911 Nineteen years later

[muwarrior69]

I was at work. We all knew something was wrong when the internet went out and phone lines went to busy signals. Then word came from our building security that two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center. A co-worker who had just started actually worked on the floor in the north tower where the plane actually hit was pretty shaken. At midday we were sent home and given the rest of the week off. Our local paper had a picture of 60 cars in the parking lot at the Princeton Junction Train Station that did not go home that evening. The devastation was not just in lower Manhattan it reached 50 miles in all directions. I know we here in the New York Metro area will Never Forget.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I remember everything clearly from that day.  I can still recall seeing the dust cloud from my office building in Bridgeport, CT. 
NYC radio transmission was knocked out and cable TV was even disrupted up here in Connecticut because the antennas were atop the WTC.

[brewcity77]

I was on campus between classes, heading towards Johnston Hall. I walked past a guy carrying a boombox on his shoulder, like something out of a 1980s movie, with the news report about the first plane striking the tower. I ran into Johnston and Professor Ken Ksobiech growled at me "get your ass in front of a TV!" I did just a few minutes before the second plane struck.

Oddly, just as visceral is my memory of the 5-year anniversary. I was working at WISN-12 news. After 9/11, the news changed a lot about how they covered disasters. For years, no one showed dead or dying bodies, there was a lot of footage that was no longer shown because of all the PTSD the population as a whole was dealing with from 9/11. It was quite a shock to the system as I went back through all the raw footage to cut our 9/11 packages and saw the things news networks had stopped showing. I never realized how much we sanitized during that time until I saw it all over again.

At Engine 37, we just finished reading the 343 names of the firefighters that fell that day. Always shocking how long that list is. Just nothing else like it.

[Skatastrophy]

I remember when 3,000 dead seemed like a lot. It doesn't really hit that hard anymore.

[panda]

Why doesn’t anyone talk about the DC deaths....DONT ALL LIVES MATTER?!?!

[Hards Alumni]

I was on campus between classes, heading towards Johnston Hall. I walked past a guy carrying a boombox on his shoulder, like something out of a 1980s movie, with the news report about the first plane striking the tower. I ran into Johnston and Professor Ken Ksobiech growled at me "get your ass in front of a TV!" I did just a few minutes before the second plane struck.

Oddly, just as visceral is my memory of the 5-year anniversary. I was working at WISN-12 news. After 9/11, the news changed a lot about how they covered disasters. For years, no one showed dead or dying bodies, there was a lot of footage that was no longer shown because of all the PTSD the population as a whole was dealing with from 9/11. It was quite a shock to the system as I went back through all the raw footage to cut our 9/11 packages and saw the things news networks had stopped showing. I never realized how much we sanitized during that time until I saw it all over again.

At Engine 37, we just finished reading the 343 names of the firefighters that fell that day. Always shocking how long that list is. Just nothing else like it.

I assumed you were much older than me, ha.  I still have very vivid memories of the day.  Sophomore year, headed to Anatomy lecture we heard about it... then our profs didn't teach the lab that followed and we got sent back home.  Watched TV most of the day in my dorm.

[Warriors4ever]

I was in the parking lot for the Skokie courthouse. The regular lot was being reconstructed, so we were parking remotely, basically where the Optima condos and the Illinois Holocaust Museum are now. They closed the courthouse, and streams of people who couldn’t get on one of the shuttle buses were walking all over Old Orchard Rd. I spent the day at a co-worker’s house, went to Lifesource later to give blood, and then stayed there until 10 pm helping them with the lines of people. I was worried about a cousin who worked for the Defense Dept, until I knew she was not at the Pentagon and was ok.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I was in middle school in Minnesota at the time. I got to school and one of my classmates told me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. I remember thinking "wow, what a terrible accident." It wasn't until the second plane hit that I understood what was happening. Prior to that, I don't think I comprehended the depths of evil that people were capable of.

