[HighTower]

Today 11.09.12 marks the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in which nearly 3,000 people died.

The brave actions of New York Police, Fire, Ambulance and Port authority staff and members of the public.

The passengers and crew of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 that crashed into the world trade center,
The passengers and crew of American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon in Washington,
The passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, that crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania

We must never Forget what happened 11 years ago today.

I stand with my American friends

[Hermanator]

I agree with everything Hightower has said. It is important to never forget such a loss of life and such an attack on the Ideas and Philosophies of Freedom and Liberty.

I think it is also important to mention the heroism of the passengers of Flight 93; in how they attempted to take control over the aircraft which resulted in them saving many people’s lives. Its just a shame that the only way they will be rewarded is in our memory.

[Rhetorical]

Hear, Hear.

[Nirron]

I agree with the never forget thing too but I hate to see what big events are made around these day. All the speeches and so on... it's bit overdone. Just bring a news on paper/TV/internet or equal and remember the people of the day and the loses but to stop a whole countries economy just for such an event... well we need to live on, work on and evolve.

Sounds a bit harsh but I'm someone who can't understand how such big events are made on these days. It's not like the german people celebrate the day when the second world war ended every year. It's not even mentioned in papers anymore. And to compare these two things (WW2 and 9/11) I would put more importance on WW2 and the loses there although it's already "ages ago". Or what about the people who die every day? Are they remembered? Except from their families...

I should better stop this discussion before I get too mean on it :I Like I said I feel for the peoples who lost their lives there and for their families but I remember them in my heart and not with a big event.

[Kains]

I know exactly what you mean Drew, but the real difference here is the time, as you mentioned. I actually had a discussion with a customer the other day about where we were when it happened (Heh, I was still in school ). I think every generation has one of those moments. I know for my parents it's was the Kennedy assassination, and they will talk about where they were when it happened.

It is difficult to look past. I walked out of a busy classroom into halls full of people all staring up at tv screens in absolute silence and watched the scenes saem as millions of others around the world. It's difficult not to be humbled by the scale of it all. Later that day my brother and father would essentially go into 'lockdown' as they were active servicemen and preped for the inevitable, and the woman I would eventually marry had all communication cut as she was serving on Enterprise at the time.

Having said all of that, I do agree. It is something we need to move on from, and it is a shame so many do end up being forgotten. People are strange. I figure all anyone can really do is talk about it quietly, respectfully recounting their personal story, and be respectful when others need to share theirs.

[Wixiban]

100% Agree Hightower - It started as an act of destruction and chaos and ended with Heroic Bravery from New Yorks Finest, as well as all others that helped.

Just a quick reply to Drew's statement above, we do celebrate/Remember WW1 and WW2 deeds - in the following way Armistice Day, Veterans Day, Remembrance Day to name a few.

Wixi

[Supergrover]

100% Agree Hightower - It started as an act of destruction and chaos and ended with Heroic Bravery from New Yorks Finest, as well as all others that helped.

Just a quick reply to Drew's statement above, we do celebrate/Remember WW1 and WW2 deeds - in the following way Armistice Day, Veterans Day, Remembrance Day to name a few.

Wixi

Exactly, WW1-2 have been quite sometime but just to expand on this, Nov 11 ( Remembrance Day here in Canada) everything pretty much shuts down, about 12 years ago I was doing a building and took the Fri/Monday off rather than the holiday, went to work on the 11th and had the job wobbled. If we ever were to do it again we were threatened with no being approved for permits and fined. So in other words yes whole countries/cities/town shutdown over WW1-2 and that was 60+ years ago.
And TBH as it should be WW1-2 were a huge mistake and the horror of them should live on forever in our minds less it happens again

And on the note of 9/11 was working up in the mountains when it hit so never even knew till I got home that night, I also found out I had a nephew born @ 7:23am that day.


RIP and Never Forget.

[Nirron]

Wixi, if you take a closer look at my statement I said that the German people arent celebrating it, may it be the end of WW2 or hitlers death. We dont celebrate it.

[Supergrover]

Wixi, if you take a closer look at my statement I said that the German people arent celebrating it, may it be the end of WW2 or hitlers death. We dont celebrate it.

I dont think ppl should be celebrating either 9/11 or WW1-2, remembering it, Yes very much so but celebrating it? IDK too many Americans celebrating 9/11, remembering, yes but celebrating? No not so much.
Just as Dec 7th for the USA, it is remembered but not celebrated, it isnt like there is a big party where everyone goes " Hey wasnt that awesome when all those ppl were killed in a surprise attack, now that was awesome, glad there is this big party"
No more like lets keep this fresh in our minds so as to be on the lookout for if it can/will happen again. Lets remember this moment of blood, horror and destruction, remember it well so to not let it happen again.
Just my 0.02

[Nirron]

Celebrating in means of World War 2 is over in my written case. For the 9/11 is a bigger event with remembering but still it stops the economy to a certian degree like a celebration or holiday day...and thats what i worry about. The times we live in today are too risky that we could allow to stop economy for a certain time.

[Wixiban]

Wixi, if you take a closer look at my statement I said that the German people arent celebrating it, may it be the end of WW2 or hitlers death. We dont celebrate it.

Hey Drew,

That line should have read We do not celebrate, but remember.

That's my typing again fingers going somewhere, the mind going another.

[Kyuusaku]

I'm not sure if anyone from the US has spoken up or not (not everyone fills out their location fields) in this thread, but I wanted to add my comments to the discussion.

I disagree with Drew's characterization of how we spent all of sixty seconds this morning to quietly observe the time when the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The ceremony was solemn and carried out with the dignity and respect it deserves. Taking one minute out of financial day of 480 minutes is hardly bringing the economy to a stand-still, and I think that the word choice is hyperbolic. Neither the DJIA nor the NASDAQ suffered a stumble due to the observance and money was changing hands fairly well after the moment was over. The rhetoric gets a bit thick in your statement, especially when we're talking about a very quick and simple moment of silence.

And before I forget: The days following 9/11 for me were filled with a sort of stunned surreality. I remember just kind of going through the motions at work on the graveyard shift. I was keeping a close eye on the news, since we had the large displays up and showing the 24-hour news channels. I hadn't really felt the emotion of loss, but I was surfing the web and I read about the tremendous outpouring of support by citizens of other countries at our embassies and consulates and I broke down in tears when I read some of the published messages that our State department released. It was one of those rare moments when I really felt like there was hope after the crushing weight of the tragic loss of life. I never really got a chance to express my gratitude for that revelation, and given that there are citizens/residents of those countries here on this forum, I'll take the opportunity under the thread to do so.

Thank you so much.

Kyuu

[Stormy]

I think the words of a Charlie Daniels Band song cut many years before 9-11-01 sum up America's resolve when something like this happens. They go:
We'll all stick together, and you can take that to the bank.
That's the cowboys and the hippies, the Rebels and the Yanks.
You just go and lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan
And I think you're finally gonna understand.

[Hermanator]

To be fair though Drew you do celebrate tag der deutschen einheit (Reunifcation of Germany). Surely this day brings up sour thoughts about Germans and Berliners in particular being split off from ones family and countryman; is that not similar emotion process to that of those remembering 9/11.

Also there are many marches in Dresden over the anniversary of the bombings.

[Nirron]

You cant compare these two days directly. Sure it come a bit to the same but the meaning is something else. 9/11 is a sad day, while the "Tag der deutschen Einheit" is a happy day as we were united there again. 9/11 is about all the losses of the act. And with the ceremony and so on around 9/11 I didnt meant the 60 seconds silence but the ceremony where all names of the killed people are announced and that slows down economy partly