Strong statement about 911

[LordMagicMan]

DO NOT FORGET

I sat in a movie theater watching "Schindler's List," asked myself,
"Why didn't the Jews fight back?"

Now I know why.

I sat in a movie theater, watching "Pearl Harbor" and asked myself, "Why weren't we prepared?"

Now I know why.

Civilized people cannot fathom, much less predict, the actions of
evil people.

On September 11, dozens of capable airplane passengers allowed themselves to be overpowered by a handful of poorly armed terrorists because they did not comprehend the depth of hatred that motivated their captors.

On September 11, thousands of innocent people were murdered because too many Americans naively reject the reality that some nations are dedicated to the dominance of others. Many political pundits, pacifists and media personnel want us to forget the carnage. They say we must focus on the bravery of the rescuers and ignore the cowardice of the killers. They implore us to understand the motivation of the perpetrators. Major television stations have announced they will assist the healing process by not replaying devastating footage of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers.

I will not be manipulated.

I will not pretend to understand.

I will not forget.

I will not forget the liberal media who abused freedom of the press to kick our country when it was vulnerable and hurting.

I will not forget that CBS anchor Dan Rather preceded President
Bush's address to the nation with the snide remark, "No matter how you feel about him, he is still our president."

I will not forget that ABC TV anchor Peter Jennings questioned
President Bush's motives for not returning immediately to Washington, DC and commented, "We're all pretty skeptical and cynical about Washington."

And I will not forget that ABC's Mark Halperin warned if reporters
weren't informed of every little detail of this war, they aren't "likely -- nor should they be expected -- to show deference."

I will not isolate myself from my fellow Americans by pretending an
attack on the USS Cole in Yemen was not an attack on the United States of America.

I will not forget the Clinton administration equipped Islamic
terrorists and their supporters with the world's most sophisticated telecommunications equipment and encryption technology, thereby compromising America's ability to trace terrorist radio, cell phone,land lines, faxes and modem communications.

I will not be appeased with pointless, quick retaliatory strikes like
those perfected by the previous administration.

I will not be comforted by "feel-good, do nothing" regulations like
the silly "Have your bags been under your control?" question at the airport. I will not be influenced by so called,"antiwar demonstrators" who exploit the right of expression to chant anti-American obscenities.

I will not forget the moral victory handed the North Vietnamese by
American war protesters who reviled and spat upon the returning soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines.

I will not be softened by the wishful thinking of pacifists who chose reassurance over reality.

I will embrace the wise words of Prime Minister Tony Blair who told Labor Party conference, "They have no moral inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent. If they could have murdered not 7,000 but 70,000, does anyone doubt they would have done so and rejoiced in it?

There is no compromise possible with such people, no meeting of
minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just a choice:
defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must!"

I will force myself to:
-hear the weeping
-feel the helplessness
-imagine the terror
-sense the panic
-smell the burning flesh
-experience the loss
-remember the hatred.

I sat in a movie theater, watching "Private Ryan" and asked myself, "Where did they find the courage?"

Now I know.

We have no choice. Living without liberty is not living.

-- Ed Evans, MGySgt., USMC (Ret.)
Not as lean, Not as mean, But still a Marine.


*borrowed from the 'sister' board*

 

[Never]

Despite the fact that I found most of that post to be bullshit I was actually moved – until I realized it was a copy and paste job.

 

[Coolville]

blah blah blah

go here: valium.com

 

[Never]

Oh, I knew about the different colored tablets but I didn't know about the injections.

 

[takingchances42]

Despite the fact that I found most of that post to be bullshit I was actually moved – until I realized it was a copy and paste job.

Factually... where was the bullshit?

Or does "bullshit" mean that you just don't like the facts, so they become "blah, blah, blah"?

 

[Never]

I think that the BS would be:
I will not forget the liberal media who abused freedom of the press to kick our country when it was vulnerable and hurting.

Or

On September 11, thousands of innocent people were murdered because too many Americans naively reject the reality that some nations are dedicated to the dominance of others. Many political pundits, pacifists and media personnel want us to forget the carnage. They say we must focus on the bravery of the rescuers and ignore the cowardice of the killers. They implore us to understand the motivation of the perpetrators. Major television stations have announced they will assist the healing process by not replaying devastating footage of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers.

Now those sound like opinions to me but I guess if you say they’re *facts* then they must be.

 

[Coolville]

blah blah blah comes from having heard enough rhetoric.
Robert Altman, the veteren director, said at a press conference at the Berlin Film Festival this year, "It's great to be here. It's great to be away from the States. I'm sick of seeing all those flags everywhere."

So I guess i'm not the only one.

do something useful. like feeding your poor or educating your children or fighting the white supremacists in your own backyard. blah blah blah.

 

[brokenbrainwave]

I cant believe I am actually defending the media, but yes, thats pretty much bullshit.

Dan Rather was moved to tears on air. Peter Jennings was choked up on more than one occasion. Tom Brokaw talked about wanting to simply call his children. Fox, and MSNBC did a masterful job of highliting the tragedy yet allowing the viewers to see the hope and heroics. CNN, who knows what they said, I dont watch them, but I am sure that even a Ted Turner ran outfit showed sympathy.

 

[weed]

It's good to face reality but one shouldn't be incited to fruitless action because of anger.

Does resorting to violence defeat or signify defeat?

 

[SINthysist]

Does turning the other cheek embolden madmen?