[Uncle Rico]

I would normally have the TV on in the morning before work as I ate breakfast and read the paper.  For some reason, I didn’t have the TV on that morning.  I heard about it listening to Bob and Brian.  Switched the dial to TMJ and tried figuring out how to proceed doing sales that day

[Billy Hoyle]

I was living in Madison. I was eating breakfast when reports of a small private plane hit one of the towers. I left for work, about a 15 minute walk. I got into the office and said to my coworker, Mark,  "did you see a small plane hit the WTC" and with a look of fear on his face said "it was a commercial plane and another just hit." We were one of the few offices with a TV and my buddy asked if he could come down and watch. A former Navy Intelligence Officer, he looked at me and said: "it's Bin Laden." We stepped away from the TV then my Mark yelled "holy crap, the tower is coming down" and we ran into our boss's office. Shortly after a woman my boss was supposed to meet with later that day called to let me know her flight in Pittsburgh was delayed. I told her "we'll reschedule." She said "no, it's just a delay, I'll be there." I asked her if the TV's were on in the airport and she said no, so, being an idiot, I told her what had happened. She started screaming and people behind her started screaming. Oops. We left the office and spend the day at Mark's condo watching the coverage. As I walked home that evening Madison was so quiet and it was an eerie silence.

Also on that day, my wife started her first day at JP Morgan. It was in a Chicago high rise, 30 minutes into training they came in and sent everyone home not telling them any details.

[tower912]

Doing my annual listening to Springsteen's 'The Rising'.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Bruce Springsteen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAMkFVJ-ews

[GooooMarquette]

Why doesn’t anyone talk about the DC deaths....DONT ALL LIVES MATTER?!?!

Yeah...but the Pentagon is in Virginia.

[rocket surgeon]

I remember when 3,000 dead seemed like a lot. It doesn't really hit that hard anymore.

  huh??  so then, no biggie?  try telling that to the family and/or friend of any of those 3,000

[Jockey]

I remember when 3,000 dead seemed like a lot. It doesn't really hit that hard anymore.

Two things.

1) I watched the King of Staten Island last night. Surprisingly good. Semi- autographical story of Pete Davidson from SNL about how losing his firefighter dad in one of the towers screwed up his life.

2) The Trump administration has been quietly pulling money out of a fund for New York City firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses, with nearly $4 million channeled to the federal government, an investigation by Michael McAuliff of The New York Daily News found.

Unconscionable, but utterly unsurprising.

[rocket surgeon]

  "2) The Trump administration has been quietly pulling money out of a fund for New York City firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses, with nearly $4 million channeled to the federal government, an investigation by Michael McAuliff of The New York Daily News found.

Unconscionable, but utterly unsurprising"


  just can't help yourself-get help!

[4everwarriors]

Two things.

1) I watched the King of Staten Island last night. Surprisingly good. Semi- autographical story of Pete Davidson from SNL about how losing his firefighter dad in one of the towers screwed up his life.

2) The Trump administration has been quietly pulling money out of a fund for New York City firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses, with nearly $4 million channeled to the federal government, an investigation by Michael McAuliff of The New York Daily News found.

Unconscionable, but utterly unsurprising.

Dude, are you going to survive a second term? Wouldn't want you to pop a gasket or nosedive 8 stories, hey?

[ZiggysFryBoy]

  "2) The Trump administration has been quietly pulling money out of a fund for New York City firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses, with nearly $4 million channeled to the federal government, an investigation by Michael McAuliff of The New York Daily News found.

Unconscionable, but utterly unsurprising"


  just can't help yourself-get help!

I cant imagine being so obsessed with anyone.  President, celebrity, athlete, etc.  It's just bizarre.

[4everwarriors]

That's right, he's no BO. Instrumental in bringing Israel and Bahrain together. But, we won't go there.

[ATL MU Warrior]

That's right, he's no BO. Instrumental in bringing Israel and Bahrain together. But, we won't go there.

Bahrain?  You couldn’t find it on a map and that’s supposed to be his crowning achievement. Snooze

[Lennys Tap]

I was on campus between classes, heading towards Johnston Hall. I walked past a guy carrying a boombox on his shoulder, like something out of a 1980s movie, with the news report about the first plane striking the tower. I ran into Johnston and Professor Ken Ksobiech growled at me "get your ass in front of a TV!" I did just a few minutes before the second plane struck.

