My sister woke me up just as the first tower had been hit. I came downstairs to watch the television with her. I heated a Burger King meal that I was too tired to eat the night before in the microwave and sat down to watch. By the time I had comfortably sat down the second building had been hit. We both went nuts. Next thing Peter Jennings was telling us that it had been confirmed that one of the towers had collapsed. He went over the airplane events and then showed the first tower collapse. I was still waking up and it all felt like an eerie dream, because outside it was very sunny in a cartoonish way yet the live coverage looked like Armageddon on TV. When the second tower collapsed I collapsed spiritually. I've always felt that the USA was special and I still do, but Tuesday before the towers collapsed, it was a different kind of special. It was something mixed with pride and self-righteousness. I know in my heart that is what these terrorists wanted us to feel, they wanted us to feel ego deflation. The whole time the phone was ringing with a fury I cannot express. Friends and family were calling to find out if my sister was ok. Lucky for her she has been on disability for quite some time. The reason she is lucky is because she's worked for Lehman Brothers for over 15 years and they were located in the American Express building. I believe it is behind tower 2 or something. She has lost some friends that were at one of the towers because Lehman often sent them over as temps. I pray for everyone right now, especially the family of those that lost their life to this horrendous act of evil. Where I stand on all of this: No mercy, take no prisoners and make sure it is brutal enough that this never happens again. However, I don't condone traumatizing Americans that have Mid-Eastern backgrounds. That is cruel and alienating, no American should ever have to feel that way. God willing I will be able to make to NYC for the vigil and prayer that is planned. Somehow that doesn't seem like enough and I can't stand feeling like there is something I should be doing.
posted by Lady Ursula at 3:15 AM