NS September 11th Memorial

[The Sheika]

In 2001 I enlisted in the US Army to become an M1A1 Main Battle Tank crewman. The morning of 11SEP2001, my training company was at the Advanced Driving Course in Fort Knox, Kentucky learning about the abilities and limitations of travel for a tank. The first bit of information was not all that clear, and for all we knew it was just another training scenario the Drill Sergeants were putting together. I heard things such as "They do not know how many casualties" and "One of the towers fell", but nothing that confirmed what was happening. As the morning progressed, the Company Commander came out to the training site and shut down training temporarily to deliver the news; he started by asking if any of the soldiers had family in New York City, and those who raised their hands were gathered up as the rest of the news was delivered.

Training resumed shortly after, and while most of us should have been focusing on the task at hand it was hard not to think about what could be happening elsewhere in the world. All throughout the day, I managed to listen to news as it came in over the radio in one of the trucks the Drill Sergeants had used to transport us out to the site. Later that night we all huddled in the control shack to listen to George W. Bush give an address of the events before carrying out our night driving training. We had not seen anything about the attacks until the next day as we were all herded into the company day room to see footage from New York City, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania.

[Scomagia]

It's effects on our domestic policy are rarely discussed. Foreign policy, sure, but the knee-jerk bullshit that happened here because of one event is pretty well ignored or glossed over. Mostly it's an excuse to garner ratings without actually talking much about anything.

And that is precisely why it is relevant.

The fact these are rarely discussed doesn't make 9/11 less relevant.

The event, thirteen years removed, is less relevant than the ongoing effects of our response to it. Irrelevant was a poor choice of words. Less relevant is better.

[Reploid Productions]

The number of people dead isn't what made the event important; it was the impact on the collected psyche of an entire population. Pearl Harbor cost a comparable number of lives, and in much the same vein it was not the body count, but the destruction of the popular psychological sense of safety that etched the event in the public awareness and goaded that same public into extensive response. The American people retained, however foolishly, the notion that we were safe from attack by foreign enemies on our soil; a particular song written about it describes it as a "sucker-punch came flying in from somewhere in the back," which is a rather apt description. People react badly, and intensely, when an illusion of safety like that is shattered. And the more people you have reacting, the greater the intensity of that reaction.

13 years later though, I am firmly of the opinion that we need to start letting it go. Let the families and friends who lost their loved ones mourn in peace instead of trotting it out as an annual media spectacle for those of us who were less immediately affected. How can they even begin to properly heal from that trauma when it gets dragged out and plastered all over the TV, radio, and Internet every single year?

[Soldati Senza Confini]

And that is precisely why it is relevant.

The fact these are rarely discussed doesn't make 9/11 less relevant.

The event, thirteen years removed, is less relevant than the ongoing effects of our response to it. Irrelevant was a poor choice of words. Less relevant is better.

In a teleological perspective yes, it is less relevant.

If you look at it as a layer cake, in which the bottom layer is relevant because without it none of this would have started then it isn't.

[New Waterford]

I was only two years old.

[The Emerald Dragon]

Apologies, I massively messed up the dates with my last post.

American military involve began in October.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

The number of people dead isn't what made the event important; it was the impact on the collected psyche of an entire population. Pearl Harbor cost a comparable number of lives, and in much the same vein it was not the body count, but the destruction of the popular psychological sense of safety that etched the event in the public awareness and goaded that same public into extensive response. The American people retained, however foolishly, the notion that we were safe from attack by foreign enemies on our soil; a particular song written about it describes it as a "sucker-punch came flying in from somewhere in the back," which is a rather apt description. People react badly, and intensely, when an illusion of safety like that is shattered. And the more people you have reacting, the greater the intensity of that reaction.

13 years later though, I am firmly of the opinion that we need to start letting it go. Let the families and friends who lost their loved ones mourn in peace instead of trotting it out as an annual media spectacle for those of us who were less immediately affected. How can they even begin to properly heal from that trauma when it gets dragged out and plastered all over the TV, radio, and Internet every single year?

^ This.

While I do believe is an important historical event that should be a subject of study and while I also think that the reasons that it is relevant are important enough because it shaped the 21st century American mindset; it doesn't mean that we should trot it as a media spectacle.

[Ifreann]

Yeah, no one ever talks about the PATRIOT Act.

NSG became a mainstream news network at some point? Huh, I wasn't aware.

No, its a discussion forum. People discuss things here. But if it was news reports you were interested in. About 14,500 results (0.26 seconds), and here's the trend since 08.