First plane struck the Tower at 7:46:40, second at 8:02:57. You must have been on your way to the dreaded 8:00 class when you first heard. I had an 8am class first semester freshman year. Never again.

[Billy Hoyle]

First plane struck the Tower at 7:46:40, second at 8:02:57. You must have been on your way to the dreaded 8:00 class when you first heard. I had an 8am class first semester freshman year. Never again.

I successfully avoided 8 am classes my entire undergrad career.

[Jockey]

I cant imagine being so obsessed with anyone.  President, celebrity, athlete, etc.  It's just bizarre.

If you cared about 1st responders who are still suffering, you’d be a lot less dismissive and cavalier about this.

[dgies9156]

For me, I was working as a Director in the Financial Analysis Group of Amtrak Intercity in Chicago. The planes hit while I was on the train to the city and I didn't know something had happened until I arrived at Union Station.

That day, as the airlines were grounded, we were flooded with new passengers who never had been on a train before. I was asked to go into the ticketing area at Union Station and help people decide what they needed and direct them to where they could get help. Because I was in a blue pinstripe suit that day, I was flooded with people who wanted to figure out how to solve their transportation problems. Proud of the fact that I had an older couple whose flight to Rochester, MN had been cancelled and he was afraid he would miss a scheduled cancer treatment. I got them on the Empire Builder to LaCrosse, WI and helped them get a rental car to Rochester.

Had a young woman come to me looking for a way back to New York. She was scared and obviously more than a bit distraught. I got her on the Lake Shore Limited to New York and had her in standby for a roomette. Was really happy I could help distraught and very scared people find their way home. Lots of stories like these that I don't even remember anymore, but it was a day in which I was happy to do even a very small part to help people.

[JWags85]

I was a sophomore in HS. Similar to some have mentioned here, I first heard “a small plane hit the WTC”.  I was in my second period class when my English teacher turned on the TV right before the second plane hit. I will never forget the stunned silence and uneasiness. Just a complete mixture of emotions you couldn’t pinpoint.  There were kids buzzing with a weird excitement in anticipation of the towers falling, which was really disturbing, but I chalk it up to having no idea what to think or feel.

Also on that day, my wife started her first day at JP Morgan. It was in a Chicago high rise, 30 minutes into training they came in and sent everyone home not telling them any details.

I used to bartend at MCC. One of the member’s sons went to the same undergrad (albeit a decade early) and we became friendly.  He worked for a financial firm in the Sears Tower shortly after 9/11.  He told me a story how the following spring, a plane departing from ORD lost radar contact briefly. It came across their Bloomberg terminals. His coworker across the room immediately leapt up from his desk and sprinted down 80 flights of stairs and doubled over outside panting and dry heaving...before getting a call letting him know it was just a temporary malfunction and all is well.   Needless to say, anxiety was elevated if you worked in a notable building for quite some time.

[Jables1604]

On the actual day of the attacks I was in Disneyworld. They opened up the parks but a short time later decided to evacuate. There were rumors that “The Happiest Place on Earth” was a target. Everyone was walking out in stunned silence. It was surreal. There was nothing to do but go back to the hotel room and watch the reports on tv.

Living so close to Manhattan it was hard not to be absolutely consumed in the days, weeks and months after that day. Stories of both the heroism and tragedy dominated the news and almost every conversation.

A couple of elementary school classmates died but I was largely personally un-effected by the tragedy in terms of death.

Even though I was 33 on 9/11, I always felt that my last bit of naive innocence was lost that day. It was the first tragedy of that magnitude that I had ever had to deal with as an “adult.” I realized that day that true evil really existed in the world and despite living in my sheltered, suburban existence I couldn’t escape it.

I will say that as strange as this sounds I have two beautiful memories from the aftermath of the attacks. The first was seeing how Americans dropped their differences and took a “you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us mentality.” I would like to hope that the same thing would happen today.

The second memory is from 10 days after the attacks when professional sports resumed in New York. The Mets were playing the Braves. In the bottom of the 8th, Mike Piazza hits a go-ahead home run. I’m watching in my den. As he’s rounding the bases I start sobbing. Shea Stadium is going absolutely nuts. As odd as this sounds there was something in that moment that told me we were going to be okay.

