Okay, so maybe I'm starting to feel something about this whole mess. Maybe I'm just hypocritical.

I was in D-land chat for a few moments and one of the occupants stated something akin to wishing they (media? American people?) would save the commotion for a REAL crisis like Bush's re-election.

I was completely floored by that. Completely. I asked this person if I'd read what they typed correctly. They stated yes and that some people thought this individual was funny.

*frowns* It seems to me that my own attitude about today's events is rather blase', however this individual's attitude really just... completely floored me.

Am I being hypocritical? Am I seeking out a villain where there is none? Am I choosing to villify this D-lander so that I have a focus and can start feeling something? Am I simply reacting to the fact that someone would think a re-election campaigne was more of a "crisis" than the possibility of over 10,000 lives lost?

And that's an extremely conservative estimate. The World Trade Center plays host to 50,000 people as the employees of different offices in the two towers alone. This combined with those who were visiting along with the more than 400 emergency response personnel that showed up, along with the passengers on the planes.

It seems that many people are comparing this mess this morning, to the bombing of Pearl Harbor durring WWII. I don't know how many lives were lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor, but I caught a snippet that said the innitial death toll was about 250 directly due to the bombing.

The initial conservative estimate on deaths caused by the plane crashes this morning is; 250 people in the four hijacked planes, 200 out of the 400 emergency personnel respondants, between 5000 and 7000 employees and visitors to the WTC towers.

Just with that (God Firbid there should be that much death!) that's nearly 7,500 people, conservative estimate and upwards of 15,000 higher-end estimate on lost life.

Granted, one of the thoughts which occurred to me today... Even if up to 60,000 people were killed in this week due to today's events, in a city of over 4 million... city mind you, that's such a small portion of the population that one could "reasonably" consider 60,000 lives merely a drop in the bucket.

But I think about that. 60,000 lives. Each of those lives... each person who works in the World Trade Center Twin Towers... everyone who works in building 7... everyone who has ever played the stock exchange... everyone has investments in NASDAQ or AMEX... Anyone who deals with Disney World/Land, Anyone who deals with Epcot Center, anyone who deals with the Sears Tower in Chicago... Anyone who has ever been knocked around by a gust of wind or a bucking earthquake or a nasty winter storm...

Any person who has flown in an airplane and experienced turbulence. Anyone who has ever walked past the Pentagon, anyone who has ever had a tour through the E-ring. Anyone who has felt the virtual invincibility of steel and glass which comprised the twin towers...

Ask those people... ask the people who are lost, missing, hiding, scared, cold, hungry, thirsty, covered from head to foot in ash, soot, dust and concrete... ask them if this is a crisis.

I might not feel heart broken, or terrified or any of those other reactive emotions... but I do feel a respect for the hell that some people are going through tonight. I do understand the concept of waking up and wishing to God that what you've just witnessed was a dream. I completely understand the concept of looking up at the structure which could never, ever, ever be damaged... and ten minutes later, being swallowed in the massive pile of rubble, scrap and cloying, choking cement dust as that building falls down on top of you.

I personally don't feel sorrow or grief yet. I don't know if I will. Hell, I might react the way I did with my grandfather and fiance...

--- When my Grandfather died in June of 92, I didn't cry, I didn't feel, I didn't talk about it. I visited the family in California and sang at his funeral. I didn't cry, I had only one moment where I actually felt anything... and that was as I looked at my Grandfather's face as he was lying in the casket. He was made up in such a way that I would have sworn he was only sleeping and if I shook him hard enough, he would get up out of that box and walk with me down the aisle... I didn't cry, I didn't react, I didn't feel at all. I just dealt with life... And then, two months later when my fiance died, I completely lost it, I stood in shock when I heard the news, then started crying hard. I cried for about two and a half hours straight, then just stopped. I felt sad, but only misted up (had a tear or two but no sobbing) two more times after that... I don't do the emotional thing very often. ---

I might not have the tears running down my face, but I definately do understand the fact that this is, indeed a crisis. And, I understand that this mess is a hell of a lot more important than just some simply ploy reserved for a re-election year.

Come on *D-land identity withheld*. Tell me the truth... did you mean to imply that the activities with the WTC towers was not a crisis?

I will reserve the contempt that I feel pushing slightly at the back of my mind, until I have figured out whether you were honestly being callous or if you were talking of something else entirely.

*shrugs*

I might not be reacting emotionally... but I'm not going to belittle the pain of those who are reacting emotionally. If you can't do anything to help, get out of the way of those who can.

*shrugs*