New 9/11 Aerial Photos Released

Today, ABC released 12 of the thousands of new photos they obtained of the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks.

It’s amazing how viewing photos from that day makes me feel.  It’s a very sudden and strong reaction.  It’s usually a flood of varying emotions from extreme sadness, to pride, pity and intense anger.

The sadness that literally makes my heart hurt is usually brought on by images of the people fleeing, all covered in gray soot and ash, or of firefighters or other emergency workers racing to the buildings, some never to be seen again, or of the towers collapsing and knowing there are people dying inside at that very moment. 

The pride comes when I see the emergency workers doing their jobs so well.  We lost many that day, but so many more were saved.  It was truly amazing that more people didn’t die.  My dad was a firefighter for over 25 years and it never ceases to amaze me how heroic emergency workers are.  When we are facing death, they run in, seemingly unafraid.

The pity is for my country.  Within days of the attacks, it looked as though Americans would wise up and see reality before them, but it was not to last.  The singing congressmen on Capitol Hill gave way to finger pointing, more statism and loss of liberty.  The brotherly and sisterly love and respect we felt for our fellow Americans gave way to eminent domain threats in Pennsylvania to create a memorial for those those who fought and died on Flight 93.  (Fortunately, the government later backed off this decision.  Hopefully, they won’t change their mind again.)  And no one in government is doing what they need to do to protect our rights and prevent such an attack from occurring again.

The intense anger is for the enemy.  They are ignorant, hateful, and delusional.  Their irrational love for a god and heaven that does not exist blinds them all reality.  It would be an insult to animals to say that their behavior was animal-like.  They are truly inhuman.

Following the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the press considered burying the stories, photos and videos of that awful day.  They said we couldn’t take it.  They said it was too depressing.  I’m glad they didn’t.  We all need the constant reminder of the dangers of mysticism and irrationality, and the dangers of a big, out-of-control and ineffective government. 

We still haven’t learned our lesson.  We still haven’t corrected our mistakes.  I hope we continue to examine the photos, videos and the events of that day.  Let it be burned into our minds until we take action to ensure that it never happens again.