Madness
By: JSkills	Published: 09/12/2001
It still doesn't seem real to me. Yesterday's events were easily the most terrible to force themselves upon us in US history. While getting ready to leave for work yesterday morning, my attention was drawn to the TV after hearing of "an explosion at the World Trade Center" on the radio. I watched in awe, as many people did, as the second plane slammed into the side of the World Trade Center's south tower. The phone rang. It was my mother and she was crying. We both watched as the towers began to crumble and collapse. I sat dumbfounded - unable to move. We have many family members and close friends to worry about who worked in lower Manhattan and even in the Trade center towers themselves. I somehow found a way to pull myself away from watching CNN about an hour later and made my way to work. I work in Manhasset, which is only a few miles from my home and about 20 miles east of New York City. As I drove north and looked to the west out over the Long Island Expressway, I was sickened by the mushroom cloud of black smoke I saw out my window. I was fighting back tears as my mind raced with the possibilities, since all attempts to phone our loved ones were met with abrupt disconnections using land lines or cell phones. Not knowing was agony. Arriving at work, I found a building full of people barely able to manage "hello" to each other. Many people were gathered in the gym staring blankly at the TV. Some people were crying. Hours went by before I received an email from my birth father that he was ok, although he witnessed the entire terrifying episode from his office window a mere three blocks from the World Trade Center. Our other close family friend, who worked in the Trade Center tower itself, was actually running 15 minutes late for work and as a result never even got near all the destruction. Another friend, who worked in one of the WTC towers, emerged from the subway onto the street only to see people leaping from ten stories out of flaming windows in the crumbling north tower. He ran for his life and was spared. My sister, who lives in downtown Manhattan, was out of the city on a photo shoot in Westchester. Although I felt personal relief from all of this news I eventually got throughout the day, I began to feel a deep sense of sadness and outrage as I saw the reports of death and casualties coming in. Thousands of people are presumed dead. The rescue workers who immediately rushed to the scene had their selfless courage and dedication rewarded with a horrible death. More than 300 of New York's Bravest firefighters and close to 100 of New York's Finest policeman are presumed dead. The Fire Chief of New York is confirmed dead. Thousands of children will never see their parents again. For those who never had the opportunity of visiting the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, they were spectacular buildings. I have had pleasure of being at the top of the observation deck several times since I was a small child. You can literally see for miles. The New York City skyline, particularly in the evening, was nothing short of breathtaking, when seen from any vantage point that involved a view of lower Manhattan. The latest pictures of the skyline look like some other city altogether. Obviously, we as Americans have our enemies. I was sickened and aggravated to see the images of people in Palestine and Egypt laughing, celebrating, and giving out candy in the streets as a reaction to these events that have wrought so much misery on all of us. There were even reports of local riots going in Patterson, NJ, consisting of celebrations by some people in Arab communities in response to the tragedy. Although I'm quite sure the United States isn't an innocent entity when it comes to all of its foreign affairs, one thing is clear to me. The US takes great measures to spare civilians in any military action, even at the risk to our own forces (as in the Gulf War for example). How is it that people can have such strong feelings of hate not just towards our government, but towards the innocent people that reside in the country’s borders? Regardless of whatever answer even the most anti-American could attempt to provide, nothing could justify the unwarranted destruction of the property and the lives of the people in the WTC, Pentagon, and aboard the four airplanes that were destroyed.   In listening and reading about this situation, it has become clear that this was a terrorist attack by a group or groups lead by Osama Bin Laden. Although this has not been officially confirmed, everything I've read and heard points to this individual. Being a data junkie as well as an obsessive person, I embarked on a search for information on this "man." The results were nothing short of frightening. This individual appears to be responsible for multiple acts of vicious terrorism dating back more than a decade. He is independently wealthy and has vast resources at his disposal. He has been attempting to secure uranium, obviously for use the construction of nuclear weapons. He is cunning enough to make use of extremely sophisticated forms of communication, such as steganography (not stenography), so that his followers can communicate on the public Internet without being detected. I started to get carried away searching for information that I even found references to this scary link (please have a look at date of the post), but it turned out to be a red herring. But worse still, Bin Laden has an imposing number of young zealot followers willing to die for their supposed "religious cause." When I dwell deep into my sadness over this horrible course of events, I find within myself a burning rage and a basic yearning for some kind of retribution for this despicable assault – an assault on innocent people, long standing structures that were once representative of our country's history, and our way of life in general. At the same time, I shudder to think of any possible counteraction by these terrorists to our eventual military action that is to come in response to this attack on our country. I guess that is the aim of terrorism –- to inspire fear and insecurity. Living so close to what happened yesterday, it's hard to feel otherwise, especially when I go home and see my kids – who are far too young to even comprehend what is going on. I know I speak for the entire Goofball staff when I say our hearts go out to the families and friends of those directly impacted by this disaster. I only hope our government does see its way clear to finding a resolution to this issue that will satisfy all of our needs for proper justice, while at the same time protecting its people and our way of life. I'd bet that this is going to get worse before it gets better. Take care everyone. Why not join the rest of us on the inside and get all of Goofball.com?
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Two years later (0 replies) started by meesha (09.15.2003 0:37:13 AM EST) and it's still so very sad...

