Terrorism.......

[Gerry]

To all my American friends

I awoke this morning to be confronted by the most chilling pictures and events I have ever witnessed outside of a movie theatre. It was like watching a real life Die Hard movie.

As I sat there speechless in front of the TV seeing the horror of the events of yesterday unfold, a cold chill came over me and I just started to cry. As a civil engineer who has been up to the top of the World Trade Center, I can appreciate first hand the enormity of seeing what happened.

The world is outraged at what has happened. It is by far the worst and most horrific pre-meditated event of terrorism that has ever occured in my lieftime.

This event will change all our lives forever. The world is getting smaller and something like this will have horrendous repercussions all over the world.

I pass on my prayers and well wishes to all my valvereplacement friends and hope that none of your friends or relatives were caught up in this terrible event. Let us all pray that the perpetrators are brought to justice as quickly as possible.

Everybody here in Australia is in shock - this IS a big deal!!!

My thoughts are with you all.

Gerry

 

[Nancy]

My son-in-law was on his way to NYC at the time the attack took place, from their home in Bellerose. My daughter got ahold of him on his cell phone, but he thought he would be OK and continued into the city. Shortly after, he turned around and left, good thing he didn't wait, he got out just before they closed all the bridges and tunnels. He and his passenger picked up a couple of fellows who were walking out of Manhattan on the bridge and took them out also. Very disturbing and scary.

We need more money for military and intelligence, or we'll always be targets. Our guard was down like never before. It's hard to believe how unprotected we actually are, when an enemy composed of small cells in a loose-knit but highly sophisticated structure can target us to that extent. Where was all that airport security, that was the main breach? If that hadn't happened, none of this would have happened.

I don't think any religion is to blame, it is the perversions of these ideologies by politically crazed, hate-filled, psychotic individuals, using piety as a subterfuge that bring about such horrific actions.

God keep our wonderful country safe and help our elected officials realize the dangers.

 

[Bob Gleason]

Nancy

Nancy

You are so right with your comments that no religion is to blame. These fanatics hide behind their religion.

See my comments on Janie's thread about terrorism.

 

[ajones]

Bob and others -

I echo your thoughts and can appreciate what everyone is feeling. From my office we look out on the skyline of NYC and on a clear day you feel that you can touch the buildings. Yesterday was a very clear day. We were watching as the second plane hit the second building - seeing the fire ball but not realizing what it was at first. We stood here watching those buildings burn for most of the day. It is surreal to now look at that skyline and not see those towers. To think that I once considered working on the 103rd floor of one of the towers.

Our staff is relatively lucky. Of our 150 employees I only know of one who hasn't heard from her son-in-law. And, probably won't - he worked on the 93rd floor. But Bob, I can also empathize with your thoughts about your son. I totally forgot about it until my brother called me from Phoenix but my son also worked in NYC until a few months ago. My brother couldn't remember if he still did.

I could ramble on, that is the kind of shock we all feel here. My prayers also go out to all those who are waiting to hear and those who already have.

 

[Jean]

THANK YOU

THANK YOU

To our friends overseas,

Thank you for your support. I came home from work yesterday to open emails from so many of Bill and my friends from around the globe...Germany, England, Australia. It helps to know that we are not alone and that others will stand with us if needed. I even had emails from Arab friends in Dearborn, MI. This too shall pass, and we will live, even succeed, through this.

 

[Cindy]

Hello dear friends

Hello dear friends

Hello to all my dear friends here,
I thought of you all day yesterday... praying that none would be personally touched by loss of loved ones in this tragedy. We are being released from the Cleveland Clinic today but we don't know when we can get back to Atlanta. With airlines down and all rental cars gone..... But we are happy to be here. We will wait patiently for things to settle down.
I have made a dear friend here from Egypt - he is a Coptic Priest and he is heartbroken over what has happened. His brother just had surgery here. Many middle eastern people work here and come here for treatment. They certainly have expressed outrage at the terrorists.
We are in prayer for our President and our Nation.
Love to you all!!! Cindy

 

[JBriau]

My thoughts and prayers are with my American neighbors
I know what the impact of the terrorism in New York is
having on Canada. I can't even begin to imagine
the impact it is having with you. One passenger on the
plane which hit the world trade center Ace Baily was born
and raised in my hometown here in Canada.
Stand tall and proud. The US will not be alone
when it comes to punishing the people responsible for
this terrible act.

May God Be With You!

JBriau

 

[sylviayasgur]

What a hhorrible few days it has been here.....Joey and I were in NYC for pre-op on Tuesday when the planes hit the WTC. Needless to say, we saw a lot of it and there were no doctors available to do any testing. All were in the emergency room tending to the casualties being brought in. We saw some of these. Surgery was postponed until next week and we were fine with it after seeing what we had that day. It took us about 6 hours to get out of the city, but we got home and hugged our kids.

Many of the schools in our area (half hour from the city)had early dismissal. Many of the kids, according to my daughter, cried.
I know many of our community members worked there. My daughter has an aquaintance whose father called her mother after the building was on fire and said that he was on the 100th floor and didn't think he would make it.

Another friend's dad owns a company in the WTC and took the morning off to meet with his son's teacher to discuss a problem in school. All his employees have been missing.

"Pauline's mom missed her train", "Elinor's dad decided to drive her to school today instead of having the sitter do it"_ these are my daughter's friends whose parents were spared. Too close to home....

