Showing posts with label September 11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label September 11. Show all posts

Saturday, September 11, 2021

September 11 : 3,000 Candlelights of My Memories of You



20th Anniversary of September 11 Suicide Attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia on September 11, 2001.

3,000 Candle-lights

We Will Never Forget

Will you remember me on every 9/11?
Will you light a candle for me?
For without the light we cannot see
What mortal eyes have never seen.

No. Don't weep for me anymore
No. Don't pray for the dead.
For the dead do not need your prayers.

"What I had, I lost; what I saved, I spent; but what I gave, I have."
~ Mattie Terri Shackelford

We Will Never Forget
No! Never ever.
Though the scarlet memories may linger
Though the flowers may wither
But we will never forget
Until this world will be no more.

Nosotros nunca nos Olvidaremos

¿Recordará me usted en cada 9/11? ¿Encenderá usted una vela para mí? Para sin la luz nosotros no podemos ver Qué ojos de mortal nunca han visto.

No. no llora para mí ya No. no ora para el muerto. Para el muerto no necesita sus oraciones.

"Lo que tuve, perdí; lo que salvé, gasté; pero lo que dí, tengo." -Mattie Terri Shackelford

¡Nosotros nunca nos Olvidaremos no! Jamás. Aunque las memorias escarlatas pueden demorar Aunque las flores
pueden marchitar Pero nosotros nunca nos olvidaremos hasta que este mundo no será más.



Nobody spoke a word as the credits rolled on the screen. But I could hear muffled sounds of sobs near me. Lesleen held my right hand tightly until they turned on the lights and we silently left the hall. As we entered our car and sat down, I used my fingers to wipe away her tears. The last time I wept was at the burial of my mother 14 years ago. And I made up my mind never to weep again. I comforted her for a while before I inserted the key into the ignition and jiggled the steering wheel as I turned the key to start the car. I drove out of the parking lot of Main Street Cinema with the head of LesIeen on my shoulder. I was still thinking about the closing scene of the film.
Why should the director include the 19 suicide bombers in his memorial candle lights?
And he showed us their bereaved families also mourning them. Those bastards killed
2,974 innocent people in a day and more died later from the respiratory diseases caused by exposure to WTC dust. Over 40, 000 people, including 10,000 firefighters from Fire Department of New York (FDNY) were exposed to environmental toxins at Ground Zero. And two years later, Ms. Reeve died of mesothelioma. Firefighters Stephen Johnson, Walter Voight and Joseph Costello and EMTs Timothy Keller and Felix Hernandez have died from cancers linked to respiratory diseases. And the unrepentant Al Quaeda is still thinking of repeating the catastrophe. The hijackers don't deserve any memorial. The devils are already burning in hell.
I hissed and turned back from the direction of our home.
"Where are we going?" Lesleen asked.
"To Gound Zero."
"I am tired and I want to go to bed," she said plaintively.
"There is enough time to sleep. Don't worry. I will make sure that you don't have nightmares," I said.
"How?"
"You just relax until we return home," I replied and smiled.

At Ground Zero, we were not alone. A memorial ceremony was in progress and I could count over a 100 people milling around with candlelights. We joined them and a man wearing a brown hat stepped out from the crowd and handed us two white candles.
"You have got a lighter?" The elderly man asked.
"Yes. Thank you sir," I replied.
"But, do you know the real figure of those who died?" He asked us.
"2, 993," I replied.
He shook his head.
He handed me a piece of white paper and we read what was printed on it.

CONFIRMED DEAD: 2948 •
REPORTED DEAD: 24 •
REPORTED MISSING: 24 •
TOTAL: 2996

"But we believe that 3, 000 must have died," he said.
Lesleen and I nodded.
Minus those 19 devils, I said within me.
We lit our candles and joined the procession.








Sunday, September 11, 2011

We Will Never Forget: 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001 Suicide Attacks



September 11, 2011, 10th Anniversary of September 11 Suicide Attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.



We Will Never Forget

3,000 Candle-lights
Will you remember me on every 9/11?
Will you light a candle for me?
For without the light we cannot see
What mortal eyes have never seen.

No. Don't weep for me anymore
No. Don't pray for the dead.
For the dead do not need your prayers.

"What I had, I lost; what I saved, I spent; but what I gave, I have."
~ Mattie Terri Shackelford



We Will Never Forget
No! Never ever.
Though the scarlet memories may linger
Though the flowers may wither
But we will never forget
Until this world will be no more.

Nosotros nunca nos Olvidaremos

¿Recordará me usted en cada 9/11? ¿Encenderá usted una vela para mí? Para sin la luz nosotros no podemos ver Qué ojos de mortal nunca han visto.

No. no llora para mí ya No. no ora para el muerto. Para el muerto no necesita sus oraciones.

