Nice comments. This post shows that reporters CAN produce content that's non-political, even during campaign season.

That was a bad day...
I remember watching and thinking this couldn't be real...
I'm amazed at how many people seem to have forgotten...

I hate times like this. It reminds me of all the terrible times I have witnessed in my lifetime. Dogs being sicked on people, water hosed, hung, tarred and feathered Being beat down for sitting a a lunch counter. President being assassinated, Civil rights hero being shot down. Federal building blown apart. Kids being shot down at school.
Planes being flown into the World Trade Center. The leaders over the past years have been sending the wrong messages to others around the world. Stop spreading the hate. You know what goes around comes around. People follow by Example. We must have a change of guard. We must VOTE OBAMA for real change.

My attention used to be solely on the terrible destruction and pain that was inflicted on so many. Now I can't get over the fact that a hand full of cowards were able to pull off a plan with such precision yet so simple yet so POWERFUL!

9/11 is my birthday and I will always remember coming home that day and watching the news with disbelief...... my heart goes to all those families who have lost someone on that day adn the wars ater which were caused by the attack.

People who think that the monsters who did this are heroes are the same people living in countries where they have no democracy or freedom. Their religion is their culture and the rule of law. They only know of one point of view. They are like cancer. The only focus they have collectively is to destroy and eliminate real human beings for their own warped purposes. I guess to be nice you could call it mental illness. I don't know. I remember in the early 80's planes being hijacked and I remember these terrorists using a plane of people to get what they wanted and just being totally insane. It's been going on for a long time. I think Bin Laden is no question a coward. He uses people who willingly want to die for nothing. He is a monster and a coward. Those terrorists allowed themselves to be used to take lives. There is no rationalization for what they did. All we can do is kill them like cancer. They don't value our lives and they don't value their own.

In the area of courage, there were also a handful of rescue dogs out there helping as best they could. That rescue effort, for everyone involved, must have been hell. I have read about how people collected around the official people and provided water, massages, hugs, anything to help.

But since villagers in obscure, no account countries have no hopes or dreams–and since they are probably supportive of the terrorists in their own way–it's ok to kill as many or more of them while bringing the perpetrators to "justice?" What is it called? "Collateral damage"?

The only heroes, in my book, are those who have gone over to Afghanistan and Iraq peacefully to help the people in those poor, beleaguered countries. THAT takes guts! Anyone can wield a weapon of war. But to love your enemies–that's revolutionary.

Americans and other "forces" should leave their guns at home if they want to help.

I agree with your assessment of the terrorists. There was nothing heroic about what they did. They had been brain-washed by a cult of death into believing that their hideous act was blessed by God and that they would be rewarded with all those virgins in Paradise. Surely, if there is a hell, they are all burning in it for eternity. To look at their fellow passengers on that fateful day and only see corrupt infidels rather than mothers and fathers and sons and daughters requires a uniquely reptilian quality of thinking. A true hero is one who sacrifices him or herself to preserve another's life, expecting no reward in return. None of the terrorists qualify. In a sense, what they did was the ultimate act of selfishness.

9/11 was a HORRIBLE day in American history, but I'd hardly call them cowards. It takes a lot of nerve to die for something you believe in.
Terrible people? Yes. But not cowards.

Now the real heroes were the firefighters. They risked their lives to save others. There is nothing more heroic than that.

I wouldn't say that the terrorists who committed these atrocities were cowardly, but rather had nerves of steel like true madmen. Programmed robots might be a better analogy, since they must have been devoid of even a shred of human decency to be able to do what they did in the way that they did it. There were young children on those planes. I agree that Bin Laden and other Al Quida leaders are no different than cowardly rodents or cockroaches who must live in the shadows to avoid detection. They know what is coming if they are revealed by civilized higher life forms, whether they be muslim, christian, or jewish. Even if they are never greeted by the warm blast of a 2000 pound bomb in this life, they will get what they truly deserve in an afterlife that will not go the way they are expecting.

I remember that day at 9am I saw the whole thing on tv..the planes crashing into the towers..and being asian, after moments of shock and disbelief, I prayed to god and hoped that the terrorist weren't asians!!

For seven years, I have marveled at the utter cowardice of the 9/11 hijackers.

What about the utter cowardice of our Government ignoring the threats way before 9/11. How about the utter cowardice of invading a country that had nothing to do with 9/11. Please remember it was Al Queada and they were no where near Iraq. FACT FACT FACT.

Yes this is a day to mourn the loss of Americans....but PLEASE QUESTION WHY THE LOSS!!!

Great article........ I agree with everything. I just wish politics would be left out of this. It's heartbreaking to hear how people are so sad about this (nullifying the sadness) and yet they still bring politics into this. I hate every bad things that happen, I furthermore hate it when politics are brought into the influx because nothing has worked so well and everyone simply blames each other and thinks they are "better" instead of working together towards one goal for the good of everyone along with the understanding that we are all different and have different viewpoints and opinions.

