11th September

[Jbr]

Ok, I may as well be the one to say it, after all I don't usually run away from controversy.

If these attacks had happened in say China or Spain or any other country would they have got as much coverage as they did because America was the target.

A minute long silence is being planned now! The Government are going to be giving out "guidelines"!

www.guardian.co.uk/september11/oneyearon/story/0,12361,784376,00.html

Rhubarb, You are right and my family and I agree and have said the same thing in our own home over and over that some of the money should have been distributed to other causes. It was an awful large amount of money. I was just watching a news channel and people are still having charity funds for the 9/11 victims. While I have nothing against them receiving past money and I know peoples hearts mean well I feel we should not be going on and having more and more charities at this point.

I have nothing against anyone dissagreeing with our government. I dont even agree with them half the time myself. Sorry have to collect my ds from a little tantrum.

Suedonim, you can add Canada, Japan and Russia to Australia too.

I saw a report on t.v. that showed that most U.S. citizens would be willing to take steps to reduce emissions. Bush refuses on this issues because his campaign was financed by the big oil companies. Blair seems to have much the same attitude to business I'm afraid.

The USA are being un co-operative as usual. They have a history of isolationalism and protectionism.

Respect ThreeAngels!

Many of us Americans have no liking at all for stupid Mr. Bush. He makes hasty, thoughtless and egocentric decisions and statements. He makes us look horrible as well as himself. There were so many of us who voted against him. I can't say I'm too proud of having been represented by Clinton....or Bush Sr., Nixon (UGH), either. What a track record for leaders. I'm embarrassed to be and have been represented by these people.

Part of the problem that I see with Bush is that he can't shake his "good ole'boys" attitude that he brought with him from Texas. Texas is the biggest crude-oil producer in the country, and they use it like mad. Oil is the priority there, and they don't care what they have to ruin to get it. Currently Bush is trying very hard to pass legislation making it legal to drill for oil in the protected national forests of Alaska. Will it never stop?

Bush Sr. didn't feel it necessary to offer aid to Kuwait in 1990 until the US's supply of petroleum was threatened...I see where George W. gets it from. He's a chip off the old block.

Yes, the US is a huge polluter. Not everyone or even every state is that way. California is very "green". Washington and Oregon are close on it's heels. Many of the central and eastern states are doing a lot to curb pollution etc. It seems the south is lagging very far behind. Most towns in Texas don't even have public transportation at all. Where I live, driving your own commute is the exception, most of us bus to work or wherever we need to go. Bicycles are becoming more prevalent. It's true that the US contributes 25% of carbon dioxide....it's also true that it's many many times the size of Europe. The UK is only marginally bigger than the state that I live in! Of course it produces less pollution than a monstrous country like the US. In this age of thoughtless consuming most people just don't think past their own convenience, and can't see the reason for waiting 15 minutes for a bus rather than firing up their car and speeding off to the grocery. I hope that trend starts falling off.

Bush shouldn't be president anyway....I still have my doubts as to the validity of that ballot mess they say they cleaned up and figured out.

As for the moment of silence....I personally don't think I'll go in for that. I think about all those people who died and their families every single day, just the same as I think about the civilian Afghans who have died since we went and stuck our boot in the backside of their country. I'm not going to change a thing about the way I go about my day on the 11th. I'll remember them and pray for their families, but I'm not going to let any terrorist accomplish their goal of making me fear the future by sitting down and making a spectacle of it.

I don't know how much money was collected but agree that maybe morally some of it should have gone to other good causes/Afghan victims. However, I don't think you can tell people where they can and cannot donate or which cause they should find most deserving.

I was horrified by the attacks too but realise that it isn't the worst loss of life to have happened in the world (i.e compared to famine, flood, wars etc). It was somehow more shocking to us in the west because it was in America rather than Africa, say. I'm not saying that Africa is less important, just that the western world reports on it less. Also, there isn't a history of terrorist attacks in America and so it was unprecedented. The pictures were awful and distressing (and so are those of famine and war where we're shown them).

I don't think public reaction is remotely like the ridiculous hysteria that surrounded Diana's death. How do people want to 'be a part of it'? I don't think they do, it's just close enough to home that many people do know someone or did lose someone or could have been there. And these 'someones' were people with wives and husbands and children and unborn children. They died horrifically and it was tragic.