"Lo que tuve, perdí; lo que salvé, gasté; pero lo que dí, tengo." -Mattie Terri Shackelford

¡Nosotros nunca nos Olvidaremos no! Jamás. Aunque las memorias escarlatas pueden demorar Aunque las flores
pueden marchitar Pero nosotros nunca nos olvidaremos hasta que este mundo no será más.

Nobody spoke a word as the credits rolled on the screen. But I could hear muffled sounds of sobs near me. Lesleen held my right hand tightly until they turned on the lights and we silently left the hall. As we entered our car and sat down, I used my fingers to wipe away her tears. The last time I wept was at the burial of my mother 14 years ago. And I made up my mind never to weep again. I comforted her for a while before I inserted the key into the ignition and jiggled the steering wheel as I turned the key to start the car. I drove out of the parking lot of Main Street Cinema with the head of LesIeen on my shoulder. I was still thinking about the closing scene of the film.

Why should the director include the 19 suicide bombers in his memorial candle lights?
And he showed us their bereaved families also mourning them. Those bastards killed
2,974 innocent people in a day and more died later from the respiratory diseases caused by exposure to WTC dust. Over 40, 000 people, including 10,000 firefighters from Fire Department of New York (FDNY) were exposed to environmental toxins at Ground Zero. And two years later, Ms. Reeve died of mesothelioma. Firefighters Stephen Johnson, Walter Voight and Joseph Costello and EMTs Timothy Keller and Felix Hernandez have died from cancers linked to respiratory diseases. And the unrepentant Al Quaeda is still thinking of repeating the catastrophe. The hijackers don't deserve any memorial. The devils are already burning in hell.
I hissed and turned back from the direction of our home.
"Where are we going?" Lesleen asked.
"To Gound Zero."
"I am tired and I want to go to bed," she said plaintively.
"There is enough time to sleep. Don't worry. I will make sure that you don't have nightmares," I said.
"How?"
"You just relax until we return home," I replied and smiled.

At Ground Zero, we were not alone. A memorial ceremony was in progress and I could count over a 100 people milling around with candlelights. We joined them and a man wearing a brown hat stepped out from the crowd and handed us two white candles.
"You have got a lighter?" The elderly man asked.
"Yes. Thank you sir," I replied.
"But, do you know the real figure of those who died?" He asked us.
"2, 993," I replied.
He shook his head.
He handed me a piece of white paper and we read what was printed on it.

CONFIRMED DEAD: 2948 •
REPORTED DEAD: 24 •
REPORTED MISSING: 24 •
TOTAL: 2996

"But we believe that 3, 000 must have died," he said.
Lesleen and I nodded.
Minus those 19 devils, I said within me.
We lit our candles and joined the procession.


N.B:

I wrote 3,000 Candlelights within an hour on this board, and all the names mentioned are real.

Lesleen is a wonderful young lady I care about who lives in New York and I appreciate her a lot.

I wrote this especially in memory of our dearly departed of 9/11.
Lest we forget, Nigerians were among those killed on that fateful day.

The poem We Will Never Forget is from my book, Scarlet Tears of London.




Friday, September 2, 2011

Americans' Thoughts on Terrorism Over the Last 10 Years



The following report is very important and should be shared without bias.



2 Sep 2011 10:00 Africa/Lagos


USA TODAY/Gallup Poll Looks at Americans' Thoughts on Terrorism Over the Last 10 Years

PR Newswire

MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 2, 2011

MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In the final week leading up to the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and the events that changed America ten years ago, USA TODAY and Gallup have conducted an exclusive poll looking at Americans' thoughts on terrorism and how they've changed over the last decade.

USA TODAY/Gallup poll results show:

* The proportion of Americans who say the government should take steps to protect its citizens against terrorism, even if it means violating civil liberties, has dropped almost in half since the days after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. In January 2002, 47% of Americans said they were willing to have the government violate some of their basic civil liberties in order to prevent more acts of terrorism. Asked the same question last month, only 25% answered the same way.


* In a striking contrast with the national mood 10 years ago, fewer Americans now think that "the Muslim world considers itself at war with the U.S.'' In March 2002, 71% agreed with that statement. Nine months later that number had dropped to 60%, and today it's down to 51%.


* Faith in the government's anti-terrorism capacity has dropped. Asked less than a week after 9/11 how much confidence they had in the government to protect citizens from terrorist attacks, 41% of respondents said "a great deal.'' By March 2002, 24% agreed with that assessment. Now, only 22% do.