My daughters have taken notice of which kids haven't been in school since the incident.

I cry thinking about the losses and the families. Kind of puts things in perspective.

Bob, and everyone, I am so glad you are all OK.
I agree that this is not about religion. It is about the USA.

Cindy, hope all went well and you make it back soon. Bob, hope you get back safely. Everyone else, be well.

-Sylvia

 

[Tammy]

Sylvia and all -
It is such a tragedy. I will pray for your children Sylvia as well as everyone, this hit so very close to home for them.
I can't even imagine what it must be like for all of you that are so close. I am in Ga. and the devastation is heart wrenching just to see on TV much less up close. There are not words to express this level of shock and sadness.

God Bless.

Tammy

 

[cookie]

touching

touching

This says it all. So very sad.

 

[cookie]

Amen!

Amen!

This was written some time ago in a Canadian newspaper. Seems most appropriate today!

America: The Good Neighbor.

Widespread but only partial news coverage was
given recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast
from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian
television commentator. What follows is the full text of his
trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional Record:

"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for
the Americans as the most generous and possibly
the least appreciated people on all the earth.

Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain
and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by
the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and
forgave other billions in debts. None of these
countries is today paying even the interest on
its remaining debts to the United States.

When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956,
it was the Americans who propped it up, and
their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the
streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.

When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the
United States that hurries in to help. This spring,
59 American communities were flattened by
tornadoes. Nobody helped.

The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped
billions of dollars into discouraged countries.
Now newspapers in those countries are writing
about the decadent, warmongering Americans.

I'd like to see just one of those countries that
is gloating over the erosion of the United States
dollar build its own airplane. Does any other
country in the world have a plane to equal the
Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or
the Douglas DC10? If so, why don't they fly
them? Why do all the International lines except
Russia fly American Planes?

Why does no other land on earth even consider
putting a man or woman on the moon? You talk
about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios.
You talk about German technocracy, and you get
automobiles. You talk about American
technocracy, and you find men on the moon - not once, but
several times - and safely home again.

You talk about scandals, and the Americans put
theirs right in the store window for everybody to
look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and
hounded. They are here on our streets, and most
of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are
getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend
here.

When the railways of France, Germany and India
were breaking down through age, it was the Americans
who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and
the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them
an old caboose. Both are still broke.

I can name you 5000 times when the Americans
raced to the help of other people in trouble.
Can you name me even one time when someone else
raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was
outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one
Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them
get kicked around. They will come out of this
thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are
entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are
gloating over their present troubles. I hope
Canada is not one of those."

"Stand proud, America!"

This is one of the best editorials that I have
ever read regarding the United States. It is nice
that one man realizes it. I only wish that the
rest of the world would realize it. We are always
blamed for everything, and never even get a thank
you for the things we do.

I would hope that each of you would send this to
as many people as you can and emphasize that they
should send it to as many of their friends until this
letter is sent to every person on the web. I am just a
single American that has read this.

Bill Gelberg

 

[sylviayasgur]

cookie,
that was incredible! thank you for sharing with us.
be well,
-sylvia

 

[NancyMVP]

Hi everyone, I just thought I'd drop in. I haven't been around since my condition is good but I'd like to say I hope everyone and their families are OK.
I actually live about 8 miles from the World Trade Center.
My brother is a NYCity fireman, lucky for us he was off duty at the time. He has many close friends(fellow firefighters) missing in the disaster. I also live in a neighborhood where many fireman/policeman live one of my neighbors young fireman son is also missing. My older son went into the wall street area with a friend the day before the incident. I'm thankful he is safe and sound.
The children haven't even had a full week of school. My 11 year old son wanted to know if we were going to die. I tried my best to reasure him that everything was going to be ok. God only knows.

Hope everyone had a good summer otherwise. I fractured my wrist and will be getting the cast off this week on Thursday.

I'm due to go back to my cardiogist about Oct 18, I'm going to have another echo in December.
I'm hoping the medications keep my mitral valve from getting any worse. I take my meds. Keep my appoints, and try not to dwell on the condition.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Nancy

Happy to hear you and yours are safe and sound! Thanks for the update. Hope your wrist heals soon! How did you manage that

Do anything special with your Coumadin under the circumstances?

Take care,

 

[NancyMVP]

Gina,
I don't take coumadin because I haven't had to have surgery as yet. I have MVP with severe Regurgitation. I'm continuing to be monitered by my doctor.
1. So long as my left atrium is in normal range which it is.
2. My ejection stays above I believe 60%
3. I don't develop CHF and swelling
I'll continue to take the meds and have the echo every six months.
I've pasted the link to the site to others.
I'm hoping by the time I need surgery it can be done with a minimal invasive technique if possible.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

That's great Nancy!

Hopefully you can put it off indefinitely! Could not recall your story. If not, rest assured there is life after surgery. It's nice that we have each other here on the forum for support.

Take care,

 

[Bob Gleason]

Hi Nancy!

Hi Nancy!

Hi Stranger.........glad to hear you are doing okay and still not needing the surgery.

This tragedy that has fallen upon us has impacted our lives in so many ways..........I fear it that September 11, 2001 will go down as another day of infamy.

Us "New Yawkers" have a strong will to survive, pick up the pieces and move on (like so many Americans)......We surely have been put to the test.

Drop us a line and keep us posted.

..........and finally a picture of you! Good Lookin' Lady!