I'm not sure whether I'll observe the silence, but I think it's Ok to suggest that we observe it (if we want to) as a sign of respect/sorrow/remembrance. I couldn't care less who suggested that I might like to do it, since I don't have to, but it is useful to some people and I can't see the objection to it. I don't think there are so many silences that the currency is debased - I don't remember loads of recent 'silence' suggestions.

Agree that Bush is a dangerous and mad man, that Blair is too cosy and acquiescent and that America needs someone as president who will give a s* about the environment and stop getting into bed with big business.

A quote from the Earth Summit in Johannesburg.

"There are two Americas - there is the America of George Bush, of isolation and retreating from cooperation with the nations of the world. Then there is the America of cities and states who are aggressively pursuing efforts to meet our responsibilites."

Jerry Brown, Mayor of Oakland, California.

Ks, agree.

Quote from NY Times columnist Norbert Walter re Earth Summit:

"When a country that emits 25% of the world's greenhouse gases acts as an uninterested, sometimes hostile bystander in the environmental debate, it looks like unbearable arrogance to many people abroad."

"Much of the world has come together to help the US in the fight against terrorism, out of the realisation that a common threat can only be beaten through a co-operative effort. It is high time for the US, metaphorically speaking, to get out of its oversized, gas-guzzling SUV and join the rest of the world in doing more to combat global warming and protecting the planet."

I don't think the best way to commemorate the deaths of thousands of innocent people is to kill tens of thousands more, which, so far, seems to be Bush's plan. Of course not all Americans are with Bush on Kyoto and his private war on his Daddy's old enemies. Far from it. Doesn't mean the rest of the world doesn't find him a terrifying figure, though.

This thread has conjured up a tremendous amount of emotion for me. I have thought about it quite a bit over the last two days, hesitated to contribute because I not sure how to voice my feelings, but will now try. I must warn you now - this may be VERY long...!

I left my job at the World Trade Center 18 months before the attack. When I was offered the job there, and told my mother, she said "the WTC! you have to go! what an opportunity!" And I went - all starry eyed - I lived for several months in the hotel attached to the buildings, and eventually found an apartment in Brooklyn - my bedroom window overlooked the NY skyline and the towers. I used to sit out on my fire escape and draw pictures of where I worked. My first day at work I cried in the bathroom at lunch break, terrified, wondering why I had come to this big bad city. I called my (one) friend in the city, and she took me to Windows on the World - we drank martinis - it rained, and there was a rainbow. She said "see Jo? that is for you." It sounds cheesy, but after several drinks, I believed her. And she was right - I made fabulous friendships, and loved being there. The last time I saw several friends was at my baby shower six months before the attack.

I am not as well versed as many of you on the many issues the affect (effect?) our world. I attribute Mumsnet for making me more aware - of so many things. SUVs? Always something I could never afford - never thought much beyond that - but now I do. The more I learn - the more I realize how much I do not know. Quite a few years ago, my brother (who lived in Africa for many years) educated me on the perils of the diamond trade - I wouldn't wear one now for anything. I suppose it is an ongoing experience of enlightenment.

I sincerely regret the man who is our President. I didn't vote for him, or his father. I cringe when I see him speak - and when he said he wanted Bin Laden "dead or alive." His "how the west was won" mentality is an embarrassment - and not indicative of the feelings of a vast majority of Americans (I hope I hope I hope!).

I worry, and pray, for all of those paying the price for the terrorists. I agree that there is an appalling disconnect with many people over the loss of life in Afghanistan, et al. And the most dangerous thing is the "us" vs. "them" mentality. There are so many areas the funds collected could be distributed to - and I don't propose to know to whom or how to do it. I just know I have to make sure my dd understands and respects the value of every life and culture that exists in our world.

There is a tremendous loss of life in this world, by causes that should not exist. Perhaps I occasionally turned a blind eye to it because to look it square in the face was so overwhelming I just wanted to give up. That ignorance is no longer a possibility.

Oh my, such a rambling I have done here. I will no longer bore you with my rant, and wonder if any of this will make sense when I read this in the morning!