* Who's winning the war on terrorism? Not much has changed in how Americans answer that question. A month after the 9/11 attacks, 42% said the U.S. and its allies were winning, and by the following January that rose to 66%. By April 2002, the percentage of Americans who felt their nation was winning the terror war fell into the minority. They have constituted a majority only three times since -- twice immediately after the Iraq invasion in early 2003 and once in January 2004, after Saddam Hussein's capture. In June 2007, the last time until this year that USA TODAY and Gallup asked who was winning, only 29% said the U.S. was winning. Asked the same question last month, respondents agreeing that the U.S. and its allies were winning the terror war had climbed back to 42% -- the same as 10 years ago.


* People seem less worried about the imminent likelihood of a terrorist attack today. Only 38% consider one somewhat or very likely "over the next several weeks,'' compared to 66% ten days after 9/11. A series of mysterious anthrax attacks, which eventually killed five people, drove that up to 85% the following month. In the 18 times the question has been asked since late 2003, the highest "likely" response was May 2 this year, one day after Bin Laden was killed. The highest ever was the 85% in the anthrax attack period.


The USA TODAY/Gallup poll was taken a month before the 10th anniversary of the attacks. Full poll results are in today's edition of USA TODAY and online at usatoday.com.

USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Today, through its newspaper, website and mobile platforms, USA TODAY connects readers and engages the national conversation. USA TODAY, the nation's number one newspaper in print circulation with an average of more than 1.8 million daily, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper website launched in 1995, reach a combined 5.4 million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications with more than nine million downloads on mobile devices. The USA TODAY brand also includes USA TODAY Education and USA TODAY Sports Weekly. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

SOURCE USA TODAY
NOTE TO EDITORS: USA TODAY reporters are available for interviews. Please contact Elga Maye at emaye@usatoday.com or 703-854-5292 or Heidi Zimmerman at hzimmerman@usatoday.com or 703-854-5304.

CONTACT: Heidi Zimmerman, Director/Communications, +1-703-854-5304, hzimmerman@usatoday.com

Web Site: http://www.usatoday.com

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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Blind 9/11 Survivor's Story an Instant New York Times Bestseller



The story of blind 9/11 survivor Michael Hingson and his guide dog, Roselle, has become an instant bestseller. (PRNewsFoto/Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero

22 Aug 2011 17:49 Africa/Lagos

Blind 9/11 Survivor's Story an Instant New York Times Bestseller

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2011

NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The remarkable story of a blind man and the guide dog that led him and dozens of others to safety just moments before the World Trade Center crumbled nearly 10 years ago has become an instant best-seller. Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog & the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero made its debut on the vaunted New York Times bestseller list this week in its first week of release.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110822/CL55598 )

Co-authored by Susy Flory, readers follow Michael Hingson and his yellow Labrador Retriever, Roselle, in a firsthand, moment-by-moment account of not only what it was like to be inside the World Trade Center when Tower One was struck, but of each painstaking step between the 78th floor and survival on the streets below moments before the tower collapsed just yards away.

"On one level, this is a book about the events of 9/11, but it is so much more than that," said Brian Hampton, Senior Vice President and Publisher at Nashville-based Thomas Nelson Publishers. "It's a beautiful story of trust and courage, an exploration of the unique bond between humans and animals. It leaves the reader inspired and full of hope. I believe that's why it has impacted people so quickly and powerfully and why they are telling their friends about it."

A cum laude graduate of the University of California with a master's degree in physics, Hingson has never been one to let blindness slow him down - figuratively or literally. As a boy, he rode his bike around the neighborhoods of Palmdale, California, drove a Mustang around campus as a college student and today, pilots small planes and plays golf when time away from his San Francisco consulting firm allows.

Hingson is also a national ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign and has recently launched "Roselle's Dream Foundation," the purpose of which is to assist blind children - and later blind adults - in obtaining new technologies.

Roselle, after navigating a number of ailments through the years - not the least of which were severe muscular atrophy and an auto-immune disorder that was believed to be have been brought on by the ingestion of the toxic dust generated by the destruction of the towers - passed away on June 26. It was recently learned that she has been named a finalist in the 2011 American Humane Association's American Hero Dog Awards.

For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/roselle911dog

SOURCE Thomas Nelson Publishers
NOTE TO EDITORS: Hingson is available for interviews. Media contact: Jason Jones, Thomas Nelson Publishers jjones@thomasnelson.com

CONTACT: Jason Jones, +1-615-306-8627, jjones@thomasnelson.com

Web Site: http://tinyurl.com/roselle911dog

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Monday, May 9, 2011

With An Important Chapter Closed, the Story Of 9/11 Is Not Over




Help Build The Flight 93 National Memorial Honoring The Heroes Of United Flight 93, Visit www.honorflight93.org Or Text “MEMORIAL” To 90999 And Donate $10 Today

Washington, D.C. (May 2, 2011) /PRNewswire/ — In the wake of world events, Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation, charitable partner of the Flight 93 National Memorial Campaign, issued the following statement:

“The death of Osama bin Laden marks an important moment in the history of 9/11, however the story is far from over and our work is not done. As people around the world reflect on recent events, and as the 10th anniversary of September 11th grows near, it is more important than ever that we remember that fateful day, pay homage to the ones we lost, and honor our heroes – including the 40 passengers and crew of United Flight 93, who sacrificed their own lives so others could live. May their courage, sacrifice and heroism never be forgotten.”

