More on the WTC Disaster (Updated) [Sep 11, 2001, 9:30 pm ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
Of course this is not game related (we do not expect to be doing any further
game coverage today), but with the legit news sites being almost impossible to
access at times today, we've been getting loads of requests for more information
about what's been going on. Here is the latest as of about 9:00 PM EDT:
- President Bush addressed the nation 8:30 PM EDT. Here's a wire report: WASHINGTON (AP) - A grim-faced President Bush condemned ghastly attacks in Washington and New York on Tuesday and vowed to "find those responsible and bring them to justice." In the second Oval Office address of his presidency, Bush said the United States would retaliate against ``those behind these evil acts,'' and any country that harbors them.
To recap:
- In two separate attacks, hijacked planes struck both main towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan this morning, and both of the "twin towers" subsequently collapsed.
- A hijacked plane struck the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and part of it has collapsed as well.
- A hijacked plane crashed in western Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Reports indicate the hijackers planned to crash this plane into Camp David in Maryland.
- 47 Story WTC building seven, one of the five (relatively) smaller buildings in the World Trade Center also later collapsed from ancillary damage.
- The White House, the Pentagon, and the Capitol Building were all evacuated, all domestic flights in the US have been grounded through at least noon tomorrow.
- Other closings include most federal offices, the stock markets, the Disney theme parks, and the cancellation of today's Major League Baseball schedule. The President's speech announced that all federal agencies will be open for business tomorrow.
- Broadcasts out of Afghanistan showed evidence of missile attacks and antiaircraft fire, but what connection this has to today's apparent terrorist attacks in the US is not clear at this point. The US has denied involvement in these attacks.
- In the first hints of any sort at the scope of casualties, the New York City Fire Department has estimated that as many as half of the 400 firefighters dispatched to the scene are missing. CNN has said that 78 Police officers are missing. Also, the death toll from those on the four hijacked planes has been placed at 266. The number of dead and injured at the Pentagon has been widely reported as about 100. No estimates of the number of victims from the World Trade Center have been made.
- People throughout the United States have are being urged to donate blood to help offset significant shortages in New York and Washington. The American Red Cross in Greater New York or the American Red Cross are places to contact about donating blood or money, or both.
- Some news sites seem to be back online. Here are some links that have been more reliable: CNN.com; CNET.com; Yahoo; The New York Times; washingtonpost.com; usnews.com; ABCNEWS.com; FOXNews.com; MSNBC; and BBC News Online.
All of our thoughts go out to the victims of these attacks and their families and friends in what must be an incredibly difficult time.
I would like to say a few more things. I wrote earlier, in post #281, that I was disgusted by the apathy in my school. I am still disgusted by the fact that so many were apathetic, but more and more I realize that there are almost more that do care than those that don't.
This was most evident during the beginning of classes. Every day, at the beginning of the day we "say" the pledge. I normally do not partake in doing this, simply because I disagree with "under god". Many others normally do not say the pledge daily, whether it is out of laziness or because we are talking about other things at the time. Today, however, everyone in the class said the pledge loudly and clearly, without hesitation. When it came on there was no pause, the teacher did not tell us to stand, we simply said the pledge. We showed that we were behind our country, and that we were loyal to it. We showed that we had realized we had been hit, but that we knew we would prevail and overcome what had happened. We were unified.
I don't know if similar situations happened in other classrooms of the school, I can only speak for mine. But in that classroom, and that time we were united as one in support of our country.
--ewigekraft23
This was most evident during the beginning of classes. Every day, at the beginning of the day we "say" the pledge. I normally do not partake in doing this, simply because I disagree with "under god". Many others normally do not say the pledge daily, whether it is out of laziness or because we are talking about other things at the time. Today, however, everyone in the class said the pledge loudly and clearly, without hesitation. When it came on there was no pause, the teacher did not tell us to stand, we simply said the pledge. We showed that we were behind our country, and that we were loyal to it. We showed that we had realized we had been hit, but that we knew we would prevail and overcome what had happened. We were unified.
I don't know if similar situations happened in other classrooms of the school, I can only speak for mine. But in that classroom, and that time we were united as one in support of our country.
--ewigekraft23
Date
Subject
Author
457.
Sep 12, 2001Sep 12 2001
I've written many posts today, but...
anon@24.4
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