There was nothing "cowardly" about flying planes into buildings. It probably took a lot of nerve. Trying to belittle the hijackers may make us feel good momentarily, but it does nothing to help us understand and defeat them. We have to have the courage to look at these people for what they really are, not some cheap caricature, if we really want to win.

The cowards were in the White House

I grew up 20 minutes' walk from the WTC. As a young teen, I used to go down to the construction site, because it was so cool. As an older teen, I spent as much as three nights a week on the roof of the South Tower, watching the magical sunsets...

You can take the woman out of New York, but you can't take the New Yorker out of the woman.

I lived in Denver, CO, on 11 Sept, 2001. I watched events unfold, with my heart in my mouth. The impacts of those 'planes were almost PHYSICALLY painful. Shots of fireballs blowing down streets full of shops and cafés I recognised...

My first thought, through the horror, was, 'ohhh...my...god. It's a miracle nobody thought of that before now'. (Maybe that's just how I think, maybe it's the way a New Yorker who grew up during the Cold War, with a bull's-eye painted on our City, would think.) I don't mean I wasn't horrified. It was just so obvious, once it had happened...

My next thought, adding to the horror, was, 'now there will be wars, and more Islamophobia'. It was not a happy thought.

@ Heather

You're an ideal example of the hatred and Islamophobia which I so feared, that terrible day. Your mind is as black-and-white as any terrorist's. There will be no peace, anywhere, so long as people think as you do. Terrorists think as you do: 'Americans are a cancer; all we can do is kill them. They don't value our lives. The only focus they have is to destroy and eliminate real human beings, for their own warped purposes'.

The horrors of that day were mitigated by the beauty of my City: the FDNY, NYPD, MTA, and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The Coast Guard, National Guard, Coroner's Office, Office of Disaster Management, and all the people who came in from neighbouring States, worked together. There were no divisions. Race, religion, class, national background, gender, language of origin, sexual orientation... all the jive that is used to tear people apart vanished in NYC, in our shared grief and common struggle. Hey, New Yorkers even welcomed volunteers from New Jersey!!

But seriously, the heroism of the Rescue Services Workers is so inspiring! Their courage and determination was beautiful and tragic, brave, noble, and heartbreaking. A young member of the FDNY, released from St Vincent's Hospital - my local hospital - with his arm in a sling, headed back Downtown, to the WTC, was stopped by a reporter. When she asked him why he was going back down, despite his injury, he looked at her as though she'd asked the dumbest question in the world. 'Because I'm a NEW YORKER', he said, and kept going.

That about summed it up.

Since 12 Sept, 2001, I have signed my emails:

Another New Yorker for Peace.

Sala'am, Shalom, Shanti.

I still refuse to believe that all the events that conspired on 9/11 was all accurately presented to us by the media and the US government. Yes the volunteers and firefighters and anyone else who helped trying to rescue survivors at the WTC towers are heroes in my eyes, but everything else regarding the incident, particularly the Pentagon and the governments adamant refusal to release the videos obtained from the local gas station and hotel security cameras really puts doubt in my mind this was totally fabricated by Osama Bin Ladin and co. All you fools who take everything at face value really need to start reading more instead of just taking what media and the government tells you at face value.

So, what was Bin Laden's ultimate goal from implementing this cowardly act? Did he really think that the USA would immediately adopt Muslim Sharia Law as the nation's religion and turn its back on Israel? If so, then he's more insane than we could ever imagine. I have no anger toward the millions of peaceful Muslims around the world, but Al Qaeda really placed an undeserved black mark on everything that is Islam.

I wonder if the shock, the horror and the pain will ever lessen? Certainly not for those who lost loved ones, but for the rest of us, who didn't know anyone, yet still, felt in our hearts like we lost a member of our own family? As I watched CNN's coverage of the tributes today, tears still streaming down my face, as they did that very day, my heart just ached for those who have to re-live the painful memories, and I want them to know, that they'll never be alone, that the hearts of every American is with them. God Bless all of them, and thank you to CNN for covering the stirring tributes today, without showing coverage of the actual events, causing the families yet more pain and sorrow.

Those men and women who saw first hand the attack at Pearl Harbor never thought they would see anything like it again, then 9/11 happened. We must never forget that there are fanatic religious groups who hate us so much they will take their own lives while killing as many Americans as possible. These groups are also teaching their young children the same hate, and until we can stop them we will be subjected to terrorist attacks. They have a different belief than we do. We must understand these people think we are a weak nation because we aren’t going in and killing their people, we show too much emotion, we must show them our strength. Our liberals want to live and let live. These people feed on this, that is our weakness. Prayers to those whose lives have been changed forever by these attacks.

Maybe the republicans will finally stop using this to scare Americans into thinking we are not safe!

No one knows exactly who the 'mastermind' was behind 9/11. I think Osama Bin Laden is just a puppet, someone the Bush-Cheney war machine has used the past seven years as a ploy to justify their invasion of Iraq (done so on the bogus assumption of WMDs.) Maybe our own government is our own worst enemy. Sadly, we'll never know, just like we'll never know who killed JFK.

