (bank employees, business owners, school children, parents, etc.) on TERRORISM/TERRORISTS, i.e., what to look for, what to do in case of an attack, etc.? I had a great professor of terrorism in college and I still revert to things I remember him saying to this day. We are still finding these infiltrators everywhere in our country -- they will soon be invading our food & water systems and bringing in biological &/or chemical warfare -- education could save alot of us. KNOWLEDGE is POWER and the FEAR is indeed crippling. Sincerely, Alicia / Battle Creek, MI * * * Refer to: TODD BEAMER. Just as "Remember Pearl Harbor" was a rallying call during our war with Japan and "Remember the Alamo" was a call to arms for those early Texans, our call to action at this time should be the final words of Todd Beamer as he began our war against terrorism: "LETS ROLL!" Gail * * * WTC Memorial Once the debris has been sifted for human remains, I suggest the material be placed as fill around the Statue of Liberty with unmarked graves for the unidentified victims, (the identified victims could also be included depending on the family desires). * * * Buried in the Sand? Have we just looked the other way when these terrorist were allowed to live in our communities, or have we just buried our heads in the sand? I was shocked to find out that these cowards had free run in our great nation. I sincerely hope we keep our focus on what is going on around us, and my prayers are with those who have suffered due to our oversights. May God speed our military home. Sincerely, Betty - Kernersville, N.C. * * * I am proud of my fellow americans for the way we have come together during the recent terrorist attacks. The patriotism shown by most, if not all, has been awe inspiring. The number of flags displayed in my area gives me goosebumps. Why does it take this type of attack on our freedoms and way of life for americans to react in this fashion? When certain liberals attempt to take away our freedoms such as: * The campaign finance bill. * Our military's vote in Florida. * Other attempts to legislate away our freedom. When untruths are told such as: * Scaring our seniors concerning social security and medicare. * Statements as to starving our school children. * And other untruths in an attempt to sway votes. If we Americans could but only harness this same patriotism to influence our elected officials when these type of attacks on our freedom occurs. An attack of the magnitude of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are easily visible to we americans. But isn't the nibbling away of our freedoms in the latter just as serious? For me and mine any attack on the freedoms provided by our constitution demands concern and a reaction either by mail or a vote at the ballot box. Thank you for being there for those of us who need to hear the voice of a great American. most sincerely, E.P. Flanagan, American (Not Irish American) * * * IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY, PLEASE SIGN THE STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY AGAINST GLOBAL TERRORISM: http://www.grassfire.net/11/petition.asp?PID=1396340&P=1 * * * To Young America Last night I sat talking to my father a minister brought up with ideals band beliefs I thought long since forgotten.....I was discussing my sadness at the lack of patriotism I've observed in my generation......I spoke of the days in highschool when no one would stand for the pledge... and the times I heard fellow classmates bashing this great nation and their home. I was saying I hope it did not take some catastrophic event to cause an awareness that we should cherish our homeland be proud of the United States and be grateful for our freedom. Today that seems tragically ironic. Today we find ourselves the witnesses of the greatest tragedy this country has ever faced the fiercest attack on our freedom the citizens of the U.S. have ever felt... Today we have the opportunity to realize our great wealth of freedom to learn to appreciate that freedom and to respect the people who have died to protect it.... Today is the time to lay down the social and economic boundries between us to forget the plague of consumerism and the banter of extremist political bigots and to stand together not as men or women not as minority or majority not as a particular race or religion but as one....as AMERICANS. Today we must stand together as a people who believe in liberty a people who believe in justice a people who believe in our country. Today we must stand together. Today we must begin to dissolve that which divides us and begin to build the foundation of remembering always what binds us.....that we live in and are part of the greatest nation in the world. Today WE must stand together because WE are tomorrow. Today as a nation we began to show how overwhelmingly we can pull together in a time of tragedy....I challenge my fellow young Americans to remember this day forever and as we begin to take our places in the world to put aside the petty political battles of our parent's generation and to sit in those seats with pride solidifying our nation not dividing it. In the days to come I hope to see that we are not truly lost as America's tomorrow........that we are a promising generation that will be the new hope for this country....we are not a great experiment in democracy as some have said but a great experiment in hope......the hope for a better way of life.... that has always been at the core of this country.... Tommorow and in the days to come the young citizens of this country have the opportunity to truly show what we're made of ..... Tomorrow instead of buying those CD's or Clothes you've been wanting send your money to the relief programs in action to help those in need in this time of national crisis.........Tomorrow go to your church of choice or place of meditation and reflect on and pray for those now hurt those trying to help those who are lost and those who have experienced loss due to the tragic events of September 11th 2001. Finally Tomorrow go to your nearest Red Cross and volunteer to give blood for many have given theirs to ensure the freedom we all experience daily in this great nation we inhabit. Tonight rest and remember you are a part of the greatest nation on earth. You are a citizen of the United States of America. When you wake up tomorrow mourn those lost....but be proud of your nation...say your Pledge of Allegiance even if no one else does........help in anyway you can.....do your best to make this country the best you can and do it for the rest of your life in rememberance of today's tragedy. Do it because you have the freedom to decide too. Do it because you are America.... Today - Tomorrow - and FOREVER.....We will all forever be a part of this great experiment in HOPE and I hope We all realize how lucky we are to be a part of it. Now sleep tight and dream of tomorrow.........God Bless you and all those facing tragedy in the days to come and if you feel fear invading your heart remember WE ARE & ALWAYS WILL BE: ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL * * * Invade the oil fields of Iraq and pump the oil and sell it to the oil companies in this country use the proceeds to reimburse all parties concerned in the WTC disaster stay there until all damages are reimbursed set up a 100 mile perimeter around the fields and create a no fly zone over it. This is oil money it is used to sponsor these bast---s anyway take it with no remorse also make a crater out of any nation that sponsors or harbors terrorists. Tom Lawrence * * * Prepare Pray for the world. The next war has begun. My generation has never seen a devestating attack on our country from a foreign adversary such as this. We must steel ourselves for what comes next. These terrorists walk among us and have for years. They look like our other Arabic friends and brothers that we embrace as Americans. Pray that we will not treat them as we treated the Japanese that lived among us as Americans. We did not experience Japanese terrorism in the United States beyond Pearl Harbor and look how they were treated. I can guarantee you that once we begin retaliating in the Arab world for what happened in New York there will be terrible terrorist acts here in the United States. I am afraid a lot of us think that once we bomb it will be over and distanced from us. I pray that America will not lock up and terrorize the Arabic Americans. People say that we will not do this kind of thing. I pray we will not have to find out but the first time a school bus is hijacked by a psychotic follower of Omasa bin Ladin I am afraid of what will happen in our cities to Arabic Americans. Prepare yourselves fellow Americans. This is going to be a war where blood is shed on our land. That we have not seen in this country since the civil war. Crystal * * * We do we have to wait for something to happen before we do anything??? It has always baffled me we Americans are the biggest reactive society on the face of the earth. Why do we wait? Why don't we take steps before hand to ensure tragedies don't' won't or can't happen to us. Well here it is right in our face why did it take so many lives to bring to the forefront that we had a problem with our home security. We knew years ago we had a serious problem yet everyone thought these peop