It's interesting to note... (0 replies) started by lfong (11.13.2001 7:18:04 PM EST) It's interesting to look at what our world is becoming. Over the last two months we as a people are becoming more in tune with our day to day affairs. We watch over our comings and goings more closely. We look upon the safety of our home and family with greater respect and we hold out loved ones dear to our hearts as never before. When a plane crashes in Queens, New York we sit in our homes and wait to be told it's "only" a crash and not an act of hate and terrorism, as if a crash were somehow better. We are now on the alert, on guard and always on watch. The simple times are over. We live in a complex world where even the daily mail has been used as a weapon. The tools of war are no longer limited to the gun and the soldier who carries it. War can be played out slowly and silently from a variety of sources and with deadly malice. As the Holiday Season comes closer, please take the time to hold family and friends close to your hearts. Watch over your children, love each other and above all be safe. Leonard Fong Chinese Dutch Uncle

The COWARD!!!! (0 replies) started by zx29b (10.18.2001 10:18:40 AM EST) It makes me furious every time I see on TV that arrogant Osama bin ASSHOLE!. The coward piece of shit is hiding in a cave!. They claim to be so brave in fighting "Great Satan" with crashing passenger jets into crowded skyscrapers, and yet they won't fight openly on the battlefield. Probably because they know that they wil get their asses severly kicked.

just nuke em (1 reply) started by sk4711 (09.14.2001 4:52:53 AM EST) your message touched our hearts as well, us aussies will stand with you anytime.

Where's bin laden? (0 replies) started by lennon (09.14.2001 3:19:55 AM EST) http://neo.liquidweb.com/images/working-dir/dudeladen.jpg "Artists use frauds to make human beings seem more wonderful than they really are. Dancers show us human beings who move much more gracefully than human beings really move. Films and books and plays show us people talking much more entertainingly than pe

thank you..JSkills. (0 replies) started by dtahellyeah (09.13.2001 10:51:36 PM EST) what you said was somoving and put together very well. "a slumbering giant has been awaken,for no one will have mercy on the souls who decieded to attack the greatest country in the world." -david thornton DON'T TRUST ANYONE

wow... (0 replies) started by sassygal (09.13.2001 9:52:17 AM EST) Very moving JSkills. I haven't seen it put to words any better than this. I'm glad your loved ones are well... & my thought & prayes are with all those touched by this tragedy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us... very touching indeed. *Sassy Gal*

JSkills ..... (0 replies) started by marvin (09.13.2001 6:01:56 AM EST) Thank you, your account of these tragic events is both eloquent and extremely touching. Everyone's emotions are running very high, sorrow for the victims, anger at the perpetrators, frustration at not being able to do something (more) positive. Hold on to those feelings and something good will come of all this .... A better world for our children to grow up in.