Well said! It still makes my blood boil to think about that bin Laden killed 3000+ of our countrymen. I still cannot wait until vengence is served.

Well put.

reading reports such as this one reminds us all just how much was lost that day, and how much some are still losing. how hard it must have been for some parents to lose a spouse–and how impossible it must be to then, years later, try to explain it to children who were to young (or not born) in 2001...

every year, i look at the list of names of people who lost their lives, and i do a bit of research. this year, i learned about ace bailey and mark bavis, two scouts for the la kings hockey team who were killed on one of the planes. i'm overcome that these two men are no longer here, and i'm sorry i'm just learning their names seven years on, and that there are so many more i may never know of...

we must remember those lost and those living. maybe, in the course of history's many disasters, 9/11 really will be the horrific moment that stays true to the claims: never again.

Brenda, Can we keep plugs for canidates out of this please?

As for 9/11, I was in bootcamp that morning. They turned on the radio so we could listen to the news. It didn't seem real. Someone mentioned how the terrorists are like a cancer. I agree. They fester and kill, and while you can kill them off, it's likely they'll keep coming back.

In 1980, Larry Silverstein won a bid to lease and build WTC 7. In a belated development concerning the attacks of 9/11, Silverstein stated in a PBS documentary, "America Rebuilds: A Year at Ground Zero", that he and the FDNY decided jointly to demolish WTC 7 late in the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001.

In the documentary, Silverstein makes the following statement and uses the term 'pull', which is a term used in controlled demolition that describes the moment that the explosives are detonated and the building's collapse begins:

"...I remember getting a call from the fire department commander telling me they were not sure they were going to be able to contain the fire...and I said, 'Well, you know, we've had such terrible loss of life...maybe the smartest thing to do is, is 'pull' it...and they made that
decision to 'pull'...uh, and we watched the building collapse."

So why the official story of WTC7 collapsing due to fire when the leaseholder himself admitted it was a controlled demolition?

God Bless the Families of the victims of 9-11-01. My prayers are with you

Thank you for the excellent post, Gary.
The cowardice of these individuals haunts me to this day–when you see them with their faces covered & their guns pointed at some innocent person, maybe about to die... it still makes me very sick.
Thank you for the remembrance.

What a sad day that was seven years ago. I can't believe it has been seven years. Thank you for devoting today to the victims and hero's.

deko and posh

Brenda Harris:
"The leaders over the past years have been sending the wrong messages to others around the world. Stop spreading the hate."

The Iran hostage crisis, multiple hijackings in the 80s, Marine barracks in Lebenon, the first world trade center attack, Kobar tower, Kenya embassy, USS Cole and 9-11 happened prior to us "spreading the hate"....

That's what some people don't get... it's not what we do... it who we are.

I'll never forget this terrible day. I work in Long Island City and the towers were in view. That day when news spread through the office that a plane hit one of the towers, many of us went outside to see for ourselves if it was a hoax. My eyes were fixed on the first tower; a gaping hole in her side with thick black smoke pooring out and up.
I was sick becuase I knew there were people there...or were...(sigh).

After a few minutes some of us went back to the office to crowd around a TV management set up. That's when we watched as a second plane hit. Gasps, then silence filled the room, then panick.
Who wanted to leave, who was frozen, who was screaming, who was crying....horror in everyones eyes.
We understood that the US was under attack. There was no doubt

Many of us tried our cell phones, some getting through other not. It was caos.

I went back outside again with some friends. We stayed close to one another trying to keep each other as calm as possible. We could hear sirens everywhere. Emergency vehicles were traveling to and from every direction. We turned our attention to the towers again only to witness the collapse of the last tower. And then there were none........surreal. Everything happened so fast.

As we walked back into the building holding each other up this time, we heard of the attack on the pentagon and the flight that went down in PA and on & on& on.

I don't remember much detail after that. I think I was numb.

My message to those who wish to destroy us is beware and know this. We have grown stronger by your evil deeds not weaker or more afraid. We will fiercely defend what we love most; God, home & family.

Heather has it right. Any human being that can do what these cowards do, regardless of what they're religious beliefs may be, are nothing more than rabid sick animals. They should be treated as such. I loathe them for what they are. They are a cancer, and should be killed like the enemy they are. Too bad they won't stand like men, but after all, that's what a coward does.

We can't forget that that it was we (and our European allies) who cultivated the seeds of the 3rd world after WW1. Terrorists and hijackers didn't just "sprout" up from the sands of the Middle East. For centuries, all religions and societies have taken turns screwing each other over (yes ... Christians can be just as barmy as Muslims). We had been doing it for so long, that we became complacent and ignorant to the problems the rest of the world was experiencing.

To us, what happened in 9-11 cannot be rationalized, but to a people who have been broken for most of the 20th century, it's a desperate and hate-filled last resort. It's far from cowardice, but it's not bravery either. In our sheltered existence, we'll never have to be in a position to understand what is going through their minds ... hopefully, we never will.

