Anyone seen "Flight 93" yet?

I will see it. I know it will be emotionally-charged with anger being the
dominant emotion but I think it helps frame current events.

I certainly won't watch it to make sure I remember--I unfortunately don't
need to. I saw the Twin Towers fall with my own eyes. I smelled the dust
while it blew over the Manhattan Bridge as I walked from midtown to Brooklyn
to a friend's house. I watched the F-15s from Otis AFB scream overhead as I
told my direct reports that the bridges were most probably safe to cross so
they should go home if they wanted to.

I know only one person that died and a few good friends that were minutes
away from dying. One childhood family friend was *seconds* away. He was a
cop directing people out the door in the lobby of the North tower and only
survived because he helped a fireman that had fallen to the ground as
everyone was running away.

As long as the movie was done for the right reasons (which from everything
I'm reading is the case) then I think people should see it. Everyone that
died that day represented everything that America is--including the courage.
There is far too much media attention devoted to the mistakes and the
vulnerability around that day. Anything putting the focus on the bravery
deserves the support of all American along with as much exposure as it can
get despite the pain.

As I walked through Manhattan that day, I saw stores handing out free
bottled water, people with working cell phones pass it around to strangers
so they can call loved ones, and absolutely no hint of looting or anyone
taking advantage of the chaos. What I saw that day was unforgettable not
only for the horror but for the glimpse it allowed me into the kindness and
compassion in New Yorkers and Americans in general during what will probably
be the darkest day in this nation's history.

No, we should never forget. We should never forget the terror but we should
also never forget the bravery that day as well.

These are my personal views/reasons and I don't mean to pass judgement on
anyone that won't see it. It's a personal matter and there are good reasons
not to see it and everyone should respect them.

Marco


"Peter R." wrote in message
...
gatt wrote:

I'm curious as to weather east coasters feel this way more than those of
us
on the west coast who, while just as riveted to what was going on, were
still thousands of miles away.

Here's one data point: It seems that everyone I knew in upstate NY,
including myself, at the time was a mere one degree away (a friend of a
friend, that is) of knowing someone killed in the NYC portion of the
attacks.

Additionally, I still have relatives who reside in Manhattan, I have
visited NYC many times, have many friends from NYC, and have worked and
lived in Manhattan for several months at a time (business weekdays, that
is) over my tenure as a software consultant.

The connection was there and the anger and sadness is still too close to
the surface, despite the five years it has been, for me to be able to sit
through the movie. The relatives of those killed on that flight are
incredibly strong to be able to do so.


--
Peter