DescentBB

I'm not one for keeping bad memories alive. I prefer to keep them in the past where they belong but unfortunately one memory many New Yorkers can never forget is the day that 3,ooo lives perished in the Attack on the World Trade Center. Its amazing to see how this city has changed in the face of terror. Its frightening (I don't know, maybe to some its comforting) to see specially trained NYPD units armed with the highest of high tech weapons on New York Streets at special events. Checkpoints at area bridges and tunnels as if it were some sort of border crossing checking for illegals. Security checks to enter NYC buildings. I don't know maybe we should have been doing this all along. Anyway I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the incredible loss of life in the attack on New York as well as the other lives lost on the downed airplanes. I pray that we never see another day like this.

I went into Manhattan the other day... got out at Fulton and got lost looking for the South Street Seaport... found myself outside the PATH station on Fulton, overlooking the huge pit that was once an office complex. Was a bit upsetting.

But what's great is that most people have moved on from the tragedy. The "why" lingers. We know "what" happened, "who" killed "whom" and "how", "where", and "when". But the "why" is still there. "Why" did we let it happen? "Why" did they want to do it? That's what it's all about now. Standing there, looking into that pit, all you feel is "why". But the "what" is in the past. I want that site back to a bustling hub of commercial activity. That "Freedom Tower" is ugly. It's political, it's phallic, and it's utterly useless. I spent the rest of that day galavanting around Times Square. Nobody there was dressed in all black mourning September 11th. Chalk it up to a stereotypically short American attention span, but for God's sake, move on and fix the problems that allowed what happened to occur so that it doesn't happen again.

I live in the suburbs of the city, and commute in for school every day. My second day of freshman year of high school I heard at least one jet roar overhead during Math class and a cacaphony of ambulance, police, and fire sirens; saw my homeroom teacher break down into tears because her friend was visiting the WTC that morning; got home at 7 o'clock and the next morning wished it was all a bad dream. I rode the train in and saw the plumes of smoke rising where I had once seen the gray slabs that marked the southern end of Manhattan Island.

Today was hard. It was my second day of Senior year, and as always there was a mass/academic convocation to start off the year. It was dedicated to the alumni who had died on 9/11 and their families. I just put it out of my head, but in what seems like 3 days we've gone from 9/11 to Afghanistan to Iraq to Three Purple Hearts to the 3rd "anniversary" (such a word shouldn't be used to describe this event, but in its most literal sense it's appropriate). I've watched everyone try to take possession of the event, from the families to the city to the country. Everyone wants to lay their claim on the sorrow, but nobody wants to recognize the others'. Everyone wants control of how we remember what happened. I guess I just don't matter.

It must be even more terrible for the families who see their loved ones die again and again on national TV every year. No chance for full closure, especially for the kids. Sad anniversary indeed.

Found this on another BB. Very powerful (kind of long though)

http://home.comcast.net/~sept11/

I try to avoid the radio and TV, because every time I see the pictures and videos I get angry all over again, and I dont want to see these repeats of the people's deaths being constantly plastered on the TV. To me thats disrespectful, I dont want to continually watch people die again and again after 3 years, knowing what they are thinking at the moment the picture or video was shot.

I dont want to forget, but I dont want to disrespect those lives which were wrongfully taken away, because seeing those images all over again and considering what goes through me fills me with rage.