Killing innocent civilians is wrong, misguided and evil. But how is it cowardice? What were the terrorists not doing because they were afraid? I abhor terrorism, but this is typical "George Bush" type speech that makes no sense whatsoever. Please THINK before you speak – it's not a crime.

I vehemently disagree with what the Hijackers believe, and for that matter, religion in general. But one thing the Hijackers were not, is cowards. That takes a lot of courage – for lack of another word.
As a matter of fact, I think Bill Maher got fired from ABC for stating the same inconvenient opinion.

Many people have used 9-11 as an excuse to say that the US deserved the attack because of past US ill behavior.

What is sorely misguided about this belief is that those who did the bad things they US is accused of were not killed or injured on that day. Instead it was Muslims, Christian, Jewish, black, white, male, female and persons of many nationalities. Those people who did nothing to promote or otherwise condon the actions that the USG has done, died for the governments sins. How is that fair?

And if one were to open a history book, one would find that many of the same people who damn the US, come from nations or believe in ideologies, that have done a great deal of harm to fellow humans. Do they, than, "deserve" a catastrophic attack?

Misery- You can not let those terrible terrorists continue to damage our lives. You must learn to be happy again. A birthday is a time to celebrate and be happy for the many years you have lived and the many more to come. Being sad and depressed only adds to the destruction that those terrorist have left behind.

Happy birthday.

It's too bad that after all this time, we still consider the other side as monsters and our own as innocent bystanders. We will never progress to any kind of decent understanding in this manner. Could it be that part of the problem is that we have been over there for so long meddling in their affairs?

How could one on a day such as today even bring political speech to the table? I am amazed that people who support "real change" do not recall that on September 11, 12,13,14.... WE WERE ALL AMERICANS. No Democrats No Republicans. JUST AMERICANS. I also recall all our elected officials in Washington from both sides of the aisle, joining together on the stairs of the Capital to sing Patriotic songs. WE ARE ALL AMERICANS. Today is not the day for politics today is the day to remember those who lost their lives.

May God Bless those who perished and God Bless AMERICA

Sigh. I think we all get it by now right? Of course, the people who ran into the building were heroes; bravely going into the unknown in the name of duty, responsibility and decency. However, calling the hijakers cowards is to too quickly dismiss the issue without addressing any of the causes. It's easy, it feels satisfying: call them cowards ad reaffirm that Americans aren't cowards and everything is right with the world. I worry that such simplistic analysis dooms us to maintain our dogmatic and imperial world view which, while IN NO WAY excusing or causing 9/11, is part of the story that must be talked about and understood if we really want something like this to never happen again. Personally, I think most of us americans are a bit too intellectually apathetic to be willing to delve into the issue with any real depth. But this much seems certain, when a person dedicates thier life to a cause, even when it means giving thier actual life, that person is no coward. Misguided and decieved the terrorists certainly were, but not cowards, and calling them cowards does nothing to help our nation or our world.

I believe that it is incorrect to label the 9/11 hickjackers as "cowards." They were evil, desperate villains who we should all detest and feel moral disgust towards. They represent the very worst about religious extremism, national fanaticism, and personal arrogance.

However, I don't believe that they are cowards. They infiltrated this country, successfully avoided our government officials, resisted the rational temptations of a better life which American society offers, and were willing to exchange their lives for their despicable cause. I don't believe that a true "coward" would have been able to complete any of those things.

I respect Mr. Cooper's comments and I know that my opinion stands in stark contrast to the beliefs of many people, but the American people are currently engaged in a World wide conflict with the very sort of sub-human creatures that attacked us on September 11th, 2001. We do ourselves a grave disservice when we underestimate our enemies and label them as "cowards." Radical Islamic terrorists, in the field, are a formidable, adaptable, and intelligent enemy that is willing to engage in ruthless guerrilla tactics in order to obtain their perverted goals. We underestimate them at our own peril.

The true cowards are those who recruit from the poorest of muslim neighborhoods and preach hate and fear disguised as a viable religion. These cowards, like Bin Laden, delight in taking all the evil credit for the suicide bombings and midnight murders that their followers carry out while they cower in caves, unwilling to sacrifice their own lives.

True cowardice is preaching hate, fear, and destruction from a distance.

***

May God bless those families who suffered the most on 9/11. I pray that God may dull their pain and grant them comfort on this solemn day.

It amazes me that the Republicans keep saying that President Bush has kept us safe for the past seven years. I think they flatter themselved and it has nothing to do with him. I believe that the terrorists are a patient bunch, and while we think seven years is a long time, it is actually a miniscule length of time in history. We have been lucky.

The terrorists value the element of surprise. They know it will take a long time for Americans to relax and feel confident that we've got things under control. That is when we will be most vulnerable . . . and they can wait.

