story6378.xml

story6378.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I had just logged onto my computer on AOL in my home office and had decided to go into the AOL chat room, something I hadn't done before. A newsflash pop onto the screen saying the World Trade Building had been hit by an airplane. At first I thought it was something just to catch your attention to click onto a site...but when the people in the chat room began talking about it, I immediately got up and went to my bedroom and turned on the tv where I saw the smoldering tower and thought what a terrible accident. Within another minute or so, I saw the second plane hit the second tower. I knew then it wasn't an accident and New York was under attack. How terrible. I thought about the people who were obviously immediately killed on the planes and in the buildings and those trapped in the upper floors. I thought of the movie of the fire in the highstory building "Towering Inferno" I think that is what it was called. It wasn't long before I do believe I heard speculations about the heat and the durability of the buildings. The news cameras were picking up all the smoke and degree and panic when people started jumping out the windows. I was so sad and shocked as I watched the news. Then it happened. The first tower collapsed. Oh my God!! was all I could say. All those people trapped and shortly after the second tower collapsed. I never thought in all my days living that I would be witness to such a tragedy. Such a lost of life of Americans of all races and professions. The police, fireman and people off the street who ran in the buildings to help other were lost. Innocent people...men, women and children. These people were common people...workers. People who had risen from their beds to go to work to make a living never to see another day or their families. I was worser than the Pearl Harbour attack which was army against army...but to kill people...thousands of innocent people who haven't raised a hand against anyone is so cruel. I realized then what true evil is and true cowardness is. This is my second unhumane tragedy that I have witness in my lifetime. The Oklahoma bombing was the first and now the New York Trade Towers. The earthquake of Mexico City was a natural tragedy and so were the hurricanes that hit the eastern shores of US and the midwest floods which claimed so many lifes. The mudslides of Central America was also nature tragedies but none compare to the terrible and evil acts of man. I guess when you look back through history and you witness the terrible things that have happened...we have to look at ourselves. Was there justification in dropping the first nucleur bomb on Japan to end a war? Thousand of innocent people were killed then. The slaughter of Indians...men, women and children in this country. War is the most evil act of man. There are no lines or limitation to the cruelties of war. The fight is over territorial possessions of land, oil, gems and whoever gets in the way become statistics. We as a human race need to look at ourselves, help each other, create alternatives. No oil... turn water and electricity to power our vehicles. No one in the world should go hungry, this country alone can feed the world. Evil people cause evil things to happen. Leaders who are evil and won't let food into their countries to wipe out a race of people is evil. The United States is overall a great country with a great way of life and we are a creative people that can come up with new solutions to the problems of this world...but we are not immuned to evil. It has touched us.