#restinpeace — Public Fediverse posts

a summary of what I saw on that day, now 25 years ago - I wrote this a number years back as part of the exercise to "never forget":
It was a typical weekday morning, waking up a bit before 9:00am to get to work by 10:00am. I was living in a room on the top floor of a 3 story loft in Greenpoint Brooklyn that I shared with a bunch of others. One of my room mates walked in to the kitchen where I was making my morning coffee and said with some urgency to come up to the roof because the Twin Towers were on fire and then walked back out. I thought he was just trying to play a practical joke so I just blew him off…
– but then he came down again and I realized he was serious. Climbed the stairs and walked out onto the roof to come out into a beautiful incredibly clear day – warm and sunny with maybe just a single cloud in the sky. Looking South across the East River the familiar site of the Twin Towers – except with very unfamiliar jagged holes in each billowing flames and black smoke. I stood transfixed watching this as other room mates came up, wondering how this could be possible. I remember wondering why the NYC didn't have any helicopters capable of dropping water the way they do for forest fires mobilized. My room mate Keith came back up with his binoculars and we passed them back and forth to look closer at the gashing wounds in the building. Another room mate came up after having gone to check the news and said it looked like planes had crashed into the buildings and that it was an act of terrorism. Suddenly without warning the 1st tower started exploding from the top down and collapsed in seconds - and as it did an involuntary laugh of utter disbelief and confusion came out of my throat. Keith looked at me reaproachingly for this laugh and said that thousands had probably just died in that building. We kept watching in silence and then I said with some conviction that there was no way that the second building would collapse like the first just had. Yet soon after it too followed with a similar near free fall collapse. At this point my mind was in a weird place – both numb and racing. I went downstairs and watched the ramblings of the news for a few minutes – and despite my desire to just sit and watch the television decided to actually go in to work. Since the subway had been closed I found myself walking across the bridge into Queens with numerous others. At the time I was working as the production manager for the vinyl record pressing department of a CD/record factory. After the 30 minute walk I got in, quickly met with my bosses, and told the guys in my crew to just stop the presses and go home (which they had already taken it upon themselves to do without needing me to tell them) since the public transportation had all been stopped. I talked nervously with some co-workers for a few minutes, and then started back on the walk home – for which there were hundreds out on in the streets with me. The sun was still shining brightly and it was at what most would say was a perfect temperature – and there was a cloud of dust off in the distance.

In part of honoring "never forget" beyond just an empty slogan, for eye witnesses to the Twin Towers falling (such as myself), hearing the President of the United States, fabricating a total fiction of what they did on 9-11, to the point their fake story was essentially an attempt at "stolen valor" against both the many victims and brave first responders, in past years would never have been considered "normal" or brushed off as not being enormously offensive. And in coming from an 80 year old with a long history of compulsively lying, as well as being borderline incoherent, in any other case in our nation's history than the political situation that exists today would have triggered bi-partisan calls for his immediate removal, due to not being mentally fit to serve.
What DJT DID do on 9-11 was, from a place in NY which was not ever effected by any damage at all, was to callously state to interviewers just hours after the Towers fell, that he was now the owner of the "tallest building in New York City" given that the Towers no longer held that record.
Beyond that - it is beyond sad to see that our nation has not only started to forget the events of the day of 9-11 itself (although given that at this point a 30 year old would likely have no direct memories of that day, it should be expected) - what is way more horrifying to me, is that so many people have forgotten or put out of their minds destructive and counter productive so many of the actions our nation took in response to that day - and that we are in yet another round of making similar mistakes.
Rest In Peace to all who perished on this day 25 years ago, - eternal gratitude to all the first responders that risked lives, limbs, and health in sacrifice to others that day - and hugs to all who lost family, were injured, or suffer from health issues from it.
And to all - PLEASE REMEMBER - the first responders on 9-11 showed what the best of humanity can look like, but in so many choices made after that day it showed the worst of what ends up being done in America's name - it's time to emulate the former and not the latter.

In part of honoring "never forget" beyond just an empty slogan, for eye witnesses to the Twin Towers falling (such as myself), hearing the President of the United States, fabricating a total fiction of what they did on 9-11, to the point their fake story was essentially an attempt at "stolen valor" against both the many victims and brave first responders, in past years would never have been considered "normal" or brushed off as not being enormously offensive. And in coming from an 80 year old with a long history of compulsively lying, as well as being borderline incoherent, in any other case in our nation's history than the political situation that exists today would have triggered bi-partisan calls for his immediate removal, due to not being mentally fit to serve.
What DJT DID do on 9-11 was, from a place in NY which was not ever effected by any damage at all, was to callously state to interviewers just hours after the Towers fell, that he was now the owner of the "tallest building in New York City" given that the Towers no longer held that record.
Beyond that - it is beyond sad to see that our nation has not only started to forget the events of the day of 9-11 itself (although given that at this point a 30 year old would likely have no direct memories of that day, it should be expected) - what is way more horrifying to me, is that so many people have forgotten or put out of their minds destructive and counter productive so many of the actions our nation took in response to that day - and that we are in yet another round of making similar mistakes.
Rest In Peace to all who perished on this day 25 years ago, - eternal gratitude to all the first responders that risked lives, limbs, and health in sacrifice to others that day - and hugs to all who lost family, were injured, or suffer from health issues from it.
And to all - PLEASE REMEMBER - the first responders on 9-11 showed what the best of humanity can look like, but in so many choices made after that day it showed the worst of what ends up being done in America's name - it's time to emulate the former and not the latter.