My next statement may be irreverant for a day such at this, and probably inappropriate, but it is something that bothers me. It's interesting how we choose our "enemies" in this country. Everyday there are thousands who die because of another "enemy" . . . cancer, yet we don't go into attack mode and spend millions per day trying to
destroy that enemy. Instead, we rely on donations. So sad!

The people that attacked are evil on 9/11...but I wouldn't call them cowards...someone that is crazy enough to fly a plane into a trade center is 'crazy, evil, or stupid' but coward is not the term i think you're looking for.

Merriam-Webster defines coward as "one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity." Call them what you will but the 9/11 hijackers were not cowards. Vicious, vile, dastardly, malevolent? Sure. Cowardly? Not at all.

@ Emma Morrow: Non-political? This article assumes that Osama Bin Laden is responsible for 9/11, and refers to his behavior as a "cowardly terrorist tradition". All this article does is to devide the world into an ingroup (you, the innocent and pure Americans), and an outgroup (the evil terrorists). Have you ever questioned the official story of 9/11? Are you aware that the FBI has no "hard evidence" connecting Bin Laden to 9/11?

@Heather: Your're deceived. America is using every excuse to spread its military around the world. Have you ever asked why? Please do research. Whether you believe it or not, your government is your enemy. You are allowing yourself to be used by them, because you accept the official stories unquestioned. Have you every been on sites, such as journalof911studies?

Early this morning my husband put out our flag. We have flown and will continue to fly it every September 11 for the rest of our lives. We'll never let the enemy believe that for even a moment we've forgotten that day. God Bless the souls of the ones we lost, and the lives of those who survived.

The 9/11 hijackers were certainly murderers, but I don't understand the drive to call a terrorist a coward. What they did, horrible as it was, was something most people would be too afraid to do even if they truly believed in their cause. Could you take over a plane, risking imprisonment or death, and if successful have the courage and conviction to fly it into a building? Doing any of those things would scare the hell out of me.

You write news from a comfortable desk in a first world country, how can you call someone who would die for what they believe in a coward?

"Cowards"? Whatever else you could legitimately call someone willing to die for their beliefs, I don't think "coward" fits. Maybe you ought to pull out a dictionary and look that word up.

I know during that time i read the saddest story about one of the fire fighters going in and seeing person and in there had was a childs hand that was all that was left of the child .How much those firefighters go threw in those siduations and jurnalist's to.

To imagine the mindset of the 9/11 terrorist, you have to change the scene a bit - but it is indeed possible to walk in their shoes. For example, the TV series Battlestar Galactica enacts a similar scenario of the 9/11 terrorists but now you are the terrorist battling for against the evil empire. You blow up yourself up in public places killing many; you set off bombs anywhere possible - all in the name of the cause...your cause. you believe in a higher power that's greater than any collateral damage.

Therefore, I'm not sure how you can say the terrorist were cowards when in their demented minds, they were sacrificing for their cause.
Instead, weren't these men just practicing the same art of warfare that has been practiced throughout history? kill as many of the other side as you can and the last standing wins?

Instead misjudging them as cowards, wouldn't it be more accurate to judge them as simply religious extremists who were selfish in their beliefs that those who weren't like them were evil - just like our own extremists, such as the anti-abortionist murderers or even the guy who kills his wife and family because he feels he owns them.

i dont' consider them cowards - just unevolved, primitive and exactly like so many men throughout history.

I am wondering.....
Weren't thos "cowards" the same people the US was helping in Afghanistan? Like Brenda Harris pointed out: what goes around
comes around

Have you ever wondered about the people who were in the buildings and helped everyone remain calm, get them down the steps, sacrificed themselves for another to live?

It's amazing to think about how we would give our seat to an elderly woman on the bus, but those people helped others by letting them go first out of the building, go ahead of them down the stairs, tell them what to do to get out of the crashing tower that became the most documented event in US history.

Thank you for your time in reading this.

It bothers me that too many Americans seem to have forgotten that the Islamic terrorists value their death above living, and most certainly value their death over the Western value of life.

The price of America's freedom and very survival continues to be a proactive vigilance against such an affront to humanity.

This day is unfortunately, one of the only days we thank God we are Americans, and pray for the people who have died for no reason. We should thank God everyday, and celebrate being an American, and remember all who were lost that day, and all the other days that men and woman have lost lives for us all.

I think people react strongly to 9/11 mainly because it was an attack on America and not so much the victims themselves. What about hurricane Katrina? In 10 years from now it will be just another historical fact among others. You people talk about cowards? What about Hiroshima? That was also truly coward.

I totally rejects any form of terrorism and things like 9/11 affected me deeply but in the end, all the media around this is just another form of patriosm. Everybody seems to care about their own kind and to hell with the rest. Welcome to the age of internet and information where communication is as worst as ever.

sympathy to all family loose their fmaily and friends! dont be scared to terrorist! and believe to Mc cain who will bring homeland security!

