|
September 11, 2001 |
|
Cousins' Views of the Tragic Day in American History |
 |
"Our
Experience with the Islamic Faith"
By the late Lt. Col. Betty Jane (Workman) and Marshall R. Canter in Texas
Like many of our friends both military and civilian, my husband and I both worked with many people of the Islamic Faith. For that reason we will try to share some insight we may have gained in the past relative to what happened 9/11/01. Fifty years ago I was working, and played in Saudi Arabia for 14 months at the US Air Force Base Hospital at Ko Bar. During that time, accompanying Air Evac Patients to Libya, Lebanon and Syria, with rest leaves to Arabic Jerusalem. Because I found the Saudi Arabs with whom I worked and played to be intelligent and kind, I took every opportunity to learn about the Islamic peoples' histories.
More recently, after retiring from the military, my husband (37 years ago) went to work for a turbine machinery manufacturer and spent the next eight years living and working in the oil fields in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He had direct contact with both the educated and the uneducated native populations. Thus our experiences were quite different. In either case we find the Islamic Faith has absolutely no bearing on the present conflict. The Islamic Faith is not the problem -- fanaticism, fatalism and ignorance is.
We recently read a U.S. News article by Jay Tolson (Oct. 2001) which seems to cover my attempt at being the 'Sage' of the family, by discouraging radical religious beliefs, my contribution to winning this strange war of terrorism. God bless all the people of the world.
"I
Pray That This War Is Boring"
By
RWC in Pennsylvania
One of the things I am praying for is that we find this war boring -- due to events like what happened in New York, Washington, DC and the Somerset area being prevented instead of reported. What a difficult job President Bush has in knowing the right way to proceed as we respond. The cultural differences are staggering, and fraught with problems when one realizes we need to be sensitive to so many other countries' sensibilities in the process of dealing with the attacks.
"The Light Was Just Right"
By JRC in Pennsylvania
On 9-11, my husband was sent home early from work in the
Pittsburgh area. He was sitting with a cup of coffee, on the porch of our home
in Fayette County, meditating
the events of the day. At that time of day, the light was just right, and he saw
the windmill farm for the first time, several miles away, on a hill above the
farm where my grandmother was born. We called our daughter to go along, and
drove to see the windmills. We toured the whole area, where I spent many, many
hours with my dad as a child. The thing that impresses me later, in looking at
old photographs of that farm, is that I remember remnants of the old split rail
fence from when I was about 5 or 6 years old. My dad always took me fishing --
"where he used to fish as a kid" -- and said how it was out of
necessity, to get fish for dinner. The stream that flows beyond the farm was my
joy. I would catch fish almost as fast as dad could take them off the hook and
they were native at that time. I remember walking to the top of the hill above
the barn and picking huckleberries and thought it would take forever to just
cover the bottom of the bucket. Then we picked dewberries there too, and can't
forget the teaberries. I loved them.
The other thing we observed that was so moving on 9-11 is that in the proper position, the blades of the windmills look like crosses. When we conveyed this to our minister, he found that very symbolic -- the power of the wind and the power of the cross. It seemed to me that Dad had said the ridge was in the family at one time, and it was neat to be able to sit on our back porch and watch all 10 of them. We have a direct line view. It is the only place from here that we have been able to view them.
"Heard Some Absolutely Hair-Raising Things That Day"
By PSM in Pennsylvania
We had quite a traumatic day Sept. 11. I was able to
hear first-hand what was taking place through my New York customers and I heard
some absolutely hair-raising things that day and for many days after. My
daughter was at school in Pittsburgh when it happened and called me very
concerned for a friend of hers who was on a flight to Chicago that morning.
It was a great relief when that plane finally landed safely. The plane
that went down in Shanksville flew over this area. My husband had to
remain at work at the hospital until it could be determined that there
were no survivors to be brought in for treatment.
I begged my daughter to leave downtown Pittsburgh and was so relieved when her school was evacuated and I knew she was on her way home. Rumors concerning the next place for a strike were flying all day, and I felt the need to get everyone back here.
The world we knew before Sept. 11 no longer exists. I get mail on my desk from customers in New Jersey everyday and some of it has gone through the Trenton Post Office. I have gloves to wear while opening it but what possible good will that do against the inhalation form of Anthrax?
"Free As a Statement of Fact"
By VSSC in Wyoming
Once upon a time, in my time, we lived in a United States of America of exponential technological advancements. Ours was a land of personal liberty and endless possibility. All to be found in Nature was here in abundance. Amber waves of grain swayed on the prairies and farmlands, and there was great bounty. Rivers, streams and lakes filled with fishes webbed the Nation and sportsmen fished more often for pleasure and pastime than for food.
Birds shared their skies with the aircraft;
which swiftly and commonly conveyed those desirous of transport anywhere in the
world. No longer did loved ones departing on grand journeys fear they would
never see their families again, for truly, One need only catch a flight, employ
any other mode of transportation, or engage a communications device, and they
were reunited in short time.
Daily events of those across the globe could be known virtually as they occurred. Information was so available as to be overwhelming. Public libraries, public schools, public records of governmental offices, radios, televisions, and the internet had opened the world to us in a way no other time had ever seen, and perhaps may never see again.
I have been blessed to know “free” as a statement of fact governing most of my life. I have been free to travel as I wished in this Country, without governmental scrutiny or permission. I have been free to worship the God of my choosing, or none. I have been free to determine what educational, vocational, or career paths I have sought to pursue, and I have been free to change my mind and start anew at any point. I have been free to marry, or not, as I wished. Constricted only by financial wherewithal, I have been free to live in any abode of my liking, with whomever I wished, and to consider my home my sanctuary. I have been free to dress as I pleased and say, or read, whatever I wished to. I have been free to dispute issues, and interact and participate with government, because our government was elected of the People, by the People, and for the People.
That is the grand overview of my time. However, a vulnerable underbelly exists to this time, and it is this which clouds my forecasts for the future and seeds my fears for those who might read this. If we do not, as a People, redeem our values and re-find our personal convictions and courage, then it is left to future generations to restore this Nation, and this world.
Since our own Civil War, this Nation has only once seen war on its own soil. And that was one day, December 7, 1941. While we have taken on the causes of others at war, since that time our own shores have been secure.
Copyright © 2001-2002 Mark A. Miner