The Real Lesson of Sept. 11
It has taken me a while to realize something.
Seventeen years ago, I saw a picture of Mohamed Atta for the first time, and my blood boiled from the sound of his voice emanating from the television, as he said over the airplanes intercom system: We have some planes, just stay quiet and youll be O.K. We are returning to the airport. Instead, he crashed it between the 93rd and 99th floors of the World Trade Centers north tower.
My 23-year-old brother, James, was on the 102nd floor.
Staring at that picture of Atta, I would have visions of what my brothers final moments were like. I would envision my asthmatic brother slowly succumbing to smoke inhalation on the flat, gray corporate rug of his Cantor Fitzgerald office trapped, climbing upward and afraid for the entire 102 minutes before the towers collapse. Glaring at Attas photo, Id imagine my brothers body buckling, falling, crumpling, burning, melting, and in that moment of imagination, my entire being wanted revenge against the people who did this.
So I joined the Army.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/opinion/911-lessons-veteran.html
tymorial
(3,433 posts)I hate today.
Blues Heron
(5,936 posts)Anybody have a link to the audio?
whopis01
(3,514 posts)Here is a link:
http://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/09/08/nyregion/911-tapes.html
You can go to the "8:24 AM" link for the audio talked about in this thread.
Freddie
(9,267 posts)I remember the white-hot anger to anything remotely related to the Middle East. Thats how we ended up in Iraq, delighting Cheney and all the others who were salivating for a war.