[Idzequitch]

The number of people dead isn't what made the event important; it was the impact on the collected psyche of an entire population. Pearl Harbor cost a comparable number of lives, and in much the same vein it was not the body count, but the destruction of the popular psychological sense of safety that etched the event in the public awareness and goaded that same public into extensive response. The American people retained, however foolishly, the notion that we were safe from attack by foreign enemies on our soil; a particular song written about it describes it as a "sucker-punch came flying in from somewhere in the back," which is a rather apt description. People react badly, and intensely, when an illusion of safety like that is shattered. And the more people you have reacting, the greater the intensity of that reaction.

13 years later though, I am firmly of the opinion that we need to start letting it go. Let the families and friends who lost their loved ones mourn in peace instead of trotting it out as an annual media spectacle for those of us who were less immediately affected. How can they even begin to properly heal from that trauma when it gets dragged out and plastered all over the TV, radio, and Internet every single year?

A very good point. I completely agree.

[Royal Hindustan]

Well I was about 9 months old so I don't remember. My dad said he saw the news on his computer but did not tell me to not scar me. Didn't know about it till I was 7 or 6 years old

[The Sheika]

The number of people dead isn't what made the event important; it was the impact on the collected psyche of an entire population. Pearl Harbor cost a comparable number of lives, and in much the same vein it was not the body count, but the destruction of the popular psychological sense of safety that etched the event in the public awareness and goaded that same public into extensive response. The American people retained, however foolishly, the notion that we were safe from attack by foreign enemies on our soil; a particular song written about it describes it as a "sucker-punch came flying in from somewhere in the back," which is a rather apt description. People react badly, and intensely, when an illusion of safety like that is shattered. And the more people you have reacting, the greater the intensity of that reaction.

13 years later though, I am firmly of the opinion that we need to start letting it go. Let the families and friends who lost their loved ones mourn in peace instead of trotting it out as an annual media spectacle for those of us who were less immediately affected. How can they even begin to properly heal from that trauma when it gets dragged out and plastered all over the TV, radio, and Internet every single year?

Years ago I would have debated that ending statement, but I can honestly say it is a fair and honest assessment that is worth a lot of consideration. Yes, it is something that happened in history, sure it is something that we should remember, and yes it was something that shattered the illusion of safety, but to tear at the wounds that it left year after year is not healing.

[Arkolon]

My mum was getting her passport updated, and she brought me to the embassy with her. It was all over the news when we got home.

[Lyrasona]

I was only four, going to turn 5 in about a week so I think I probably had other things on my mind. My family tells me though that I was being watched by a family friend when it happened and that I said that it was "very boring" when I was watching it on TV.

[Chestaan]

I was in Chile overthrowing the government

Naww but seriously I was 8 and was in second class. I knew that what was happening was horrific but I didn't fully understand the situation and it's gravity. We later stuck a small American flag sticker to the door of our room to remember the victims.

[-The Unified Earth Governments-]

I was a young child in School, that day was awesome for me because I got to go home early and play with my toys, mostly in my grand parents room when it was cool, I think my grandma was resting in the bed while I was playing with my toys or something, I could hear something about towers on the TV but I didn't give a fuck and I was playing with my dinosaur toys.

Of course I understand the situation now, but back then I wasn't even aware it was going on, I thought there was another issue going on or something....

I dunno.

[Frisbeeteria]

Lord, we're full of young-uns here. Here's an adult's perspective.

I was commuting to work when I heard the first radio reports about the first plane. About the time I got to work the first confused reports about the second plane were being discussed. As I went in, the local broadcasters were still arguing that the reporters were getting it wrong, that it was only one plane, one tower.

At the time, I was a contractor providing computer support for US Postal Service retail locations. My territory included New York. I spent most of the morning on the phone with various NYC Post Office branches who were dealing with power outages and network issues. Turns out we had a network node in the Wall Street area that lost power and caused all sorts of problems for the entire area. While on the phone, I had the opportunity to hear local stories from people who didn't really know what was going on anymore than the rest of the nation. Our floor managers were the only ones who had time and access to outside news, and they told staff when new reports came in. We passed it on to local offices when they called in.

During lunch break, one of the managers found a training TV with rabbit ears and rolled it into the break room. There was complete silence in the room as people slipped in to watch replays of the towers falling and the Pentagon burning. Everyone was acting literally sucker-punched, but we kept doing our jobs. I've never heard a call center so quiet and subdued.

A week later, we had to deal with the USPS and reports of anthrax in the offices we supported. While it didn't directly affect my team, there was no question that we all felt attacked by terrorists. It was a bad time in America.