 

[peachykeen]

This all just doesn't seem very productive to me. I mean fine, feel how you feel, but so what? Sorry if that sounds cold, I don't mean to be, but I don't see what the point is.

 

[SINthysist]

What's the topic around the water cooler. Somethig to discuss, to work out our own feelings, bounce ideas off the other side to see if they schtick...

 

[JerseyBoy]

I will force myself to:
-hear the weeping
-feel the helplessness
-imagine the terror
-sense the panic
-smell the burning flesh
-experience the loss
-remember the hatred.

I don't think there are many of us who don't have to force ourselves to do any, if not all, of these on a daily basis already...

 

[Sandia]

I feel sympathy for a lot of people.

I feel sympathy for the dogs that get run over on the highway.

I feel sympathy for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine.

I feel sympathy for a woman here in Austin who had burns over ninety percent of her body after a car wreck.

I don't understand why the victims of 9/11 have a monopoly on suffering. Or on sympathy.

9/11 was a criminal act. Not a holocaust. Nor an act of war.

It's not a justification for lashing out blindly at anyone Bush doesn't like.

Or of repealing my civil rights.

 

[brokenbrainwave]

I feel sympathy for a lot of people.

I feel sympathy for the dogs that get run over on the highway.

I feel sympathy for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine.

I feel sympathy for a woman here in Austin who had burns over ninety percent of her body after a car wreck.

I don't understand why the victims of 9/11 have a monopoly on suffering. Or on sympathy.

9/11 was a criminal act. Not a holocaust. Nor an act of war.

It's not a justification for lashing out blindly at anyone Bush doesn't like.

Or of repealing my civil rights.

it seems you read my mind....

 

[Pagliacci]

I will force myself to:
-hear the weeping
-feel the helplessness
-imagine the terror
-sense the panic
-smell the burning flesh
-experience the loss
-remember the hatred.

Isn't this what terrorists as well as soldiers all over the world have done in order to psyche themselves up to take action. Usually against foes that others have pointed out for them,no matter if the foes are real or not.

Thread carefully or you become that which you loathe most.

 

[takingchances42]

Now those sound like opinions to me but I guess if you say they’re *facts* then they must be.

I simply asked you a question. The post was obviously a blend of facts, and opinions about those facts. You said you were 'moved' by parts of the post, which I assumed meant in regard to the phrasing and interpretation within it. Yet, you also said it was bullshit, and I wanted to know why. Thanks for answering.

 

[weed]

Does turning the other cheek embolden madmen?

No, it diminishes the satisfaction they get from their actions.

Reacting to them at their level gives them further reason to act out again.

We don't need to show them cheeks....we need to use our brains in the middle.

 

[takingchances42]

No, it diminishes the satisfaction they get from their actions.

Reacting to them at their level gives them further reason to act out again.

We don't need to show them cheeks....we need to use our brains in the middle.

Let's say someone hates you and is trying to shoot you with a gun. They've already shot you in the foot. They are reloading to try to shoot again. They really don't give a damn what you say, or what your value system is -- in fact, your value system is part of what they despise about you.

How do you keep them from shooting you again, without shooting them first or otherwise overpowering them with physical force? Given there are no policemen, and the neighbors would rather not get involved?

I think the metaphor is an appropriate one. How do we use our brains in the middle?

 

[takingchances42]

blah blah blah comes from having heard enough rhetoric.
Robert Altman, the veteren director, said at a press conference at the Berlin Film Festival this year, "It's great to be here. It's great to be away from the States. I'm sick of seeing all those flags everywhere."

So I guess i'm not the only one.

do something useful. like feeding your poor or educating your children or fighting the white supremacists in your own backyard. blah blah blah.

You are so right. Three thousand people dying less than a year ago in the largest terrorist attack in US history is... so yesterday. So boring. So mundane and middle class. Please get on with your exciting life on the edge... didn't mean to make you yawn.

 

[Problem Child]

You are so right. Three thousand people dying less than a year ago in the largest terrorist attack in US history is... so yesterday. So boring. So mundane and middle class. Please get on with your exciting life on the edge... didn't mean to make you yawn.

Thanks TC42, that's pretty much what I was going to say, except you for got to call him a giant quivering asshole.

 

[sch00lteacher]

I can't fucking believe this shit.

I just can't.

 

[sunstruck]

"I will not be influenced by so called,"antiwar demonstrators" who exploit the right of expression to chant anti-American obscenities".

Welcome to America. This is what we're all about. If you don't like something, anything, you get to say it, out loud, in public even, and no one can stop you.

To try and stop, or beat down a person's right to peacably gather in protest is FAR more anit-America than burning a flag or holding a sign. One is moving against a government action, the other, against the freedoms this nation was founded on.

 

[takingchances42]

Robert Altman, the veteren director, said at a press conference at the Berlin Film Festival this year, "It's great to be here. It's great to be away from the States. I'm sick of seeing all those flags everywhere."

I had already signed off to get to work, but kept thinking about something, and wanted to come back and say it.

Does the irony in someone flying to Berlin to make a speech about how they were sick of seeing all the American flags at home, bother anyone else?

Of course, if he is a veteran director, I guess it must be all right...

 

[peachykeen]

TC it's not that it's "boring" and "yesterday", it's just that it's all so meaningless unless people actually take direct action in their everyday lives to improve themselves and their communities (including the world community), not just wave some flags (that were probably made in China) and write a bunch of poncy maudlin platitudes.