Two nights ago I went to see Pete Davidson do stand-up comedy on a farm in Connecticut. His dad was a firefighter who died in 9/11. He made a joke about only be 26 years old. Realized he was 7 when his dad was killed. Hard not to see/listen to Pete’s routine and realize how significantly it changed the course of his life and his mental health.

[Jables1604]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mlb.com/amp/news/piazza-s-post-9-11-homer-15-years-ago-today-c202490950.html

[tower912]

I like people who didn't rush into the towers when others were rushing out.   I don't support people who spend days or weeks on the pile searching for remnants of their brothers in arms.   I don't understand.    What was in it for them?   Losers.   Suckers.   Underachievers.

[Goose]

Jables

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. A lot of what you were/are feeling hits home with me. No doubt that day changed my life forever. I still struggle to handle my emotions regarding 9/11 to this day and the anniversary always brings out a ton of emotions for me. Again, I enjoyed reading your post.

[brewcity77]

First plane struck the Tower at 7:46:40, second at 8:02:57. You must have been on your way to the dreaded 8:00 class when you first heard. I had an 8am class first semester freshman year. Never again.

Must be correct, and that timing would've been pretty much exactly right. The Fall 2001 semester was my first at Marquette after transferring from UW-Waukesha. I registered in summer, so I didn't have the greatest selection of class time slots that first year.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I will say that as strange as this sounds I have two beautiful memories from the aftermath of the attacks. The first was seeing how Americans dropped their differences and took a “you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us mentality.” I would like to hope that the same thing would happen today.

I'll be honest, 9/11 had the opposite impact for me. I grew up pretty sheltered and had never really seen racism before. My neighborhood was lily white but there were a few Middle Eastern restaurants around. I remember one was Iranian another was Pakistani. There was a third but I don't remember what specific cuisine it was. Almost every day I went to school there would be different slurs and epitaphs grafattied on them, windows were often smashed. All of them went out of their way to cover their windows in American flags, put out signs about supporting the troops, but it didn't matter. All of them went out of business within two years. I had a friend whose family was originally from one of the Caucasus countries, I can't remember which one. They had been Americans for generations and were Christian but one time we were out some a$$hole walking by called him a sand n-word and kept walking. I said earlier in the thread that 9/11 was the first time I realized the depths of evil there are in the world. The aftermath was the first time I realized how much hate many people carry in their hearts for "the other."

[rocket surgeon]

a patient of mine was a pilot for united flying only international.  on 9-11, he was flying a 747 from canada to dallas.  he got word to take her down immediately to the closest airport he could which turned out to be kansas city.  remember, there were only curtains separating the flight crew from the passengers.  all they knew was some "incidents" were occurring and told the passengers that due to some unexplained occurrences they were landing in KC for everyone's safety.  he knew something really wasn't right as he became surrounded by 2 airforce f-16's for an escort safely to the tarmac.  some think, he could have been "plan B" for the white house.  they had an airforce escort down to the ground

   there were 3 middle eastern men sitting in the first few rows who immediately began to cheer and celebrate.  they were immediately met by secret service while still on the tarmac who rushed onto the plane and escorted those 3 off.  he never did hear exactly what became of those 3 guys, but he did assume, after more came out, that he very well could have been another option in the evil minds of those who carried out those attacks on us.    he and his plane very well could have been spared of what became of the other 4 planes and their passengers. 

[rocket surgeon]

I'll be honest, 9/11 had the opposite impact for me. I grew up pretty sheltered and had never really seen racism before. My neighborhood was lily white but there were a few Middle Eastern restaurants around. I remember one was Iranian another was Pakistani. There was a third but I don't remember what specific cuisine it was. Almost every day I went to school there would be different slurs and epitaphs grafattied on them, windows were often smashed. All of them went out of their way to cover their windows in American flags, put out signs about supporting the troops, but it didn't matter. All of them went out of business within two years. I had a friend whose family was originally from one of the Caucasus countries, I can't remember which one. They had been Americans for generations and were Christian but one time we were out some a$$hole walking by called him a sand n-word and kept walking. I said earlier in the thread that 9/11 was the first time I realized the depths of evil there are in the world. The aftermath was the first time I realized how much hate many people carry in their hearts for "the other."

