There is no doubt that last Tuesday will be remembered as one of the most important days in the history of the 21st Century.
Everyone on these message boards has enjoyed discussing
the domestic political issues that have arisen in the past 12 months.
Now, suddenly and seemingly without warning, they all seem an irrelevance.
I hope you will all take part in this important debate.
Everyone is welcome to post. Please accept that there is no single point of view that we can all share. Different people from different cultures will react in completely different ways to the events this week and over the coming months and that may well be reflected here.
But whoever, wherever or whatever we are, please show respect for the poor, wretched souls who have lost their lives or lost a loved one.
Please don't forget, the tragedy is still unfolding.
Maybe good will come of this? I have myself experienced a range of emotions this week. Shock, disbeleif, Sorrow, dispair, hate [a new one for me] Anger,love and finally hope. I spoke to a friend from NY last night and all those have been felt by her but multiplied by a million. Her ex Husband was in the WTC he escaped but her children watched the disaster unfold. How do you cope with that? The only thing that helped was watching the world join hands against the atrocities. Her only glimmer of hope for her childrens future and peace of mind.
Lets join together and let this grow.
Yes, i've felt all of those emotions too this week - and on top of that, an over-riding sense of confusion.
I cannot remember one single event that has ever made me feel that way.
It was moving to hear that so many people around the world observed the three-minute silence on Friday.
Hope you don't mind me reposting this from Rob Kings forum but it is relevant :-
This Disgusts Me
From Ananova
"UK CLERIC SAYS SUICIDE ATTACKS WERE SELF-DEFENCE
The terrorist attacks in the US were an act of self defence, an outspoken British-based Islamic cleric claims."
Just what planet do these people live on?.
A remark bound to elicite some responses from persons on this board, but before you condemn me as not looking at the whole picture let me explain my outrage and contempt for muslim apologists of this disgusting and vile act.
My brother-in-law (a British national living in the US) travels frequently from LA to NY on business. He was due to have a meeting right next to the WTC.If this tragedy had been a few days later I could have found myself grieving with my wife and family over the loss of her brother/their son.
As it was, it was hard enough to come home to see my wife upset at not being able to contact her brother, which thankfully her dad had managed to do, but then to sit through the harrowing scenes unfolding on the TV that evening that were so heart-rending I cannot even start to describe adequately.
I now have to see British Muslim "spokespersons" come out with the above on the TV and elsewhere. They do themselves and their religion no good at all by saying these things.
There were people from all over the world in the World Trade Centre and it is now apparent a large number of UK citizens are among the missing.
No matter what injustices the Muslim people may feel have been dished out on them in the past, there is no excuse for this act of terrorism. None at all
May I extend my deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to ALL the relatives and friends of the victims. I could so easily have been standing alongside you..............
I am stuck here in NY having come over for a meeting last week. Was due to fly out on Tuesday night until the **** hit the fan ... now hope to get out on Friday. Today is the first day we have had web access, as our office server was in the WTC.
All I can tell you is that this is one of the scariest places to be right now. When they restarted commercial flights at the end of last week, when the first sound of a plane was heard again, you could see everybody start peering up nervously into the sky.
I have never been a great fan of US foreign policy, but nobody, absolutely nobody, deserved this. It is just indescribable. Let's just hope that someone takes a deep breath before deciding how to respond ... this could go in any direction now.
Glad to hear you were in Manhattan but lived to tell the tale genevois. Heard from an acquaintance who lives nearby - I think he's having a job sleeping at night. How much of lower Manhattan is still closed?
They have reopened large parts of southern Mhttn with the exception of "ground zero", which is about a six block radius of the WTC. I was in the Village last night and you can get down quite far ... not that you really want to. Lots of posters with people's names on and mini shrines on every street corner. The first few days were weird, sirens all the time, F16's patrolling the sky and quite bad smoke which left a pretty bad taste in your mouth. I was staying with a colleague on 97th Street, which is the north of Mhhtn and the smoke was blowing right up there at one point.
Things are starting to move again, and the streets are full of people which was not the case on the first day or two after the strike. There is still some nervousness, especially in regard to what the US might do in way of retaliation. I am working opposite the UN building, where all the access roads are now sealed off with concrete blocks and tipper trucks full of sand. It really does feel like we are under seige.
