9/11

A title simple as "9/11", requires no further elaboration.

As it is near time for Football to start, why am I compelled to watch CNN Pipeline's real time coverage of September 11th, 2001? I am glad that CNN is airing this, but I could not watch the later coverage again. Those hours/days after the attacks, glued to the TV praying there were survivors within the rubble.

I cannot begin to imagine how difficult it was, and still is, for those who lost loved ones. Phone lines, I imagine, were tied up across the country - I know they were in the DC area. That not only creates frustration, but false hope (for many). [sighs]

The second plane just hit the other tower and it is amazing how no one realized immediately that that is what happened. Anyone watching the coverage would see the plane.

On that morning I was, typically, running late to work. My car radio was tuned into WTOP, which is the local news station in DC - The first plane had already hit the first tower and I assumed that it was a small plane. I continued to drive to work and about halfway there the second plane hit.

If I did not know this was a major story immediately, I did when I arrived at work and everyone was telling me as I walked in; as I was normally the only one at work who relayed news.

I do not think most of America worked that day. Tammy was sent home early, I dearly wanted to go home, but ended up staying at work until 3:00. Of course, should I have been sent home I would have had nothing else to occupy my time but CNN coverage. I say this because I would be glued to the TV - Like I imagine so very many were.

I was so very distraught at work, trying to get info as I could from CNN.com - But then word came that a plane hit the Pentagon. I later found out that plane had departed less then 2 miles from our townhouse. The terrorists drove down the streets I traverse daily. I may have passed them on the way to work. It took me atleast a month to not wonder if every plane I heard was going to crash into our complex. I would constantly get up and look out the window, or wake up at the first sound of a plane. I hated living so close to the airport then.

We had field environmentalists in DC and it was so wonderful hearing the relief in the voice of the wife of one while, on the phone with me for the 3rd or 4th time, when her husband walked in the door. That was one minor "victory" that day.

Hearing jets from our office; going outside and seeing fighter jets flying overhead - It became exciting; a novelty. Then it all began to sink in. To this day it almost seems a farce. Something like this could not happen in America.

When Bush returned to DC, late that night, I still wonder if he arrived at Dulles and left from there via helicopter. We were watching CNN when they stated he arrived at Bethesda (I think it was Bethesda) - Shortly thereafter 5 military helicopters took off from Dulles. Maybe they were cover only, but I felt better, now the President would be back in DC. DC had to be safe then. Right?

I was glad Bush was in office rather then Gore. I never liked Gore much, however I felt that Bush could handle this tragedy better and more efficiently. Boy, was I wrong. A month to attack Afghanistan? Let me rephrase that, a month to allow Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda to escape. Our offensive in Afghanistan was efficient and the world supported us. To me, after 9/11, the world felt united in their grief and disbelief.

And then the farce known as Iraq. 9/11, an act which united us, united the world, against terrorism became the scapegoat of the Bush Administration to oust Saddam Hussein from power.

And then the Anthrax attacks. Those still go unsolved to this day. What fear we faced. Fearing to even open one's mail. And on such a scale, not random Unibomber attacks. Driving up to Maryland with potentially infected samples from mailrooms in DC - I knew my company knew what they were doing as far as containing any contamination, but it still was unnerving.

I think what I will remember the most from that day is the looks on other driver's faces as they drove home. Everyone seemed to just look over at the driver next to them and they all had the same look on their face. We were united. If that is the look of America united, then I do not want to see it ever again. Why does it take a tragedy like this to make Americans be humane to each other?

God Bless America - I wish I truly felt we were still the greatest country in the world. And that has nothing to do with the terrorist attacks, but America itself.