Patriot Day 9/11

[Epical]

I had just arrived at school, when a friend of mine was walking through the halls telling everyone America was under attack and the White House was on fire (it was grade 9, can't blame him for info like that lol). None of our classes would turn on the TV though, and I didn't actually get to see any footage or anything until I got home that day.

[Kajii]

I was a sophomore in highschool at the time. I was getting ready for school when my dad called me down to the living room. When I went only one of the buildings were on fire, I wasn't really sure what was going on until they got footage from someone that had recorded the plane hitting and replayed it. I couldn't believe it and figured it was just some horrible accident.

Second plane hit about ten minutes after I started watching. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and couldn't really compprehend what was going on and why it was going on. Everything just seemed too crazy to be possible. Left for school and all we did in every class period was discuss the situation. Everyone tried to make sense out of it all, but nobody was even close.

Like most kids in Highschool I paintballed and for about a month after 9/11 my parents wouldn't let me go. They figured everyone would be playing "shoot the Arab." I was pissed, but looking back on it they were probably right. There were about five cases of Indian(way to fuck with people that aren't even Arab) people randomly getting jumped for no reason. Our local mosque got vandalized as well, we had to hire intense security for about two years.

I'm still not sure what to make of 9/11...

[ZarakiKujata]

Hey don't soil Glenn Beck's tea party protest holiday.


I was in a social studies class in jr high reading PC Gamer and pretending I was too cool for school.

[Tagus]

I went to ground zero a few months after, and the unbelievable size of the destruction was just staggering. I don't think there's any place on earth that could have that kind of an emotional impact... even Dachau paled in comparison. I'd post pics, but I'm at work.

[ZarakiKujata]

Even Dachau paled in comparison. I'd post pics, but I'm at work.

I'm sure a lot more than 3000 people died at Dachau.... and seems kind of crass to make comparisons like that. I think its more that 9/11 was just something closer that you could connect with easier. Every concentration camp I've been in has felt like a kick in the nuts, particularly once you've entered the gas showers.

[Shade]

Interesting, a view from another country. Can you tell us the vibe you were getting from fellow UK'ers? Were people upset or were there people going "US got what they deserved."

I'll never forget the footage I saw later that evening of people dancing in the streets in countries like Iran etc. Made me sick to my stomach.

I'm in Canada, and I think here, there was a huge outpouring of sympathy and solidarity. People wanted to buy American flags to show their support. Canada is America 2.0 in a lot of ways (we share your language, television/media, and a large undefended border), so when this happened, it didn't seem very far from home at all.

A lot of that goodwill and feeling towards the US has been washed away now, in the years and events in-between... but at the time it was very strong.

[Azalee]

I was riding the bus to middle school at the time... I want to say I was in 7th grade, so the real impact didn't hit me until a few years later when I was fully able to understand what had happened. The radio station I listen to is playing their original footage from 2001, and it is so depressing...

[Tagus]

I'm sure a lot more than 3000 people died at Dachau.... and seems kind of crass to make comparisons like that. I think its more that 9/11 was just something closer that you could connect with easier. Every concentration camp I've been in has felt like a kick in the nuts, particularly once you've entered the gas showers.

I think the number at Dachau was closer to 200,000. I was only trying to say that at ground zero, it was much more of an emotionally difficult place to see, probably because of the proximity in time to the event in question when I visited. You don't see people crying and hugging in the streets when you visit Dachau. I'm sorry if you feel that is crass.

[Dimmauk]

I was a sophomore in highschool at the time. I was getting ready for school when my dad called me down to the living room. When I went only one of the buildings were on fire, I wasn't really sure what was going on until they got footage from someone that had recorded the plane hitting and replayed it. I couldn't believe it and figured it was just some horrible accident.

Second plane hit about ten minutes after I started watching. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and couldn't really compprehend what was going on and why it was going on. Everything just seemed too crazy to be possible. Left for school and all we did in every class period was discuss the situation. Everyone tried to make sense out of it all, but nobody was even close.

Like most kids in Highschool I paintballed and for about a month after 9/11 my parents wouldn't let me go. They figured everyone would be playing "shoot the Arab." I was pissed, but looking back on it they were probably right. There were about five cases of Indian(way to fuck with people that aren't even Arab) people randomly getting jumped for no reason. Our local mosque got vandalized as well, we had to hire intense security for about two years.