When we as Americans begin to call the terrorists 'monsters,' and describe them using words like 'inhuman,' I'm afraid that we begin to walk down a very dangerous path. When you portray your enemy as inhuman, the only purpose is to remove the guilt from killing them. We have to remember that 'terrorists' are not born, they are made.

There is a reason that the attackers of September 11 did what they did. I'm not going to go into it here, and I'm certainly not going to try to justify it. But we cannot forget that no matter how horrible the actions that take place, there are real humans on both sides of this war. The civilians who died to US bombs in Iraq are no less heroic and brave than the ones who died in New York City on Sept. 11th.

War is terrible, no matter what the reason, and no matter who's side you are on. As Americans, we must remember exactly what we're fighting against, and make absolutely sure that we never become that very thing.

It was a day like any other for me. I was 19 yrs old. I remember someone telling me and looking as though okay whats the big deal. I had no idea what the towers were and what the problem was we blow up buildings everyday. For some reason I still did not quite grasp it. All students went to the common area and watched on TV. When I saw what was going on I was flabbergasted to say the least. Not because of what the building stood for, but to know that people were losing their lives in such a horrific way. No warning, no chance to say good-bye. That was the end of their days, and there was no amount of love from their families and friends that could change the situation they were in. I have a grave sympathy for all families involved. The one thing that the terrorist taught me that day was to get involved. To look everyday in the face as though it is my last and to make the best choices I can everyday with no regret. I thank those everyday who give their lives for me, and pray over their families that they learn how to carry on. I feel as though it is my duty to make this world better each day that I am here and I plan to do that the rest of the days of my life. Thank you to the families for giving your loved ones so that my family and I have a chance at freedom and peace.

What sadness, so much hate, so much williness to kill. If we, too, have the same mindset to solve our problem, by killing, or to answer acts of violence with more violence. Then how can we judge others who use killing, as a resolution, as being evil and placing no value on life. Many American lives has been lost in Iraq; a war that should never have taken place. How do we justify the killing of over 4000 men and women? Those on 9-11 was controlled by the use of religion, what are we being controlled by, regarding the killing of our sons and daughters in Iraq? 9-11 was a tragic lost to many, and a tragic horror to those who witnessed this act of a misguided few; but we are suppose to be more Christian minded.

I remember being in 2nd grade when this happened. The teachers told us nothing. I didn't learn about what had completely happened until the evening after the attacks, and the next day. I still can't believe I was at school, happy and laughing, when all of this happened...

Well said...and cowardly is the right term. Courage is picking yourself up and dealing with life's issues day after day in an honorable way. These terrorists don't have the steel for that, all they can do is destroy others and what they have built.

To call someone who knowingly ends their life a coward, no matter how many lives they take, is insanity. They are a scary bunch to be sure. But to say they are cowards is low rent, low smarts, whatever. What they were is sheep. The coward is still sitting in a cave somewhere. Don't call the soldiers cowards. Call the one who claims to believe he has 40 virgins waiting for him, yet cannot commit to what they did, the ultimate coward. The sheep are dead. The shepherd is tending to his new flock.

Ok...stop the blind american propoganda...i live in new york and i was 20 minutes or so away from the towers in high school when it happened. Yes, there are plenty of american hero's to come of that awful event. But so many of the ignorant masses cant see that these terrorists are awfully brave as well...equally as ignorant no doubt, but brave as well. How many of you are willing to die in an attack for something you believe. Hardly any of us i suspect...but were mad and disgusted and we know their ignorance so we call them all sorts of names. These ppl are raised this way. Passed down from father and mother to children, ignorance breeds more ignorance if you are surrounded. You can call these people names but dont call them cowardly...since its nothing most of us could ever consider to do because we are too afraid to die for something we ourselves believe in. No im not a radical islam...i was raised roman catholic and im now agnostic because i thought for myself i and know that i dont know the answer. Anyway thats the take of a very open minded 23 year old

Thanks, Brenda Harris, for making this a place to speak your political views rather than to honor those thousand of lives lost...

Gary,

This is really a good post. Thanks for telling us about the people you met during those dark days. It really brings it to a personal level for you with your friend loosing her husband that day.

This is a day we should never forget.

Stay safe in Texas covering hurricane Ike.

Okay Uma, thank you for the lovely psychoanalysis.
I was refering to extremists. Uma,by the way I'm Jewish and I don't hate anybody. Hate requires caring and I don't waste my time on hate.
This country was founded on the freedom of religion. Not the freedom to use religion to commit mass murder. I have friends from all religions.

911 changed so many lives. I for one was sitting on the floor of a friends house, watching TV and packing for a trip that afternoon from Manchester, NH to Los Angeles. I had just turned the TV on at the moment the second plane hit. As the news told the events and I learned of the United flight from Boston to LA was involved, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had taken that flight many times and wanted to take it that day but my friends would not drive me to Boston so I chose Manchester. I almost took that flight. I will never forget.

