There is not an easy way to say this but here goes ....

I would like to make a couple points without aiming them at any particular poster or ideology. No particular political persuasion or national region. No single group.



1. It is interesing at the very least, that we now know ... that days prior to the killings of these innocent people there was a large sell-off of stock of the companies which were housed in the WTC .... and, for the two airlines that were directly involved in the four planes being used as torpedoes. Most of this sell-off was from European and Asian stockholders. Some from American sources.
That being said .... it is interesting that the public now lays considerable blame for this terrible occurance at the doorstep of the two airlines involved. It could be that these terrorists will win after all. They fully anticipated the reaction of Americans. These terrorists surmised that Americans would speak of unity and bluster about standing together .... but so easily (and quickly) break ranks and attempt to "fix" their emotional loss by assigning more harm to the innocent (if any business in a strong corporate nation can be described as innocent), and make no mistake the airlines are certainly innocent in this case. More blame to the blamless. More anger directed to the quiet.

2. Clearly these airlines were chosen not because of their laxity on security (which by the way for all you finger pointers is largely an airport authority responsibility - NOT airline controlled) ... no they were chosen due to their specific flight patterns, thier western routing, size of fuel tanks and the "large mass ratio to relative ease of manueverability" factor.

3. It never ceases to amaze me that in a country that stands fast on "advancement by merit " (whether that be a vocational, artistic, political or debate advancement) in times of crisis there is always a large pocket that comes out of the woodwork that wants to advance their argument by entitlement. The victims are victims. They were killed by the wanton disregard of life as perceived by terrorists. THESE victims were killed. THEIR families have been effected. They have all earned our respect and our heartfelt sympathy. Our support. That is merit.

We are having a problem identifying with these terrorists and we can not relate/transfer this emotional upheaval sufficiently to these faceless fanatics ..... and damn it we are entitled to retribution .... so we start in on the only ones available .... airlines ("they are at fault and better pay up, it's only right"), American muslims (" don't tell me they didn't know what was going to happen, burn the bastards,it's only right"), government ( "they better start paying some of these people for all the hurt ... and maybe they can pay me too ... cause well ... I hurt too ya know ... it's only right , ya know") ...... yeah entitlement. Everyone wants something.

Merit is the Governor of New York extending a free college education to the families of firefighters, rescuers, police officers, paramedics all who gave their life unselfishly during this incident. That is merit folks. They earned it with blood. Not entitlement.


You all better give yourself a shake ...

Citizenship isn't a word you use when it is convenient. It is not placing your hand over your haeart at ball games or saluting the flag on Veteran's day. It is a label that is earned when it is least easiest to do so. It is earned through merit. It is earned by standing united when it is much easier to pint fingers at other innocents. It is hugging your brothers and sisters in steely resolve. It is standing shoulder to shoulder ... Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Shinto, Agnostic, .... because it is the right thing to do.

You are not entitled to it simply because you hurt all over. It must be earned by merit.


Sorry ... just got fed up with all the self-served whining and finger-pointing here lately .....

 

Read Thomas Jefferson.

 

entitlement – to give a right or claim to something, a position that entitles one to certain privileges

merit – a claim to respect and praise, excellence, worth, deserving reward, a commendable quality or act

 

RM95

- No there was no particular poster that was the catalyst for my comments. I think as we aged this past week we may have forgotten the message that we, collectively, felt and stated during the initial days. That is ... unity. It is far too early for pointing fingers IMHO. Assigning blame is a negative expression.

- In my mind, even at the risk of being ostracized here on this Bulletin Board, I also say it is even far too early to engage in an immediate reaction through heavy preemptive military strikes. Too early and convenient to point at Osama bin-Laden and say bomb the **** out of everyone around him.

- The basic philosophy that I try to live by is one that we live as a single element in a global and somewhat mystifying world. We have allegences to one another by common interest, geography, culture, etc ... But, in essence my fellowship is with everyone regardless of where he/she lives. My natural premise is: he is my brother unless proven otherwise. Call me a misguided throw-back if you will. Call me Woodstock nation flotsum. Berkley-Granola-Zen-Commune revisited.

- It pains me to see fingers being pointed at muslims, those of arab-ancestry and making these groups the universal "them". Then pointing fingers at airline companies, the hamstrung national intelligence services and start making these groups the universal"them". Simply because they are more convenient or easier prey. It is too much for me.