  "the aftermath" is the "first time" you realized how much hate many people carry in their hearts for "the other" "??

  how much after?  please tell me you realized at least some disappointment and/or fear and emotion as those planes were flying innocent people into buildings(or the ground) killing many more innocent people.  unfortunately, some of our american people took out heir rage indiscriminately.  of course we all heard about those, but if you looked hard enough, i'm sure there were many stories of the opposite as well. 

  when i was in dental school, we had a fellow student from iran whom everyone treated like one of us.  he is a good friend of mine today and has often helped me out in a crunch.  understand, he was here as the iranian hostage crisis was ending.  a few years later, i hired middle eastern looking dentist who grew up here, was coptic christian and was accepted very well by all of those in my small, conservative town. 

obviously 9-11 was a very traumatic incident. as a country,the emotions were off the chart. we had to go through the shock, fear, anger and acceptance and healing.  it brought out the best and the worst of many people. 

[Warriors4ever]

In the aftermath, there was an interfaith walk sponsored by one of the local organizations and Rep Jan Schakowsky in west Rogers Park that began in Devon, I walked over to join. It was a little weird feeling because as a white Christian I was in the minority. It was advertised as ending at a certain community center, but it actually split in two at a certain point because one group wanted to end at their own center ( I have always remembered it as an Indian/Pakistani thing but could have not understood correctly), which I thought was a bit ironic. I went to the one which was on my way home.

[Hards Alumni]

  "the aftermath" is the "first time" you realized how much hate many people carry in their hearts for "the other" "??

  how much after?  please tell me you realized at least some disappointment and/or fear and emotion as those planes were flying innocent people into buildings(or the ground) killing many more innocent people.  unfortunately, some of our american people took out heir rage indiscriminately.  of course we all heard about those, but if you looked hard enough, i'm sure there were many stories of the opposite as well. 

  when i was in dental school, we had a fellow student from iran whom everyone treated like one of us.  he is a good friend of mine today and has often helped me out in a crunch.  understand, he was here as the iranian hostage crisis was ending.  a few years later, i hired middle eastern looking dentist who grew up here, was coptic christian and was accepted very well by all of those in my small, conservative town. 

obviously 9-11 was a very traumatic incident. as a country,the emotions were off the chart. we had to go through the shock, fear, anger and acceptance and healing.  it brought out the best and the worst of many people.

I know you've been spoon fed that Al-Qaeda hates the "American way of life", and you've bought it, so I'll give it a pass.  What he is saying is that while what happened was extremely tragic, many of our countrymen responded with hatred instead of love. 

TAMU is much younger than you are (he said he was middle school aged when this happened), and his world experience from his childhood is much different from anyone here is much older (you).  He was taught (like myself) that America was always the good guys.  And then he saw that maybe we weren't.  That is his experience... and it was mine as well.

[brewcity77]

  "the aftermath" is the "first time" you realized how much hate many people carry in their hearts for "the other" "??

  how much after?  please tell me you realized at least some disappointment and/or fear and emotion as those planes were flying innocent people into buildings(or the ground) killing many more innocent people.  unfortunately, some of our american people took out heir rage indiscriminately.  of course we all heard about those, but if you looked hard enough, i'm sure there were many stories of the opposite as well. 

  when i was in dental school, we had a fellow student from iran whom everyone treated like one of us.  he is a good friend of mine today and has often helped me out in a crunch.  understand, he was here as the iranian hostage crisis was ending.  a few years later, i hired middle eastern looking dentist who grew up here, was coptic christian and was accepted very well by all of those in my small, conservative town. 

obviously 9-11 was a very traumatic incident. as a country,the emotions were off the chart. we had to go through the shock, fear, anger and acceptance and healing.  it brought out the best and the worst of many people.

Are you seriously trying to justify racism and businesses being forced to close because you had an Iranian friend? 

[Jables1604]

My bad.

I didn’t mean to take the conversation in the direct of race relations in the aftermath of 9/11.

