9/11/01 : I feel sick to my stomach : Words fail me.

[Flangepart]

I don' t have to tell you why. So far, i've only heard Tom Clancy's name once....but it'll happen more as the day goes on.

[Chadzilla]

I made the Clancy comparison to my wife this morning, which novel was it?  Debt of Honor I think.

I saw the second impact live on television, as with the inevitable first collapse (you don't have to be a structural engineer to know that a passenger jet slamming into the center of a 100 plus story building will bring it down soon afterwards).  The whole thing is soul numbing and blood curdling.  All the innocent lives torn apart, for what?  Why?  It moves me to tears.  There is no doubt in my mind that the attack on Pearl Harbor has been surpassed as the single most devestating attack on the United States in its history.  The amount of cold blooded planning that this took boggles my mind.  Certainly it has happened in movies and books as a collective nightmarish what if?  But now that it has happened...

I'll hazard a guess that we may not be hearing from Andrew for awhile, I am sure he has been called to action.

This is terrible beyond words.  I cannot believe that it is really  happening.

God help us all.

[Gerry]

I couldn't have said it better myself, Chadzilla.

It's almost impossible to believe.

If any of you on this board are in NYC or have friends or family there, my deepest sympathies go out to you.

[Steve.]

We're with you over here, guys. There's nothing I can add to what  Flange, Chad and Gerry have already said. Damn those fanatical bastards.

[Reed Rothchild]

       As a citizen of the United Kingdom watching the appalling scenes on our screens over here I'd like to offer my heartfelt sympathy to the victims and their families of this sickening attack.

    I  still cannot fully comprehend what has happened to your nation's people, but I sincerely hope the perpetrators are hunted down like the  vile animals they are and put down. This is sick beyond belief.

[AndyC]

As a Canadian, I'd also like to offer my sympathies. I've been listening to radio reports all day. As a reporter at a community newspaper, it is surprising the effect this is having even on our small Ontario community. The flags are at half mast, the travel agents are going nuts, and large hospitals all the way up here are on standby. We're all walking around in a semi-trance.

It just makes me angry beyond words, but if I know my neighbours to the south, justice will be done. It's easy to sucker punch a big guy and give him a bloody nose, but God help you when the surprise wears off. I have no doubt the people responsible for this are going to pay for it, thoroughly and publicly.

My other thought is the parallels between this and 'The Siege.'

[Flangepart]

Thanks guys. Chad is right, Andrew will be busy for a while. Times like this, you can see why he conciters being a Marine a higher  calling. I'm inclined to call it this way. We all know who has threatened us, and killed our people in the past. I think we should hit them all. Even if only one group is responsable, it'll warm some hearts to know some rough justice is paid by these...creatures. It's like the old Special Forces saying. "Kill 'em all, and let God sorte 'um out." I don't like haveing to feel this way, but what else can you do? These groups help each other all the time, so they are all guilty by association. Well, guess thats all for now. Andrew, you be careful out there, ya hear?

[Chadzilla]

It still feels unreal, that it was actually some kind of movie or mini-series event (of which we undoubtedly be subjected to at somepoint - part of the healing process I guess, reliving the tragedy in a controlled way and then showing the heroic actions of those who helped afterwards, letting us see that even an act of barbaric inhumanity can bring out the best in humanity).

Now comes the inevitable - the talking heads, the blaming, the knee jerking, the mouthing off, the celebrating (gotta hate those dancing in the streets in certain M.E. countries - and elsewhere in the world no doubt).

Then payback (an attempt at both revenge and teaching those plotting similiar actions a harsh lesson that these kinds of acts serve no useful purpose, but I doubt anybody will learn - sigh).

It just leaves me feeling tired, queasy, and wondering what will happen next and what innocents will suffer needlessly for it?

Time to go out and loose myself in something really, brainlessly dumb and fun.  Like Prophecy or Star Crash for a little bit.  I need to gather my thoughts and my family together and convince myself that IT WILL, somehow, be okay.

[Andrew]

I will be busy in the near future.  All of us Marines are filled with anger and only want a chance to become our nation's vengeance.  We are a country peopled by those who overcame adversity and thrive; I know that we shall persevere.

Andrew

[Chadzilla]

God be with you, kind sir.  You and yours will be in my family's prayers for quite some time to come.

[Stupid Jacob]

Good god.

I can't belive something like this can be happening. It seems like I'm watching some movie. I hope they get those rat bastards and make them pay.

[PoorLogic]

My thoughts seem to follow everyone else...As we see Andrew do his part to serve the nation, we can help to. Please donate blood! I went this afternoon and donated, we all must do our part to help all in need at this point - in Chicago, I was able to give blood on my lunch hour - if your old enough, please find the time to locate your local Red Cross and give the gift of life...your blood.

Thank you all, good luck to all those in need.

PoorLogic

[Nathan]

Chadzilla wrote:
>
> Then payback (an attempt at both revenge and teaching those
> plotting similiar actions a harsh lesson that these kinds of
> acts serve no useful purpose, but I doubt anybody will learn
> - sigh).

I dunno.  Remember when Reagan bombed Tripoli way back in the '80's?  It worked.  Khaddafi crawled back into his hole, and Libyan terrorism stopped.

But, as a friend of mine pointed out, wecan't go off half-cocked.  We need to be verrrrrry sure we've got the right target -- and THEN we bomb them back to the Stone Age.

Nathan

[Chadzilla]

My dad pointed out last night that we did kick Khaddafi's ass so hard that he still can't sit down, so I hope the message we will send to these bastards will be loud and clear.  You cannot do this and find a safe harbor in the world.  You will be brought to justice.

[Chadzilla]

Please be aware that blood is perishable.  There will be a need for it fors weeks (possibly months) to come, so some of us may want to wait a few days before donating as supplies will drop, no matter how huge the kindhearted crowds in the aftermath.