In part of honoring "never forget" beyond just an empty slogan, for eye witnesses to the Twin Towers falling (such as myself), hearing the President of the United States, fabricating a total fiction of what they did on 9-11, to the point their fake story was essentially an attempt at "stolen valor" against both the many victims and brave first responders, in past years would never have been considered "normal" or brushed off as not being enormously offensive. And in coming from an 80 year old with a long history of compulsively lying, as well as being borderline incoherent, in any other case in our nation's history than the political situation that exists today would have triggered bi-partisan calls for his immediate removal, due to not being mentally fit to serve.
What DJT DID do on 9-11 was, from a place in NY which was not ever effected by any damage at all, was to callously state to interviewers just hours after the Towers fell, that he was now the owner of the "tallest building in New York City" given that the Towers no longer held that record.
Beyond that - it is beyond sad to see that our nation has not only started to forget the events of the day of 9-11 itself (although given that at this point a 30 year old would likely have no direct memories of that day, it should be expected) - what is way more horrifying to me, is that so many people have forgotten or put out of their minds destructive and counter productive so many of the actions our nation took in response to that day - and that we are in yet another round of making similar mistakes.
Rest In Peace to all who perished on this day 25 years ago, - eternal gratitude to all the first responders that risked lives, limbs, and health in sacrifice to others that day - and hugs to all who lost family, were injured, or suffer from health issues from it.
And to all - PLEASE REMEMBER - the first responders on 9-11 showed what the best of humanity can look like, but in so many choices made after that day it showed the worst of what ends up being done in America's name - it's time to emulate the former and not the latter.

In part of honoring "never forget" beyond just an empty slogan, for eye witnesses to the Twin Towers falling (such as myself), hearing the President of the United States, fabricating a total fiction of what they did on 9-11, to the point their fake story was essentially an attempt at "stolen valor" against both the many victims and brave first responders, in past years would never have been considered "normal" or brushed off as not being enormously offensive. And in coming from an 80 year old with a long history of compulsively lying, as well as being borderline incoherent, in any other case in our nation's history than the political situation that exists today would have triggered bi-partisan calls for his immediate removal, due to not being mentally fit to serve.
What DJT DID do on 9-11 was, from a place in NY which was not ever effected by any damage at all, was to callously state to interviewers just hours after the Towers fell, that he was now the owner of the "tallest building in New York City" given that the Towers no longer held that record.
Beyond that - it is beyond sad to see that our nation has not only started to forget the events of the day of 9-11 itself (although given that at this point a 30 year old would likely have no direct memories of that day, it should be expected) - what is way more horrifying to me, is that so many people have forgotten or put out of their minds destructive and counter productive so many of the actions our nation took in response to that day - and that we are in yet another round of making similar mistakes.
Rest In Peace to all who perished on this day 25 years ago, - eternal gratitude to all the first responders that risked lives, limbs, and health in sacrifice to others that day - and hugs to all who lost family, were injured, or suffer from health issues from it.
And to all - PLEASE REMEMBER - the first responders on 9-11 showed what the best of humanity can look like, but in so many choices made after that day it showed the worst of what ends up being done in America's name - it's time to emulate the former and not the latter.

In part of honoring "never forget" beyond just an empty slogan, for eye witnesses to the Twin Towers falling (such as myself), hearing the President of the United States, fabricating a total fiction of what they did on 9-11, to the point their fake story was essentially an attempt at "stolen valor" against both the many victims and brave first responders, in past years would never have been considered "normal" or brushed off as not being enormously offensive. And in coming from an 80 year old with a long history of compulsively lying, as well as being borderline incoherent, in any other case in our nation's history than the political situation that exists today would have triggered bi-partisan calls for his immediate removal, due to not being mentally fit to serve.
What DJT DID do on 9-11 was, from a place in NY which was not ever effected by any damage at all, was to callously state to interviewers just hours after the Towers fell, that he was now the owner of the "tallest building in New York City" given that the Towers no longer held that record.
Beyond that - it is beyond sad to see that our nation has not only started to forget the events of the day of 9-11 itself (although given that at this point a 30 year old would likely have no direct memories of that day, it should be expected) - what is way more horrifying to me, is that so many people have forgotten or put out of their minds destructive and counter productive so many of the actions our nation took in response to that day - and that we are in yet another round of making similar mistakes.
Rest In Peace to all who perished on this day 25 years ago, - eternal gratitude to all the first responders that risked lives, limbs, and health in sacrifice to others that day - and hugs to all who lost family, were injured, or suffer from health issues from it.
And to all - PLEASE REMEMBER - the first responders on 9-11 showed what the best of humanity can look like, but in so many choices made after that day it showed the worst of what ends up being done in America's name - it's time to emulate the former and not the latter.