This is terrorism plain and simple. Planned, weaponized, and deliberately targeted at political opposition.
I'll begin by reminding DUers I lived in NYC on 9/11, and it was worse in person than on TV.
I was far enough away to be safe but close enough to see everything in realtime. My family and I were very fortunate, but I lost friends. I'm still deeply affected by the events which followed that disastrous day, including the anthrax attacks a week after.
A friend was contaminated at a network but recovered. I still struggle to open mail. I know many, many people who suffered worse (and continue to suffer) from the events of the day and the malicious wreckage of our society that followed. I'm sure lots of other DUers feel the same way.
The first plane flew southward directly over my head before it crashed. I thought it was a strange sound as the engines were speeding up over the city. Some days I wish I could unsee what I saw.
I don't say any of this for sympathy. I say it so I can admit something to you.
I'm more terrified now than I ever was then.
For 23 years I've always wondered what it felt like to be in United 175 or United 93, knowing something bad was about to happen, but not knowing how to think myself out of the situation. In my bad dreams I'm never sure how to act in my final seconds.
Bin Laden wanted us all to be afraid, and in response to his terrible success, terrorism is now truly global.
The same people who slapped China-made little flags on their antenna in 2002 are now flying the planes.
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