I'm still not sure what to make of 9/11...

A couple of days after 9/11, this dumb fuck redneck yelled from his truck "GO BACK TO IRAQ YOU FUCKING CAMEL JOCKEY". I looked around, and then looked at him and said, "You talking to me?" He said, "YEAH" I then told him "I'm not Middle Eastern, and he said "THEN YOU ARE MEXICAN? GO BACK TO MEXICO" I then told him I wasnt Mexican, than I was born and raised in Texas. He then got in his truck and sped off as I laughed at him.

My wife was scared the whole time, she thought we was going to shoot me.

[Kajii]

^That'd be interesting to listen to. Does that station have a website you can listen from?

[Not Kuno]

I was in class watching the towers fall from outside the window.

:/

[Kael]

I'm in Canada, and I think here, there was a huge outpouring of sympathy and solidarity. People wanted to buy American flags to show their support. Canada is America 2.0 in a lot of ways (we share your language, television/media, and a large undefended border), so when this happened, it didn't seem very far from home at all.

A lot of that goodwill and feeling towards the US has been washed away now, in the years and events in-between... but at the time it was very strong.

It saddens me a bit that other nationalities like Canadians and UKers have lost that. It was really nice back then knowing that people all over the world were united with us. It gave a feeling of being a part of the world for once.


But I can't blame them for being bitter about us. Our leaders have acted so poorly since then that I guess it can't be helped. Hopefully we can repair our image in the coming years.

[Francisco]

I was in college... and I only had one class that day.

I woke up around 11 am, showered, and headed for class. There was a note saying "Due to today's events, all classes have been canceled" on the building's doors. I was totally oblivious. I thought maybe there was some weird academic event going on, or perhaps something happened to the electricity, since all the lights seemed to be out. I shrugged and headed to the cafeteria. The place was a ghost town, and it was a little after noon at this point. It was really weird.

I asked the cafeteria worker what was going on, and he told me "a plane crashed in New York".

I still didn't see the big deal. Sure it was sad, but this was during a time period when plane crashes were unusually common (or so it seemed). I had a bite to eat, and went out for a nice long walk. Along the way I saw a sign promoting a Candle Light Vigil.

I returned back to my dorm around 6 pm and noticed it was still a ghost town. I walked around the building looking for a sign of life, and finally found it... about 50 students crowded around a TV in the common area. I joined them and saw people running through littered streets, screaming, clouds of smoke - and immediately thought it was somewhere in the middle east.

Then they showed footage of the WTC collpasing, and my jaw hit the floor.

I found out a good 9 or 10 hours after it happened.

[Vajra]

I was in my 6th grade PACE (smart kids get fun time) class, and had no clue of what was going on til I got home and saw it on TV. My principal left the school early, and I remember adults crying, but no one panicked cause not much people knew what was going on...

When I got home and heard about the Pentagon getting attacked, I couldn't believe what I was hearing/seeing because I never thought a government building like that would get attacked so easily. Even today I realize how quickly the Pentagon was rebuilt (they repaired the damage in 1 year after the incident), and I'm still shocked that it was able to transpire.

[isladar]

When the first plane hit I called my father and told him to turn on the news, and we were still on the phone with each other when the second hit. It was the only time I've ever heard my father lapse into German by accident: "Gott im Himmel". I ended up driving out to Forest Park to stay with a friend and it was a nightmare. Everyone thought Chicago was next (Argon National Laboratories, Fermi Lab, Sears Tower, etc.). We watched something like 14 hours of news coverage together. Seeing Peter Jennings in his shirt sleeves made everything hit home, in a fucked up way.

Ended up driving down to NC the next day to stay with my father. He wanted me out of the city.

[Pharaun]

I was getting ready for my college classes and watching the news like I usually did. The second plane hit right as I had to leave for class, so that was a bit weird. It was kind of surreal listening to the radio on my way to school, the first tower collapsed right about the time I got school. My first class for the day was a world cultures class, and we just watched the news instead of doing anything. The school ended up canceling classes for the rest of the day, so I went home to watch the news until I had to go to work. At the time I was working at Gamestop in the local mall as the Assistant Manager, and shortly before my shift was starting my Manager called me and said that the mall had been closed for the day. So I just sat at home and watched the news for the rest of the day.