Yes, it is amazing the power that something like religion can have over people. Most religions have their fanatical element. It is too bad that Islam-for most Americans-is the poster child for that problem. I've personally been on the receiving end of Christian fanaticism as well. Not a pleasant thing. Unfortunately, in this life, we probably will never understand why people do the things they do. But in the end, I know that God will reveal why so many of us had to be hurt and hopefully, those who did the hurting will be shown the error of their ways.

I tried to gently explain to my six year old son why the flags were flying at half staff today. I couldn't. Instead I focused on the bravery of those who stopped to help total strangers; that firefighters and police officers are the only ones running *to* a horrific burning structure while others are running *out.* My son thought quietly for a moment, then summed it all up better that I thought possible. He said, "God Bless those brave people, Mommy."

Yes, it was an enormous crime and a painful day. However, we as Americans have lost sensitivity to anything that is not American. Just think of over 100,000 Iraqis dead since Bush decided to invade that country on a bunch of lies he and his cabal concocted. 100,000 – that's 50 times 9/11 for a country with less than one tenth of the US population. That's equivalent to 500 9/11's. Just imagine having a 9/11 disaster every day for a year and a half and then you can imagine the sufferings that this country has bestowed on a country that never even provoked us and had nothing to do with 9/11.

So who is the biggest terrorist? Bush or OBL?

ahh.. the day it all began

what a sad day indeed

Excuse me, but while it may be tragic that those 3000 people died on that one day, at least that many humans die EVERY DAY!

In my mind, those who perform abortions (and that includes prescribing birth control pills because those can cause abortions as well) and destroy embryos "in the name of science" are as much a terrorist, killing innocent people (albeit unborn....even as a zygote). as Iraqis or whomever.

Oh, the pilot on the first plane was the first cousin of a childhood friend of mine.

I agree with Anderson but at the same time, I don't.

9/11 is such a terrible act and I am sadden and shocked by the thousands of lives lost. Bin Laden is definitely a coward for hiding himself in the mountains and caves. These terrorists with extreme views are answer for what they have done.

But on the flip side, can we be equally as judgmental toward ourselves? How honorable are we to invade other counties with missiles from a far? Are we also not responsible for the innocent lives lost in Iraq? Don't Mr. Bush and this administration show equal cowardice by lying his way to an unjust war?

You have posted stories of those who have lost loved ones from 9/11. While it is truly sad, how many stories of lost loved ones from Iraq do you know?

It is not alright, in fact, quite cowardly and selfish, to kill innocent people living in other counties to protect our own freedom.

Would you be willing to lose your freedom if it means killing an innocent man to get it?

Gary,

Thanks for reminding us about the courageous individuals you met while reporting on the tragedy of September 11, 2001. They and the victims should always be the focus of our remembrances of that day.

It seems that this division in our country during this campaign has caused us to forget that we share the common bond of being Americans. Not African Americans, Irish Americans, Mexican Americans, we weren’t even Democrats or Republicans, we were just “Americans” and that is they way it should always be. Let’s try to remember that.

Jo Ann

North Royalton

I see the moral relativists are alive and well.

If we see the attacks as anything short of pure evil, then we can excuse anything, and probably will.

I've heard that moderate followers of Islam are peaceful and can't understand why so many people in the world hate them. The key to making people believe that is for the moderates to take control of the radicals and silence them permanently...in otherwords, clean up your own backyard. Those of us that have had family members and friends hurt or killed by radicals are inclined to believe that the only way to "get their attention" is to hit them first and hit them hard enough to make an impression...such as you would hit a stubborn mule with a board to get its attention, perhaps killing 30,000 radicals would indicate to the "crazy freeks" that the twin tower victims will never be forgotten and there is a fierce price to pay for attacking the USA.

First of all, God Bless each one of you who were forever effected by that tragic day. My heart goes out to each and every one of you who lost someone you knew and loved.

The only positive thing I can remember as a result of that day was the feeling of unity. There was no division of race, sex, social status or otherwise. We were all Americans bound together by the same grief.
No matter what your political views, today is not a day to discuss them on message boards where the families are reading as they grieve for their husbands, wives, children, and parents. Today is a day to come together yet again as one. As Americans who suffered a great loss but stand strong together.

God bless the families and the heros who saved so many others from the same tragic fate.

You can call the 9/11 hijackers a bunch of bad names, but "cowards" is not one of them. Whatever their beef with America, right or wrong, they sacrificed their own lives for what they believed in.

Human beings are capable of incredible acts of evil, unfathomable, abominable, incomprehensible acts. This was one such act. Coward or not, propelled by a belief or not, human beings should be evolved enough to NOT KILL OTHER HUMAN BEINGS. But, I refuse to focus on the evil. Instead, I look for the good. Humans are also capable of incredible acts of goodness. So many New Yorkers, ordinary citizens, firefighters, police officers, EMT's, port authority cops, pulled together in collective shock and fear and offered up the very best that humanity has to offer. Brave, brave souls remained in those buildings, trying to get as many people as possible out. Brave, brave souls ran into those buildings, not knowing if they would make it out alive. They made the ultimate sacrifice and paid with their lives. Watching these terrible events unfold again brings back a lot of painful memories. But I feel it is necessary to watch it all over again because for me, it represents a kind of way to honor those innocent people that died. I promise that I will never, ever forget this. Never. Never. Never.

