A reminder of the day

[Jeepnik]

 

[SamV]

I know that this was something that will never leave my memory. It was one of those events that changes your outlook on life forever. I wasn't there but like most Americans, was glued to the television all day long. Everyone seems to know of someone there, in New York, Washington, or Pennsylvania. We all seem to have some connection with someone involved directly. A victim, emergency personnel, someone at the Pentagon, volunteer, or maybe just a worker or resident in the areas attacked.
We know young men and women that signed up for various services and changed careers. We know some that were lost or wounded in service to their country.
It changed so many things in our lives, now we live with surveillance everywhere and growing, metal detectors everywhere, less trust in general.
It was our Pearl Harbor. I feel like there is a little sadness that will never ever go away. And it is still hard to comprehend the level of hatred that drives the ideology behind such acts.

 

[Paul B]

I'll never forget. I won't comment further as I don't want to be banned
PaulB.

 

[contender]

I remembered this day, as I do each year. But,, I did not know anybody,, nor even met anybody who was there etc.
But,, we are all Americans,, and America was attacked,, just like Pearl Harbor. Sadly,, we didn't respond with the mighty hammer that we did in WWII. 'Nuff said.

 

[Big Old Boy]

Most will remember but sadly many politicians have long forgotten, for me it will always be a day to remember.

 

[GunnyGene]

I don't how y'all might feel about this, but I've noticed that a couple of gun blogs have connected 9/11 with the 2A controversy that is going on lately. Generally using 9/11 as a platform to support ownership, carry, etc. I have mixed feelings about this, although I do understand the points being made by them.

Bearing Arms is one such:

https://bearingarms.com/tom-k/2019/09/11/second-amendment-one-key-for-combating-terrorism/

Second Amendment One Key For Combating Terrorism

Posted at 8:00 pm on September 11, 2019 by Tom Knighton

September 11th is a rough day for a lot of us. Too many of us remember what it was like 18 years ago today when planes flew into the Twin Towers, followed by the Pentagon.

Today, I had timers set to remind me of just when each of those events happened, along with the falling of the towers, the crash of Flight 93, and so on. I never want to forget what happened that day.

It was awful and made all the more awful by the fact that there’s really not much of a chance to fight back. We marvel at the heroism of people like Todd Beamer on Flight 93 but also recognize just how little most of the victims could respond. There’s just now way to shoot back at airliners hurtling toward you and incredible speeds.

Yet most terrorist attacks aren’t like that. They’re not going to be. Attacks like 9/11 are the ultimate black swan events. They just don’t happen every day.

Terrorism does, though.

Attacks like San Bernardino and even El Paso are far more likely, far more prevalent in our society. We’re far more likely to encounter more pedestrian forms of terrorism, be it Islamic fundamentalism or driven by some other kind of ideology. That is if any kind of terrorism can or should be thought of as “pedestrian.”

While most of us will never witness something like that, the truth is that someone is going to be there. A lot of someones, to be honest.

They probably won’t be police officers, either. When you look at the ratio of police to non-police in this country, it’s downright terrifying to recognize how little protection we have.

Instead, it’ll be private citizens like you or me. It might even be you or me.

While we talk about the Second Amendment protecting our right to self-defense, the Founding Fathers also envisioned it making sure we could protect our nation from attack. It doesn’t matter where it’s from either. As those who serve swear, we “support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

The problem is, terrorist attacks like San Bernardino and El Paso are used to justify gun control. They’re used to justify disarming the American people who should be our ultimate bulwark against terrorism.

You see, the good guys outnumber the bad guys. They always have and always will. That’s why 19 terrorists committed the attack but 412 first responders entered those towers to help people get out. That’s why those in the North Tower stayed even after the South Tower fell. They wanted to get as many people out as they possibly could.

Horribly butchery met unfathomable courage.

Now, I’m not saying that such bravery is common. I’m an optimist about humanity in general and I think it’s rare. But I still maintain that the good guys outnumber the bad guys any day of the week. As a result, more good guys in a position to meet the more mundane kind of attacks–the bomber on a subway platform, the truck trying to run over people, the maniac shooting up their workplace, etc.–with armed resistance.

Look, we shouldn’t be flippant about taking human life, but we should also recognize there are people who simply need to be shot in the face. Terrorists intent on killing or hurting as many people as humanly possible in the name of their cause are right at the top of the list.

While anti-gun voices are blasting people like the NRA and calling them domestic terrorists and saying people shouldn’t even be allowed to legally join the group, the targets of such hate may be the most effective answer we’ll ever see to terrorism.

“Allah Ackbar!”

“Smith & Wesson.”

BANG!

Not everyone will want to carry a gun, even to defend their own lives. Some people just know they’re not cut out for it, and that’s fine. I had someone tell me they figured they had too short of a temper to warrant carrying a gun. I, for one, appreciated the honest self-evaluation on their part.

However, a lot of people can be trusted with it, and if we’re going to make sure that we never have another 9/11 attack, we need to make damn sure terrorists know that the American people are no easy prey.

 

[Paul B]

I remembered this day, as I do each year. But,, I did not know anybody,, nor even met anybody who was there etc.
But,, we are all Americans,, and America was attacked,, just like Pearl Harbor. Sadly,, we didn't respond with the mighty hammer that we did in WWII. 'Nuff said.

Oh we responded all right. He invaded Iraq. Considering we knew the hijackers were Saudis, why didn't invade Saudi Arabia? My thought is Bush didn't want to piss off he oil buddies. So yeah, for me it's Bush's fault.
Paul B.

 

[gramps]

“ Alkah Akbar”-Allah is great
Smith & Wesson-bang
“Inshallah”-it is God’s will
gramps
PS I fixed it for you! :mrgreen:

 

[Paul B]

Well said Gramps.
Paul B.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Thank you, Jeepnik!

For those who don't think college kids are worth a hoot, this picture looks like Pepperdine University above Malibu, CA, right here in the land of fruits and nuts and Hollyweirdness, where OUR kids renew this display every year for 9/11. Just curious: what do YOUR kids do to remember?

Rick C

 

[Acorn]

I remembered this day, as I do each year. But,, I did not know anybody,, nor even met anybody who was there etc.
But,, we are all Americans,, and America was attacked,, just like Pearl Harbor. Sadly,, we didn't respond with the mighty hammer that we did in WWII. 'Nuff said.

Oh we responded all right. He invaded Iraq. Considering we knew the hijackers were Saudis, why didn't invade Saudi Arabia? My thought is Bush didn't want to piss off he oil buddies. So yeah, for me it's Bush's fault.
Paul B.

So because Bush didn’t want to PO the Saudis he invaded Iraq in 2003 and caused 9/11 in 2001. The 9/11 hi-hackers entered in mid 2000 months before Bush was elected.
Am I missing something?

 

[Jeepnik]

Hi,

Thank you, Jeepnik!

For those who don't think college kids are worth a hoot, this picture looks like Pepperdine University above Malibu, CA, right here in the land of fruits and nuts and Hollyweirdness, where OUR kids renew this display every year for 9/11. Just curious: what do YOUR kids do to remember?

Rick C

Mine joined the Corps and went to Iraq.

 

[Kevin]

Just curious: what do YOUR kids do to remember?

This year my daughter’s middle school started with Mass (every Wednesday), and they had a sermon about 9/11. Then she said they wrote letters to some police departments and fire departments. I can’t say what happened to those letters however; I’d have to ask her teacher. In general her school is pretty good about supporting the military and first responders.