I think if you ask most people where they were on 9/11, they would be able to tell you. Well, unless of course they were too young at the time, or weren’t born yet.
I remember where I was when the two planes hit the twin towers. I was on the Hemptead bound LIRR train. I recall that we had just reached Hempstead when one of the other passengers mentioned that he had heard on the radio about the attack. My knee jerk reaction was that it must have been a terrible prank. My mind had called upon the War Of The Worlds radio broadcast and clung to the idea that this was a similar hoax.
Sadly, it was not.
I recall getting off the train and heading to the nearby local library where I listened to the radio, keen for more information. It was a while later that I got back on the train and headed home. It took me a bit to get home, folks unsure if the subway was even running. (It was in fact running, though had I needed to take it in to Manhattan, I would have been out of luck.)
Once I was back in Astoria, I noticed helicopters flying overhead, no doubt looking for further trouble in the area. The news played footage of the attack for days, maybe even weeks after it happened. It was such a dark time.
Things got darker when the US went to war with Afghanistan. I have my own thoughts about that war, and the one in Iraq, but I will keep those to myself. Lord knows I know how heated internet debates can be when it comes to these topics.
I do, however, want to spend a moment of silence to honor those who were lost on 9/11 and the innocent civilians who were killed in those brutal wars. I cannot even imagine the horrors of living in a war torn country, and I do hope I never have to find out.
I hate how some folks still believe that Islam is responsible for 9/11. That’s like blaming all of Christianity for those who have used God as their reason for committing horrible acts against humanity. Unfortunately every religion has their fanatic fringe who will bastardize their beliefs in order to kill those who don’t believe as they do. They do not nor will they ever speak for the whole religion. Islam is a religion of peace despite what many talking heads on Fox News would like you to believe. They peddle fear and make a profit on their viewers’ gullibility.
Let us all try to rise above the hate, and make the world a better place; today and every other day.