[United States of Natan]

I was 3 years old, watching PBS in the kitchen. My Mom was in the other room. suddenly, the PBS went off (they had an antenna or satellite or something on the north tower, I think), and I told my mom that the TV wasn't working. She came in, and then checked it out, then went back to the other room, and saw on the TV in there on the news that the towers were hit.

[Alyakia]

I was 3 years old, watching PBS in the kitchen. My Mom was in the other room. suddenly, the PBS went off (they had an antenna or satellite or something on the north tower, I think), and I told my mom that the TV wasn't working. She came in, and then checked it out, then went back to the other room, and saw on the TV in there on the news that the towers were hit.

holy shit you have the worst possible sig for this thread

[Urran]

In my first grade classroom doing a math lesson. The teachers aid came in the room screaming. I think we left school early. Even as a little kid it broke my heart that people would do such terrible things.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

I was 3 years old, watching PBS in the kitchen. My Mom was in the other room. suddenly, the PBS went off (they had an antenna or satellite or something on the north tower, I think), and I told my mom that the TV wasn't working. She came in, and then checked it out, then went back to the other room, and saw on the TV in there on the news that the towers were hit.

holy shit you have the worst possible sig for this thread

Don't give people ideas

[Zatak]

Lord, we're full of young-uns here. Here's an adult's perspective.

I was commuting to work when I heard the first radio reports about the first plane. About the time I got to work the first confused reports about the second plane were being discussed. As I went in, the local broadcasters were still arguing that the reporters were getting it wrong, that it was only one plane, one tower.

At the time, I was a contractor providing computer support for US Postal Service retail locations. My territory included New York. I spent most of the morning on the phone with various NYC Post Office branches who were dealing with power outages and network issues. Turns out we had a network node in the Wall Street area that lost power and caused all sorts of problems for the entire area. While on the phone, I had the opportunity to hear local stories from people who didn't really know what was going on anymore than the rest of the nation. Our floor managers were the only ones who had time and access to outside news, and they told staff when new reports came in. We passed it on to local offices when they called in.

During lunch break, one of the managers found a training TV with rabbit ears and rolled it into the break room. There was complete silence in the room as people slipped in to watch replays of the towers falling and the Pentagon burning. Everyone was acting literally sucker-punched, but we kept doing our jobs. I've never heard a call center so quiet and subdued.

A week later, we had to deal with the USPS and reports of anthrax in the offices we supported. While it didn't directly affect my team, there was no question that we all felt attacked by terrorists. It was a bad time in America.

I feel so old....

Even though again i lived here in Canada i still remember all the commotion of possible Canadian attacks on places like Toronto, Montreal ETC..

i was at the University of Toronto at the time of the attack....... i remember one class mate who said that they (Referring to Al Qaeda) had nuclear weapons.

[Dukats]

I was 2 years old.

[-The Trade Federation-]

I was two years old !

We were in the living room watching some show during my father's birthday. My mother received a call from my grandmother telling her to switch to the news. We basically watched the first tower going up in flames...

Until the second plane hit.

My mother was in shock. We also witnessed the collapse.

All of that...

On my dad's birthday.

[Northwest Slobovia]

Lord, we're full of young-uns here.

You're surprised by this?

I'm more intrigued by the way current events become profound memories for those who experienced them, and ancient and somewhat incomprehenisble history for those who didn't. Gives me a bit more perspective about (for example) Watergate, which I was too young to remember, or Pearl Harbor, which was way before my time.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Lord, we're full of young-uns here. Here's an adult's perspective.

I was commuting to work when I heard the first radio reports about the first plane. About the time I got to work the first confused reports about the second plane were being discussed. As I went in, the local broadcasters were still arguing that the reporters were getting it wrong, that it was only one plane, one tower.

At the time, I was a contractor providing computer support for US Postal Service retail locations. My territory included New York. I spent most of the morning on the phone with various NYC Post Office branches who were dealing with power outages and network issues. Turns out we had a network node in the Wall Street area that lost power and caused all sorts of problems for the entire area. While on the phone, I had the opportunity to hear local stories from people who didn't really know what was going on anymore than the rest of the nation. Our floor managers were the only ones who had time and access to outside news, and they told staff when new reports came in. We passed it on to local offices when they called in.

During lunch break, one of the managers found a training TV with rabbit ears and rolled it into the break room. There was complete silence in the room as people slipped in to watch replays of the towers falling and the Pentagon burning. Everyone was acting literally sucker-punched, but we kept doing our jobs. I've never heard a call center so quiet and subdued.

A week later, we had to deal with the USPS and reports of anthrax in the offices we supported. While it didn't directly affect my team, there was no question that we all felt attacked by terrorists. It was a bad time in America.

I feel quite young, as I was 11 at the time.