As a peace offering I am posting the following clip of one of my favorite stand up comedians who tells his own 9/11 story.

First off, HE’S A COMEDIAN. If you are offended by strong language DO NOT WATCH. Secondly, 9/11 serves only as a set-up to the story he tells about his mother and father.

This was last year. On 9/11. I happened to be at the Comedy Cellar that night. I can tell you that this provided a great deal of levity on what was an extremely solemn day.

Again, if you are sensitive or easily offended please, I beg of you, do not open the link.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LM0V_m3N7I0

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

My bad.

I didn’t mean to take the conversation in the direct of race relations in the aftermath of 9/11.

As a peace offering I am posting the following clip of one of my favorite stand up comedians who tells his own 9/11 story.

First off, HE’S A COMEDIAN. If you are offended by strong language DO NOT WATCH. Secondly, 9/11 serves only as a set-up to the story he tells about his mother and father.

This was last year. On 9/11. I happened to be at the Comedy Cellar that night. I can tell you that this provided a great deal of levity on what was an extremely solemn day.

Again, if you are sensitive or easily offended please, I beg of you, do not open the link.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LM0V_m3N7I0

Jables, no "my bad" necessary. I also saw the sense of unity and pride that you mentioned in your original post. It was definitely there and was a site to see. I was just trying to add a different view to the conversation. 9/11 was a very jarring event to my world view (as I'm sure it was for everyone). I was only 12 at the time. It was the first national disaster that I truly comprehended. It was the first time I realized that America wasn't internationally loved by all and the first time I understood the levels of evil some were willing to stoop to. The aftermath was also my first experience of racism. I'm sure it happened around me before but at 12 years old it had never registered with me. I would have learned eventually but 9/11 accelerated the growing process for me and I'm sure many other teens and pre-teens.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

a "the aftermath" is the "first time" you realized how much hate many people carry in their hearts for "the other" "??

Yes. I was 12 and grew up very sheltered. I knew what racism was, but I had never registered it happening in front of me before.

  when i was in dental school, we had a fellow student from iran whom everyone treated like one of us.  he is a good friend of mine today and has often helped me out in a crunch.  understand, he was here as the iranian hostage crisis was ending.  a few years later, i hired middle eastern looking dentist who grew up here, was coptic christian and was accepted very well by all of those in my small, conservative town. 

Rocket, my post was not about you. I don't know why you having an Iranian friend and hiring a middle eastern looking dentist is relevant to my post.

obviously 9-11 was a very traumatic incident. as a country,the emotions were off the chart. we had to go through the shock, fear, anger and acceptance and healing.  it brought out the best and the worst of many people. 

Yep. Only point I was trying to make.

[wadesworld]

  "the aftermath" is the "first time" you realized how much hate many people carry in their hearts for "the other" "??

  how much after?  please tell me you realized at least some disappointment and/or fear and emotion as those planes were flying innocent people into buildings(or the ground) killing many more innocent people.  unfortunately, some of our american people took out heir rage indiscriminately.  of course we all heard about those, but if you looked hard enough, i'm sure there were many stories of the opposite as well. 

  when i was in dental school, we had a fellow student from iran whom everyone treated like one of us.  he is a good friend of mine today and has often helped me out in a crunch.  understand, he was here as the iranian hostage crisis was ending.  a few years later, i hired middle eastern looking dentist who grew up here, was coptic christian and was accepted very well by all of those in my small, conservative town. 

obviously 9-11 was a very traumatic incident. as a country,the emotions were off the chart. we had to go through the shock, fear, anger and acceptance and healing.  it brought out the best and the worst of many people.

Why are you taking his post as a personal attack on you? Unless you were someone who was out there yelling racial slurs or breaking windows of businesses, what’s the point of your post?

People were angry. Rightfully so. There are ways to channel anger in ways that aren’t taking it out on people because they have the same skin color as people that hijacked airplanes.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I gotta admit “I hired a middle eastern looking dentist who grew up here,” made me laugh at least.

[muwarrior69]

I know you've been spoon fed that Al-Qaeda hates the "American way of life", and you've bought it, so I'll give it a pass.  What he is saying is that while what happened was extremely tragic, many of our countrymen responded with hatred instead of love. 