JSkills ..... (0 replies) started by marvin (09.13.2001 6:01:34 AM EST) Thank you, your account of these tragic events is both eloquent and extremely touching. Everyone's emotions are running very high, sorrow for the victims, anger at the perpetrators, frustration at not being able to do something (more) positive. Hold on to those feelings and something good will come of all this .... A better world for our children to grow up in.

Peace and Justice for All (0 replies) started by cdfield (09.13.2001 2:42:31 AM EST) First- My thoughts, prayers, and sympathies to all those personally touched by the recent tragedies. I hope that someday, somehow all of those effected find peace. Second, I like to think that there is a reason for everything; whether I (or anyone else) can begin to comprehend the meaning. As I look for meaning, I offer you some of my reflections… When I weigh the possible reactions of our government, I couldn’t help but feel the duplicitous burden of fear and anger. Fear that military action will of course bring counter-attacks, and in all probability, almost guaranteed to be chemical or worse. Anger that anyone could inflict harm on innocent people that did nothing more that go to work. So for me, which lesser evil do I chose? What about not choosing at all? My logic tells me that if I don't provoke someone, I usually won't feel their wrath. The flip side of that logic also tells me that if I provoke someone, I can usually expect to receive some sort of vengeance. But what do I do if I don't do anything, and still feel their wrath? The only conclusion I can draw is that I must do something to something to prevent from my own demise. Failing to do so only places the blame in my lap for not doing something to protect my interests. I can't imagine facing more tragedies like this as a result of economic actions, political isolation, or simply turning a blinded eye. I see where all of these options lead...NYC, Washington, and Pennsylvania. That being said...lets get ready for some hits and go get a “piece and justice for all.” Thanks for putting up with my rant. -C

Good recapitulation. (0 replies) started by kweenbee (09.13.2001 0:41:19 AM EST) I agree with you, it will get a lot worse before it gets better. Thank you, JSkills. Love the country, live to pee outside!

Amen (2 replies) started by virtualjul (09.12.2001 11:45:35 PM EST) While this tragedy touches the world, it's hard for folks to understand how trying this has been for folks in and around NY who wonder about the fate of friends and family. (thank you for your eloquence!) Additionally, with the cloud of smoke in view from here (I'm about an hour from the city) it's a constant reminder, even when I'm not in front of the TV. I posted this on the MB, but I feel it's worth repeating. My personal story goes like this: my father works two blocks from the Towers. He called my mother and me at 9:45AM to tell us he was OK, but that was before the second plane hit and before the bldgs collapsed. Needless to say, I spent my day losing my mind about whether my 60+ year old father was one of those people running for his life from dusty debris. My brother lives uptown in NYC but works 5 blocks away from the Towers. Keep in mind, that our largest cellular towers were on top of the Twin Towers so there was no cellular communication working here and virtually no way to contact our loved ones. Anyway, my stories (THANKFULLY!!!) have happy endings. My dad was smart and stayed in his building until noon -- he saw EVERYTHING happen from his 9th floor window. He then walked over the Manhattan Bridge (about 8 miles) into Brooklyn and caught a train back to Long Island from there. He finally was able to make contact with us about 2PM by responding to our frantic emails via his alphanumeric pager and walked in the door at around 3PM. He said it was absolute chaos -- bodies and body parts everywhere -- something he as a civilian thought he'd never see. My brother luckily got a cellular phone call from my dad at 9:40AM while in the subway (also before we lost the towers.) He never went up to street level, just turned around and took the subway back home. It's an inexplicable dichotomy to feel so much relief in the wake of this innumerable tragedy. Goofballers, many of my friend's husbands are NYC police officers and firemen that we are still waiting to hear from. Please keep your thoughts and prayers with them as I am. Thanks for reading my story. And thanks again to JSkills for such an eloquent account of your experience. VirtualJul Goofball Staff

The only thing I can say (0 replies) started by sted5 (09.12.2001 10:15:03 PM EST) Is I hate those souless evil basterds that murderd so many inocent people --- good will prevail as for the people that were dancing in the street celebrating the death of inocent people they have a one way ticket to HELL.

