11sept2001

11 September 2001
A day that will live in infamy...those were the words from the speech that Roosevelt delivered to congress after Pearl Harbour was attacked. I believe that those words were used again today in the aftermath of the planes crashing into the Trade Center and the Pentagon. Many newscasters have mentioned throughout the day that this would be one of those events that would change the course of history and the lives of Americans forever.

Almost all the news channels delivered the news under the main title "America Under Attack." I didn't even know what had happened until I went for my 8am class and the projector was playing and it showed the news. All I remember seeing was headlines such as 'plane crashes' and 'LAX (La International Airport) to be evacuated'. I thought it was an accident in downtown LA which would have been bad, but not as disastrous as it actually was. Anyway, my professor said that there was no way he could conduct the class under such circumstances. So, he said a word of prayer, then let us out. I went to the mailroom where there is a big screen tv and watched with a big crowd as the facts unfolded one by one before our eyes. I was astounded and particularly shocked when they showed the footage of the plane flying straight towards the Trade Center kamikaze style. You should have heard the gasps that came out after they showed that for the first time.

If you had not heard it from the tv, you would have noticed something was admist by about 9am. Around that time, people were going around sticking up signs that said that there was going to be prayer at the chapel. People were talking about it and a big screen was installed in the cafeteria where everyone watched intently.
I can't imagine what it is was like for the people who had relatives or friends in New York. I mean, the state of panic you would be in especially when you could not reach them. Supposedly, the cell phone services were out (probably overcongestion, ie Dec 31 1999 in KL) and phones lines were all busy. I feel bad enough waiting for exam results, but having to wait to know if your loved one was alive or not, now that is truly strength of character. What really hit me was the fact that whatever sadness I felt was probably only 1/100 of what some other people felt-the ones who had relatives in New York.

It's been more than 12 hours since it happened and still, almost all the news channels are covering the event or at least the aftermath of it. Right now, the main thing going on is the attempt to look for people who might be still alive underneath all the rubble. It was reported that about 100 or so firefighters who went into the danger zone are dead and you can't help but feel sorrow for these people and their families. They are the ones who had no reason to be there and yet, they went into the blazing fire when everyone was busy trying to get out. They risked their own lives knowing full well that they might never get out just to reach people who might have possibly been trapped. Please keep them in your prayers. My Accounting professor said, "even if you're an atheiest. Just pray because there is a God out there who will hear your cry."

What really troubled me throughout the coverage was that senators and representatives were quick to point the finger at Osama bin Laden. Now I'm by no means trying to defend the dude. But hey, why do you all think it's some foreign terrorist? You all thought that was the case in the Oklahoma City bombing, and yet it turned out to be home grown McVeigh. And the newscasters and news reports say that they firmly believe that it was a hijack because they didn't think that an American pilot would drive the plane straight into the Trade Center Towers. Okay, I know Americans are really patriotic about their country, but to think that this land of the free and the home of the brave only produces good guys is a big time misconception. The senators and representatives also spent a good part of the time talking about US as the best and most powerful nation in history, the proudest, the bravest, whatever you can think of, they probably said it. Perhaps they said it to bring comfort to the people who were hurting and needed answers, but hey, don't you think that your arrogance can be quite abrasive? I certainly thought it was. The image an outsider would get just from watching these interviews is that US is the biggest powerhouse in the world that will never be defeated and when it does get attacked, it will just run the enemy over and crush it like a little bug.
What countered all these though was a report I read that there were celebrations in Palestine because of the plane crashes. Apparently, people were so happy to hear what had happened to US that they were passing out candy and shouting 'God is great'. That's simply disgusting. Whenever you think of innocent people being killed as a mantel to glory God, then something's seriously wrong with the way you look at life.

Please pray for the people who may have loved ones missing, please pray for those who may have lost a loved one in the plane crashes, please pray for those who still cling on to the hope that perhaps, their loved one might still be alive. Most of all, please pray that there will be comfort, love and protection for those who are are going to be brokenhearted and shedding tears in the next few days. Thank you and God bless!