- Those families who had victims on the airlines have not been excluded from the free education plan by Governor P. As the people who were victimized at the WTC they either lived or worked in New York and he can say with a certain amount of legitimacy that their families will be provided for. He has not closed the door on including any airline victims, nor has he excluded all victims of this tragedy.

- The fact that victims on the planes "should" have their families rewarded is not the point. Nor should it be. Their lives have been uncommonly shortened and their families victimized innocently, but does not mean that the most proximal cause (airplanes) or easiest available corporation (the airlines) should be held accountable. If you are telling me that anyone associated with these airlines could have forseen this diseaster and yet did nothing then you have missed something, or I have misjudged the integral soul of my fellow citizen.

- From all accounts, the threat of terrorist demonstartions in the USA was probably NOT taken as seriously by the people of this country as it should have been. That in hindsight is a vast understatement. But Congress, our elected officials, our speakers of policy, the ones who represent us, have hamstrung the intelligence community for over a decade. We as a people have allowed that. Funding is cut, procedural processes are passed through committees instead of professional analysts. You cannot blame them for this tragedy.

- International intelligence groups noted uncommon accelerated activities within some terrorist factions since the New Year. The US intelligence community increased awareness and concentrated on known cells. using resoiurces it had available. The FAA did not change or institute any drastic security improvements simply because they were not given the mandate to do so. Ask any FAA official and they will tell you they wished they had done this years ago. You cannot blame them for this tragedy.The widespread precautions you will see in the future is the knee jerk reaction of hindsight to be sure. But more importantly the FAA now has the support of the elected officals and the people to do something.

- Airport security tasks and personnel had been beefed up throughout the western world over the last several months. Despite that it was not enough to stop a couple dozen actors claim victory in their terrorism. You cannot blame them for this tragedy.

- As a people, in a historic perspective (Kennedy, King, etc..) we in this country must have realized long before now ..... that regardless of security precautions, regardless of seperating ourselves idiologically from other terrorist victiom/countries .... if there is anything that is close to axiomatic for us, it is this .... if someone or some group is committed to kill or assassinate any number of us they can and will .... at anytime and any place despite anything we do to stop them. All they need is committment and self sacrifice. History has taught us this.

- That is the price of what some people in this country have defined as freedom. Some have used the term convenience. It may be a little of both. What we define as the loss of an entitled (there's that word again) right of freedom, sometimes merely is a mild inconvenience. We have balked at airport security measures in the past ... including longer delays in boarding, etc ... . Some claiming it is our right (entitlement?) to buy a ticket and get on board without any hassle. Well, get used to searches, lines applenty, arriving hours (not 30-60 minutes) before departure. This is not a loss of rights or of freedoms. They are inconveniences. It will be interesting to see if the public stands for it over the long haul, without claiming loss of constitutional rights, etc... ad naseum.

Cheers,RM95.

Thanks for the platform to rage on,guys.

Addendum



Cohen

The blame shifting can be seen/read throughout this BBS. Even in this thread. The national media is rampant with it, probably because we as consumers have started to demand more entertainment in our news despite the recent tragedy. I don't know.

Some of it is subtle and maybe therefore more insidious in it's nature by being so .... but please understand ... it is there. It is not a figment of my imagination. This act was committed by a select group against a select but less defined group. They are to blame. No one else. - Unless this nation wishes to force us to look at ourselves ...... because maybe we were too prideful or naive or trusting or all of these things together ... and just could not believe that anyone would do such a thing to us.

I liked your "test of the generations" theory. This nation has not had a test of faith in many many years.

A test of rightousness in it's united actions in a long, long time. I for one have questioned in the past, the intestinal fortitude of the Me Generation and the Generation X'ers. We will see if they can stand with grit. Maintain a personal and spiritual identity when a man with a machete and a grenade holds his country in jeporady. This is a new day. It will never be the same for any of us. I hope we have grit.

 

glynch


To my brother Republicans I am a democrat. To my brother Democrats I am a republican. I am just right of the left and left of the right. I believe I have the right to say or do what I want as long as I don't harm another. I also have the right to make mistakes and harm others, but must accept the consequences of those actions.


I believe utmost though .... that each of us affects in some way every other living thing in this world. Be it man, woman, tree or fly. Flower, frog or fungus.

Actually sometimes it is scarry being me. LOL

Cool runnings and rage on RM95 ......