jskills (0 replies) started by hothead (09.12.2001 10:04:17 PM EST) You have eloquently stated what so many feel. Thank you for your words. I'm glad you and your family are safe today. Many, many as you say will never feel safe again as their mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters were ripped from their lives. It was a dark day that continues today. It will likely continue for days and weeks to come. Of one thing I am sure...America will continue to stand as the one place every freedom loving person in the world would be glad to live and work and love. People die trying to come to this country. The events of yesterday make me glad I was born here. I will try to never take that for granted again. Peace to you and yours. head Who loves ya, baby?

no dodger here (0 replies) started by harleyleadsled (09.12.2001 9:27:34 PM EST) i am a college student in florida and am appaled that anyone could attack innocent people the way that we have seen here. If no not if... when we go to war i will not hide in school. I will enlist and fight to avenge those who died today. by heart goes out to those who lost love ones

very well put j (0 replies) started by bigjohn2 (09.12.2001 9:05:13 PM EST) I know I like most of the other goofballs dont live anywhere near new york. but we hear and all over the country feel exactly the same way as you I am glad we dont have freinds who might have been in there and feel for those of you who live there and did have friends and family in these buildings. I just wanted to say rest assured that every city and town in this country are saying prayers for all the family's of those who were killed and their friends. thanks BIG JOHN WE DON'T LAUGH AT YOU, WE LAUGH WITH YOU

J... (0 replies) started by beckdaddy (09.12.2001 9:04:14 PM EST) Thank you for your research and point of view. My heart goes out to us all, but in particular to those injured and to the friends and family of the wounded and those who were murdered. My parents live in Oklahoma City and I can't help but feel a sense of Deja Vu, although this is such a larger tragedy. The magnitude of these events will touch all Americans...maybe the entire world. I awoke this morning hoping it was all a nightmare and wasn't real...alas, it was real. Let there be no doubt that our resolve will be strong and our response even stronger. God bless America! Nice shot!

I can't even imagine (0 replies) started by tjshere (09.12.2001 8:53:54 PM EST) My country was turned into a war zone, but it was your neighborhood. I was in downtown San Diego yesterday morning and I looked at some of the high-rise buildings and tried to picture a jet airliner slamming into them. It was really too horrible to even imagine. My heart heart goes out to all of you. They have awakened a sleeping giant. Vengeance will be ours!

Thanks, JSkills (0 replies) started by meesha (09.12.2001 8:45:58 PM EST) Thank you for sharing your feelings and insites. I hope your parent's neighbor turns up alive and well. My prayers go out to him and his family. The clips of the children celebrating was very upsetting. Why would anyone want to teach their children to hate life and to love death? I just don't understand any of this. God Bless America, land that I love! Stand beside Her, and guide Her Through the night with Light from Above, From the mountains to the prairies, To the oceans white with foam, God Bless America, my home, sweet home!

update (1 reply) started by jskills (09.12.2001 8:31:45 PM EST) I guess I spoke too soon. I just got a call today that our neighbor and friend, a man who lives across the street from my parents for close to 20 years, is missing. He had a breakfast meeting yesterday at Windows of the World (a restaurant that was located very high up in one of the WTC towers). JSkills Goofball Staff

I didn't see the clips of the celebrating... (0 replies) started by CherryLne (09.12.2001 8:18:49 PM EST) ...until late last night. When I finally did, I had a mixture of emotions, the strongest being anger, but then pity. Pity for the children that are being born and raised into such hatred for fellow human life. That is undeniably the worst part of it. These children are not being given a choice, they are being raised to hate Americans and encouraged to celebrate our deaths. May God have mercy on their souls and may their parents burn in hell for all eternity. I could go on and write a rant on everything that I am feeling myself, but you pretty much covered it. Thanks for sharing your feelings and your thoughts with us Jay and I am happy to hear that your family is safe. *United We Stand*

so sad.. (0 replies)   started by karen (09.12.2001 7:53:37 PM EST) so well put my friend...have been crying randomly all day....this isa just so horrible......

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