JoAnne427, if everyone in the world possessed your sensitivity and honesty, we would not be in such a mess. Thanks for posting.

I too have read through this thread over the last few days.

I work near the top of London's tallest building. We were evacuated on Sept 11th last year, just after we had watched the towers coming down on the tv. It was felt by the Police and building security that we could well be a target too. It was all very frightening.

A week later when the world was reeling in shock we had a bomb scare. I called my mum on my mobile from the central core of the building as we were not allowed to evacuate, and we both found it very frightening and were able to relate a little too much with how those poor people must have felt trapped in those buildings.

I guess, what I trying to say is that there were lots of innocent people killed on that day.

I for one will be not only sad next Wednesday, but I will remember it as the first day I became frightened of working here.

I don't know if anyone saw last nights New York -In memoriam programme on Channel 4. A collage of photographs, i/v's, news footage etc - it was beautifully (for want of a better word)and IMO sensitively put together. Some of the images I have seen more times than I care to remember, but they will never fail to leave me feeling completely shell shocked. Nor will the bravery shown by so many fail to render me awestruck. My heart goes out to everyone who suffered as a result of 9/11 - our world changed that day.

Willow2, the one that stays with me the most is the very first - that of the first plane hitting the first tower, in that glorious autumn morning, videoed by the guys who were down in the street looking at the sewers and looked up to see it and said "holy shit!"

They really didn't believe what they were seeing and I still don't either.

The day it happened I was listening to the Archers until 2.15 and then there was a R4 newsflash, I thought "the Queen Mother has died!" and when I heard what it was I didn't believe it, even when I went to watch it on Sky/BBC/ITV/every news channel there is. I saw the second plane hit and then the buildings collapse and still didn't, and still can't, really, believe any of it.

The only consolation I can find is that the worst case scenario - tens of thousands killed - didn't happen. Nearly 3000 was bad enough but 10000, 20000, would have been so unimaginably worse.

JoAnne thank you for such a sensitive and brave posting. You must have lost quite a few of your friends in that attack. I'm sure almost every American feels the same as you, but unfortunately it seems that our leaders no longer work for us but themselves.

I have been very depressed today, thinking about the very real possibility of war. Tony Blair has said that Britain will pay a 'blood price' and that we will be there with America when the guns start shooting (The Ol' Wild, Wild West theme again). I am frightened and miserable that this in being done in my name. My dh told me last night that one of his pals, back when the 1st Gulf War was raging, told him that it would not be the last war in the gulf, that there would be an even bigger one soon to fulfill the Bible's prophecies of the Last Days, the deserts turning black and so on. It is very distressing to think that our destiny lies in the hands of a cowboy and his trusty sidekick (Bush and Blair). I feel I am being denied the chance to see my dd grow and mature in this world.

I hope and pray that this will not be a war, but against all our efforts, it seems Bush and Blair have their own agendas, they are not going to turn back now. If I had the money, I would leave this country now, our PM disgusts me and I no longer want to be a part of this so-called democracy.

Sorry, I'm on a bit of a downer today.

I feel very strange about September 11th this year. Such a terribly sad day and there will be a lot of mourning im sure everywhere and we will be celebrating because it is dd's 1st birthday. That's strange isn't it ? I feel weird about feeling happy and celebrating something on such a sad day...

For those who understand and agree, like my pastor says about the wars and all this awful stuff in the world we are in the end times. All this horrible stuff is suppose to be happening and will just get worse till the end.

Tiilysmummy, I hope that you won't feel too bad on your dd's birthday and will be able to celebrate. My dh's granddad died on Christmas Eve but he makes sure that we have a good time because that's what his granddad would have wanted.

Rhubarb, I totally agree. Tone has such a huge majority, the vast number of which are too scared to go against him - he can do virtually anything that he wants. A very scarey man.

Threeangels, it's difficult not to feel that we must be heading towards some kind of end time. With the technology that we have coupled with the mess that the world is in it's hard to see any other outcome

Tillysmummy - I really hope that you are able to have a wonderful day and manage to celebrate with no feelings of guilt. There is so much grief and sadness out there it is healthy and important to focus on the positive and good whenever we can.