The 9/11 Hijackers weren't cowards ? "It takes a lot of nerve to die for something you believe in..." Give me a break ! It takes a lot of nerve to die for something you believe in, if you aren't crazy to start off with.

@ Jeremiah.

Well said commentary. I must agree that it is incorrect to call these terrorists "cowards". You can call them evil, insane, misguided, sheep, whatever. They are taught hatred from the moment they are able to walk and talk. The ones who twist religion to commit murder by inciting others to kill and be killed while they sit and watch from a safe distance are the cowards.

I find that one of the images that stuck with me the most from that awful day were the live action shots and photographs of people jumping from the burning buildings. It horrified me so, and still does to this day.

However, I also feel that being involved in the "war on terror" will ultimately doom our country, for violence only begets more violence. God will judge them & us the way He sees fit, whether in our lifetimes, or after our deaths. No one will escape judgement.

My heart aches for all who lost loved ones on that horrible day......

So they weren't cowards? It's an idea worth debating. I would argue flying airplanes into buildings to kill innocent people doesn't really provide enough information to settle the question. Instead, put me in direct control of deciding when and by what method they would die – their reactions in that scenario would be a better determinant of whether or not they are cowards.

Our agency is across the river from the Pentagon. When it got hit, we heard and felt the windows rattle. As we ran to the river side of the building, the senior most Air Force NCO in our office grabbed his back back and literally knocked co-workers out of the way to leave the building. Although much older and long since removed from the military, I have not been able to shake that memory from my mind. Granted, with all that was going on, the heroics and sacrifice of many, many others should more than out way what this individual did. However, as a combat vet and American, I was saddened beyond description. I lost a very good friend that day in the Pentagon...I also lost something else that I struggle to regain. I do not damn the NCO Corps nor the Air Force. I wonder which part of the oath this man once took where he pledged to defend the United States of America that he couldn't, wouldn't, or didn't remeber?

Gary

You are absolutely right – the terrorists were cowards and arrogant as well. To take so many people with them on their suicide mission is not the act of a cause that is legitimate. I'm glad you wrote this – and told us about some of the real heroes that you met that day.

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL

Some of the other comments I've seen touch on this, but I don't think it's cowardly to die for a cause you believe in, regardless of whether you're on the side of right, or the side of wrong.

I guess it's P.C. to call them cowards though.

But it's still sloppy journalism.

This is to Brenda Harris and other peopel who think that just cause you elect Obama, that islamic terriosts will lay down their arms and follow us because we extend an olive branch to them.

We need to be careful when we respond in force. But just cause you elect Obama, that won't mean we won't have people who hate the US and would do everything to destory us.

Thank you Gary for a wonderful blog post. You set it out perfectly and said what every rational person understands but needs to hear and read again.

You know as much as Bush has done wrong, his speech for 9/11 was powerfull. WE as Americans are not afraid, we are the type to kick tail if you mess with our family, and family as being United as ONE. I had the honor today to raise the flag back up to the top, as I did this it represented even during tough times at half staff American always rises back to the top stronger than before and it always seems to fly a little higher and stronger with more color and pride than ever before. Never forget America, and remember who we are and what we WILL do when someone comes into our house and tries to push anyone of us around. That coward will have about 50 states full of pissed off people coming after them

I'm sorry but how the hell is hijacking planes and flying them into buildings cowardly again? I understand how hurt and humiliated you may feel by those attacks but don't lull yourselves to sleep at night with false notions that these men were cowardly. Using this logic, then anyone who attacks anyone else is always a coward! You really believe this? Had they been Americans doing the same thing to a building in Baghdad you'd be calling them 'Steely Eyed True American Heroes'. Good to see the old American double standard is alive and well. Cowardly is sending an army to find one man and destroying 2 countries in the process, all in the name of making some money for your friends.

It always seemed to me that the people who planned and executed the attack on September 11, 2001 sought to reflect the injustices they have experienced from the hands of the American people. They are outraged out America's shameless exploitation of the world and its resources. I think that it would take great courage to take one's own life, let alone the lives of others. It takes very little, however, to sit behind the high walls of our country and to send out our children to fight an enemy that is no person or group, but an ideal that they hold to be true and that we reinforce every day by continuing to impose our culture on others the world over. It takes very little courage to stamp out a small flame, but the action is motivated by fear. And fear is what we have become. Every time we say we are brave and they are cowards and we are right and they are wrong and we are sane and they are crazy is a terrible, terrible self-deception.

I suppose this will come off as unpatriotic, in the modern sense of the word. Unfortunately, patriotism comes closer and closer to lining up with nationalism every day in the eyes of the government, the media, and, therefore, the people.

I wish we would all... grow up.