Also, I feel fucking old now with all these people who were in middle school replying.

[Kajii]

A couple of days after 9/11, this dumb fuck redneck yelled from his truck "GO BACK TO IRAQ YOU FUCKING CAMEL JOCKEY". I looked around, and then looked at him and said, "You talking to me?" He said, "YEAH" I then told him "I'm not Middle Eastern, and he said "THEN YOU ARE MEXICAN? GO BACK TO MEXICO" I then told him I wasnt Mexican, than I was born and raised in Texas. He then got in his truck and sped off as I laughed at him.

My wife was scared the whole time, she thought we was going to shoot me.

I was pissed my parents wouldn't let me go paintballing, I told them people wouldn't even think I'm Arab because I don't look it. My dad's Jordanian and my mom's Peruvian, so unless I'm rockin' the facial hair I don't really look middle eastern. I remember telling them people would just think I'm hispanic, after reading your story I guess that wasn't safe either. lmao

[Elvis]

I was a sophomore in highschool at the time. I was getting ready for school when my dad called me down to the living room. When I went only one of the buildings were on fire, I wasn't really sure what was going on until they got footage from someone that had recorded the plane hitting and replayed it. I couldn't believe it and figured it was just some horrible accident.

Second plane hit about ten minutes after I started watching. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and couldn't really compprehend what was going on and why it was going on. Everything just seemed too crazy to be possible. Left for school and all we did in every class period was discuss the situation. Everyone tried to make sense out of it all, but nobody was even close.

Like most kids in Highschool I paintballed and for about a month after 9/11 my parents wouldn't let me go. They figured everyone would be playing "shoot the Arab." I was pissed, but looking back on it they were probably right. There were about five cases of Indian(way to fuck with people that aren't even Arab) people randomly getting jumped for no reason. Our local mosque got vandalized as well, we had to hire intense security for about two years.

I'm still not sure what to make of 9/11...

Heh, I remember getting called a sand-nigger after a basketball game in 8th grade ( we won :D ). I went to a school in Howe, Indiana.

Not sure what racist names Indians get called, but I guess we get lumped together w/ Arabs regularly.

I remember during lunch that day in high school, a known jackass started insulting a Pakistani student. Not sure what he called her, but her brother was a friend of a friend (and he was a practicing Muslim) so I was aware of the incident.

Other than that, I don't remember much racism/bigotry in high school though. When I think back to that moment, I'm surprised there wasn't more incidents of racism/etc. But going to school there was like living in a bubble which is strange because we had students from all over the place.

This was a school with an ethnically diverse student body (lots of Indians, Koreans, etc.). I don't even recall the politics of 9/11 ever coloring my subsequent high school days. My roommates were from NYC too and I don't recall them harboring any residual animosity towards Arabs/Muslims/etc.

I remember reflexively thinking an intervention into Iraq would be a 'good thing' because Saddam was one of the 'bad guys'. I told that to my math teacher on the way back from a sporting trip and he said: 'So?' (indignantly)

Overall, high school was an apolitical experience overall for me. I never got radicalized by 9/11 and I don't think it affected anyone at my school in that way as well. It affected people personally of course. They care about their family and friends and their construct (we all have one) of 'America'.

[Stiker]

I was a junior in high school when this went down.

My first period class, we had either a Spanish quiz or test...can't remember, either way everyone in the room was oblivious to the first plane hitting. Immediately after, I had to go visit my Physics teacher to take a quiz I missed from being sick the day before. She had the radio on and that was the first time I heard anything about 9/11. No one knew what the fuck was going on.

Then as I was taking my quiz, the second plane hit and by the time I turned it in, the first building fell.

Homeroom was right after and they announced the Pentagon was hit. I had a free period immediately after and TVs were set up in the cafeteria. I got there to have my first look at the damage. I then saw the second tower fall, and the video of some folks in the Middle East dancing in the streets. I'd never been so angry in my life seeing that, and it's an image that is hard to forget.

The whole day was a blur. Classes weren't canceled and neither was my baseball practice after. I couldn't focus on anything worth a damn.

[BarthelloSylph]

Walking back to my dorm at UNC freshman year, a basketball player told me to go in and watch CNN.

I will never forget...