TAMU is much younger than you are (he said he was middle school aged when this happened), and his world experience from his childhood is much different from anyone here is much older (you).  He was taught (like myself) that America was always the good guys.  And then he saw that maybe we weren't.  That is his experience... and it was mine as well.

I don't know what school you went to but I was never taught that America was always the good guys. Its in our preamble to the Constitution that we the self governed are tasked with forming a more perfect union with the understanding that we mortals are not so perfect. Our jurisprudence is set up in such a way that it is better to allow a 1000 criminals walk than convict one innocent citizen though we come up short on that as well. I was taught that the idea of America is good, but we always don't live up to that idea.

[dgies9156]

Reading these stories reminded me of one of the best 9/11 stories I heard. A former colleague and friend of mine is from Pakistan and lived in Europe and Saudi Arabia for years. He had emigrated to the United States in the early 1990s and was in Chicago on 9/11. He was and is a devout Muslim with whom I have had many, many really wonderful religious discussions.

On September 14, 2001, he was going to prayers at his Mosque on a Friday noontime. Obviously, there was considerable animosity in the air and there were protestors at the Mosque when he arrived for his prayers. The Chicago Police arrived and my friend asked, "why are you here?"

The Police Officer's answer: "To protect you. You have rights too!"

My friend's only comment: "This is what America is about. This is what our country's greatness really is."

[Pakuni]

Reading these stories reminded me of one of the best 9/11 stories I heard. A former colleague and friend of mine is from Pakistan and lived in Europe and Saudi Arabia for years. He had emigrated to the United States in the early 1990s and was in Chicago on 9/11. He was and is a devout Muslim with whom I have had many, many really wonderful religious discussions.

On September 14, 2001, he was going to prayers at his Mosque on a Friday noontime. Obviously, there was considerable animosity in the air and there were protestors at the Mosque when he arrived for his prayers. The Chicago Police arrived and my friend asked, "why are you here?"

The Police Officer's answer: "To protect you. You have rights too!"

My friend's only comment: "This is what America is about. This is what our country's greatness really is."

I'm sure it's all perspective, and no knock on your friend or his sentiment, but that story horrifies me a bit.
That people would need police protection simply to attend their weekly prayers is not all that great.

[rocket surgeon]

  "Yes. I was 12 and grew up very sheltered. I knew what racism was, but I had never registered it happening in front of me before."

  tamu-my apologies!  your quote above makes more sense to me and i respect your position given that clarification.  what i heard in your first comment was that we are a racist country.  i believe we are a great country with some very bad, racist people.  i could not imagine someone so racist to the point of attacking another because of it, yet i know it happens.  i am sure everyone on this board would agree 110% that behavior and all other even closely resembling it is flat out wrong!  your experiences at that young age had to be pretty harsh- sorry for the misunderstanding

 my aside was just that, an aside.     

[Billy Hoyle]

Reading these stories reminded me of one of the best 9/11 stories I heard. A former colleague and friend of mine is from Pakistan and lived in Europe and Saudi Arabia for years. He had emigrated to the United States in the early 1990s and was in Chicago on 9/11. He was and is a devout Muslim with whom I have had many, many really wonderful religious discussions.

On September 14, 2001, he was going to prayers at his Mosque on a Friday noontime. Obviously, there was considerable animosity in the air and there were protestors at the Mosque when he arrived for his prayers. The Chicago Police arrived and my friend asked, "why are you here?"

The Police Officer's answer: "To protect you. You have rights too!"

My friend's only comment: "This is what America is about. This is what our country's greatness really is."

On the flip side, I had a great barber in Madison: Khalid, a grad student at UW. I tipped well so he’d always move me to the front of the line no meter how many were there. I went in to get my haircut in October 2001 and he wasn’t there. I asked one if the guys there where he was and he told me people been harassing Khalid and then FBI came into the shop to question him because he was a grad student and a Muslim. He went home because of the harassment. The unity lasted for what, a week?

[jesmu84]

#neverforgetbutonlywhenitispoliticallyadvantageous