Ten years after the events of September 11th, memorials in New York and at the Pentagon are funded. However, the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, PA has yet to receive the funds necessary to be complete. An additional $15 million is needed to finish the project. To support the Flight 93 National Memorial, people are invited to visit www.honorflight93.org or text “MEMORIAL” to 90999 from their mobile device to donate $10 immediately.

The Flight 93 National Memorial will be the nation’s permanent memorial to the 40 passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, and all of those lost on September 11, 2001. United Flight 93, originally destined for San Francisco, was hijacked by terrorists in the skies over Ohio. Once they received word of the attacks in New York and Washington, the passengers and crew took decisive action, choosing to fight their terrorist hijackers. Together they fought, and through their heroic actions, sacrificed their own lives, ultimately causing United Flight 93 to crash in a field outside of Shanksville, PA, where no individuals on the ground were harmed. The most popular conclusion, including that of the 9/11 Commission, is that Flight 93 was headed for the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The actions of the 40 heroes on United Flight 93 saved countless lives and our nation’s capital.

The Flight 93 National Memorial Campaign is an ambitious $60 million initiative. To date, $45 million has been committed through public and private sources. The National Park Foundation continues to spearhead the campaign, working to raise the final $15 million to complete the Memorial. The memorial site is currently under construction with plans to dedicate the memorial on September 10, 2011. The Flight 93 National Memorial will be the only national memorial dedicated to the events of 9/11. To view the memorial site live, visit www.honorflight93.org/webcam.
About the Flight 93 National Memorial

On September 24, 2002, Congress passed the Flight 93 National Memorial Act. The Act created a new national park unit to commemorate the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who, on September 11, 2001, courageously gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on our nation’s capital. The memorial is outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed with the loss of its 40 passengers and crew. For more information about the Flight 93 National Memorial, please visit www.nps.gov/flni. For information on how to support the building of the memorial, go to www.honorflight93.org.
About the National Park Foundation

The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks. Chartered by Congress, we work hand in hand with the National Park Service to strengthen and connect all Americans to our parks, so they are protected for present and future generations. It is a legacy that began more than a century ago, when private citizens took action to first establish, then protect and endow our national parks. Today, the National Park Foundation carries on that tradition as the only national charitable partner for America’s national parks. To learn more visit www.nationalparks.org.

# # #

Media Contact:
Victoria Tagliabue
202-354-6488
vtagliabue@nationalparks.org



Monday, May 2, 2011

American Muslims are happy that Osama Bin Laden is dead



As news is released that Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, Americans react to the news.


2 May 2011 06:13 Africa/Lagos




CAIR Welcomes Elimination of Osama Bin Laden

PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2011

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today welcomed the announcement of the elimination of Osama bin Laden as a threat to America and the world.

[MEDIA ADVISORY: CAIR will hold a news conference on Monday, May 2nd to offer the American Muslim community's reaction to Osama bin Laden's death. The news conference will take place at 11 a.m. in CAIR's Capitol Hill headquarters, 453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com Other CAIR chapters may hold similar news conferences. Go to: http://www.cair.com/Chapters.aspx ]

In a statement issued following President Obama's announcement of bin Laden's death, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said:

"We join our fellow citizens in welcoming the announcement that Osama bin Laden has been eliminated as a threat to our nation and the world through the actions of American military personnel. As we have stated repeatedly since the 9/11 terror attacks, bin Laden never represented Muslims or Islam. In fact, in addition to the killing of thousands of Americans, he and Al Qaeda caused the deaths of countless Muslims worldwide. We also reiterate President Obama's clear statement tonight that the United States is not at war with Islam."

CAIR coordinated one of the first joint American Muslim statements condemning the 9/11 terror attacks, issued just hours after they occurred.

To read about CAIR's anti-terror initiatives, go to:

http://www.cair.com/AmericanMuslims/AntiTerrorism.aspx

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational

Subscribe to CAIR's E-Mail List

http://tinyurl.com/cairsubscribe

Subscribe to CAIR's Twitter Feed

http://twitter.com/cairnational

Subscribe to CAIR's YouTube Channel

http://www.youtube.com/cairtv

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

SOURCE CAIR

Web Site: http://www.cair.com/AmericanMuslims/AntiTerrorism.aspx


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