9/11.....?????

GA - after several thoughtful posts from people who clearly DO care - we have your words of wisdom and compassion. Many of us have followed your family's ordeal and I hope we were of some little comfort to you and yours. You are a brave lady who has our respect and I for one will be thinking about you tomorrow and your inter-faith walk. I find I can identify more readily with the story of one individual family that I can with the enormity of global terrorism.

our thoughts are with you tomorrowga

grannyactivist, I'll be thinking of you and your family today. xx

GrannyActivist - true to your name, you seem to be the only one of us who is doing something positive today. I do not know of any events such as this being held near me, so would ask that you carry our thoughts with you on your March. We will be with you in a spirit of solidarity.

Then let us pray that come it may
as come it will, for a' that
that man to man the world o'er
shall brothers be for a' that

As it could be Granny23, if only the greed for power and riches became unimportant to the world. We can only pray for that, whatever creed we are.

My thought's are with you GA to-day.

You and your family - especially your brave daughter - are in my thoughts today, GA.

For me it is a time to contemplate how the disastrous, knee jerk decisions of Bush (and Blair) to conduct a War on Terror have done such immeasurable harm. The wise words of Baroness Manningham-Buller, ex head of M15, this week said it very clearly.

grannyactivist, thinking of you and your family today.

It goes without saying that we will remember 9/ll today.

As for the comments from 'johanna' I'm not even going to waste my breath...

Johanna You have said it all - "I just wanted a reaction". Not to the dreadful attacks 10 years ago, but a reaction to you yourself as an intrepid controversial poster.

Why begin with a criticism of us for not commenting without commenting yourself? Why throw in a reference to a generation gap and an old jibe from 70 years ago? Will you follow up with other old jibes? There are plenty that could be thrown, in either direction, should we all fancy a barney.

And how relevant are the inspirational qualities of usernames? We are not Gladiators, to call ourselves Revenger or such.

I should have added that when poked and prodded by someone wanting a reaction, I am likely to close my mouth firmly.

Sorry to disappoint you.

So many wise words on this thread. We could talk about the causes and repercussions at length another day [Nanban, I'm from Birmingham and was staying there when the Tavern was blown up, so I know exactly what you mean, and I'm still reeling from the fact that my beloved Labour Party took us into what I believe was an illegal war] but today is a day for being in spirit with grannyactivist and her daughter and hoping that everyone from every faith will look back at what happened 10 years ago and then move forward to make the world a more peaceful place. I would love to be in Exeter with you.

How could anyone ever forget, that day is imprinted in everyones minds.
My thoughts are with you today grannyactivist

johannaPlease grow up - sooner rather than later...

Yes my compassionate thoughts with grannyactivist as well as others similarly affected. It is a day for grieving for those who have lost loved ones in the attacks and in the aftermaths. But I rather resent any implication that the rest of us should feel personally sad. (A phenomenon that began when Diana died and the nation was badgered into behaving as if she was part of everyone's family)
Yes I feel sad on armistice day, because I remember the pointless loss of life, particularly in WW1, which was a pure power struggle and ultimately deprived me of a grandfather (he died of the after effects of gas).
Today I feel anger for the decisions made by those who sought power by election and cynically started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On 9/11 I was in Greece and I remember saying - the trouble with trying to respond to terrorism is that it is like the ancient Greek myth of the Hydra. You cut off one head and several will replace it.
Have they settled the Arab/Israeli conflict? Have they hell. Have they created the next generation of terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan - without a doubt.

Granny23...thank you for the moving quotation.

I'm marking the 9/11 anniversary quietly at home remembering all those innocent people who died.Nangran rightly says that the USA assisted the IRA and that we in Europe have suffered many atrocities over the years. However, those passengers on the airplanes and the Twin Towers weren't part of that. Afterall 90 different countries were represented in in the Twin Towers all of whom probably led quiet lives with their friends and families. I lived in NY for 7 years and loved the New Yorkers, we always took our visitors up the Towers for that wonderful view. We also had friends and my oldest son living and working nearby so that day waiting for news was terrible.
We should remember ALL people who die needlessly at the hands of terrorists but I think this is more heartrending due to the vast numbers that died at one blow so to speak.
America did not deserve this as some people seem to think. Just because they are a mighty, successful, powerful nation the rest of the world seems to hate them.

I've just watched the service in Hyde Park. So sensitively carried out. I want to be able to say more, but I have no words for how I feel.

JessM, I have a lot of sympathy for the views that you and Faye have expressed. I really dislike the phrase 'War on Terror' because it hides the reality that it is PEOPLE who fight wars - and die - and are injured. It is PEOPLE who are marginalised - discriminated against - and who suffer. I would much rather talk about winning peace than fighting wars; which is why I shall be walking today alongside Christians and muslims, pacifists and service personnel, atheists and clergy. Similarly, on October 22nd I shall be in Taunton at an Afghan cultural evening being held by the PARFAN (Peace and reconciliation for Afghanistan) group.
In my profile on GN I describe myself as an internationalist and quote from Donne's writings.

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.

Whether in Iraq, Afghanistan, America, or East Africa; whether through senseless war, greed or selfishness - every needless death of a human being is a call to action. We can all make a difference, we can all take part in the changes we would like to see in the world.

Grannyactivist - I found your last posting very moving, along with the eloquence with which you wrote. I completely agree. Particularly your last paragraph.

You are in my thoughts today.

To grannyactivist,

How did I mark today? By watching the ceremony live on t.v.
Why? Because the firm my son works for was annihilated in the North Tower 105th floor.
Only out of respect, did not know any of them.
No, did not know your son in law was killed in Afghanistan last year.
Sorry to hear that. It must be awful to have a family member who chooses to have a career in the military. Can't imagine what the daily fear must be like.

I respect you for going on the interdependence walk.

Very true johanna you can't imagine what it is like to have your DCs in the military,you can't imagine the absolute heart breaking pain that you have lost your child to this conflict,we military family's continue to bear the pain every day not just on the anniversary of our loss of friend's and immediate family.I can say that I don't think it's awful to have a family member who choose's the military as a career,it take's a very special person to be chosen for service and I happen to be a very proud mum of two of these boy's who where chosen.

To glammanana.
Holy Sugar, well Holy S...t really.
Not must left of my reputation then.
By awful I mean: the worry, anxiety, etc. etc.
Ofcourse you are proud of your sons.
For what it is worth ,my old man is from a VERY military background, going back to WW2.
And, not looking for excuses here , but English is not my mother tongue.

Well, at least , it now seems that there is a discussion building up, which was the whole idea really.

Sometimes get the impression that Gransnet is a Mutual Admiration Society.

johanna seems so angry and I can't work out why-her son evidently did not work for Cantors or whichever company she means in NY at the time so she should have been with ga in spirit today thankful that her son is alive. We can't do anything about the dead except respect their memory-for me it doesn't mean glueing myself to the tv -I feel a lot of it is secondhand emotion.
My angriest moments are with blood on his hands blair who got us into this mess and this present government won't pull us out. Our bravest and best young men are dying needlessly while the useless and incapable riot in our streets for flatscreen tvs.
Phew feel better now

So what do you think about 9/11 and its tenth anniversary, johanna?