Tag Archive for: 9/11

Today

/in /by

by: Joelle Charbonneau
Today the sun rose in the east.  It will set in the west.  Across the world people will get out of bed,
eat breakfast, go to work, to school, to stores and to hundreds of other
destinations.  Rain or shine, today is a
just a normal day.
And yet it isn’t.
Eleven years ago today, the world shifted on its axis.  War from an unknown source fell from the
sky.  Smoke billowed from the twin
towers.  Heroes rushed to save those
inside.  Heroes became victims as the
towers fell, the Pentagon was struck and passengers aboard another flight
performed a selfless act that saved lives at the cost of their own.
Today is a day to remember those who were lost to the
attacks.  To remember those who saved
lives and those who could not be saved.
I remember where I was when the towers were struck and the
world around me became shadowed with fear.  I was inside United Airlines World
Headquarters under lockdown surrounded by those who wondered if they knew
someone who was on one of the planes that had become weapons in the sky. 
I remember the heartbreak.
The uncertainty.
The horror.
The fear.
And finally the hope that tomorrow the sun would rise again
and things would get better.
The sun has risen today, but I have only to think back to
that day and I feel the knot in my stomach tighten and tears burn my
throat.  Because today is not like any other
day.  It is a day to remember.  To reflect and to promise those who died that
we will not take their sacrifice for granted.
Today is September 11th and I remember where I
was.  What I felt.  And what I learned.  And I’m glad. 
Some things are not meant to fade or be forgotten.
To commemorate the day, I would like you to tell me where
you were when the planes hit the towers and the world changed.  What do you remember?  What lessons about the people around you did
you learn?  What do you hope we never
forget?

Ten Years

/in /by

Our Justice System

/in /by


America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, ’cause it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say “You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.
Aaron Sorkin, The American President, 1995

The last ten days has made me marvel at the brilliance, strength, and yes, generosity of the American way of government – while at the same time grow angrier at those who abuse it.

Malik Hasan Nidal, the accused gunman in the Fort Hood massacre, demands a lawyer before being interrogated. That is his legal right – and while he (allegedly) had no trouble denying the right “to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to 13 innocent victims, in fact, Nidal hired John Galligan, a well-respected lawyer, a retired army colonel. Mr. Galligan is absolutely correct when he insists that “my goal is to ensure the defendant receives a fair trial.”

Because of course, as angry and frustrated as I am with Nidal’s actions, I know that unless our justice system can handle the very worst of those charged with heinous crimes, then we can’t ensure that anyone, especially the innocent, receives a fair trial.

But boy is it hard to keep that in mind.

And then this week, came the decision to try, in a civilian court, the masterminds of the 9/11 massacre. It is again a reflection of the majesty of our judicial system that the courtroom is but a few blocks from Ground Zero. Buildings may have shattered, but the democratic society of these United States could not be toppled.

That’s not to say that I don’t have horrific fears that Manhattan will again be targeted – but I remind myself that it’s not only physical terror that is at stake here. Mind games and targeted fear-mongering are part and parcel of the terrorist weaponry.

I haven’t made up my mind whether the administration’s rationale for trying the self-confessed mastermind of the 9/11 attack and four co-conspirators in a civilian court is correct, but I am not afraid of affording them the constitutional protections of our system. I’m not worried that our justice system is not up to the task. As President Obama said at Fort Hood, “We are a nation of laws whose commitment to justice is so enduring that we would treat a gunman and give him due process, just as surely as we will see that he pays for his crimes.”

God Bless America.

Evelyn David

Murder Takes the Cake by Evelyn David
Murder Off the Books by Evelyn David
http://www.evelyndavid.com