Remembering 9/11: your stories

[scubadiver]

Saw the following on abovetopsecret.com (but edited)

Write your account of how you first discovered the news that a plane or planes had crashed into the World Trade Center towers.

Your immediate reaction, thoughts, and emotions when you realized that it was not an accident.

Your account of the first news of an explosion at the Pentagon.

First thoughts, reaction to, and how or why the World Trade Center first tower collapsed.

Your interpretation of how the news media covered the events of that day.

Finally, your thoughts of how the events of that day impacted you on a personal level, those around you, and your thoughts, or theories, as they exist today. and anything you'd like to add in closing.

Please keep your replies as brief as possible, and stay within the topic.

__________________

Putting it into context, (a) I was going through bad patch in my personal life at the time and (b) I was at work so the internet was down completely
because so many people were logging to find out information.

I heard about the two planes during the day but it wasn't until I got to Reading FC stadium to watch a football match against West Ham that I saw the replayed footage on the screen in the members bar. The first thing I said to a friend of mine was "Bin Laden".

As I say, due to personal circumstances it didn't occur to me at all question whether it was an accident or not. Even after watching the footage of the collapses, I didn't think much of it. I had more personal problems to deal with at the time.

Admittedly, the first I heard about a plane at the Pentagon was when my dad sent me an email questioning whether there was a plane that crashed their or nor a few weeks later.

As far the media is concerned, I only saw half an hour of footage in the bar and that was it so I don't have much of an opinion on that.

As I thought Al-Qaeda had did it, I thought the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq was right although I was doubtful about the WMD.

Between 9/11 and Christmas 2005 I had done a Masters degree part time so I had more important things to think about.

I was interested in watching Fahrenheit 9/11 so there was a remnant of interest in what happened on that day. But it was Moore's look at the relationship between Bush and the Saudi's that caught my attention. Then for some reason I heard about Loose Change in March. Since then I have read numerous books and looked up documentaries and lectures on the internet.

I am currently reading "Without Precedence" by Hamilton and Keane.

[SHERITON HOTEL]

I had a bit of a 'Close Encounters' moment. I was working on an allotment for an environmental charity and something possessed me to make a twin tower sculpture out of straw bales. I phoned my relatives in Long Island NY to see if they were OK I think and hope they were upwind of all that pulverised toxic material.

[scar]

I was at home making a tune and my friend came rushing in saying "america is under attack, a missile hit the twin towers" as he had just turned on to see the towers smoking. I ran in and we stood in shock for a while and discovered it was planes. My first thought was "this is retaliation for decades of aggressive foreign policy" - my social policy 'controlled left' background speaking some might say, this rapidly became "imagine how they are going to use this" and we sat and watched for a while in horror. I didnt see them collapse then but went on the internet for news and views. In the following days something didnt seem right about the instant blame and war rhetoric and i kept a look out for opinions etc and discovered Michael Ruppert and soon after that Alex Jones. Although i had some knowledge of secret societies etc, 911 sent me on a massive learning mission at fromthewilderness and infowars and others. The first docus I saw were Truth and Lies and The Road to Tyranny. I started telling my friends what i had found, handing out cd's with those 2 films on and the reaction was mostly that it was all nonsense or that i was insane/paranoid. My flatmate was in the same boat. Some minor interest but a severe barrier with the vast majority. Its not easy to question everything you think you know...
I guess i became a recluse around this time and whenever i saw people i think i put them off with my rantings. Not good. My flatmate went the other way and stopped discussing it/got back on with his life. Have barely seen him since then. The evidence wasnt as solid as it is today but i was sure it was an inside job based on what i had found/seen. Gradually as time has gone on ive seen people open up to this, the past couple of years has seen a massive shift. Having more solid presentations of the evidence to hand out on the street has been much more successful but still there are few people here who are involved.
Sadly my militant stance has led to me being pretty much disowned by my folks and many friends. Im ashamed to admit i had a few years of depression and for ages there appeared little hope. Since 911 ive lost interest in many things i loved - skating, musicmaking etc.
Im a lot more positive about the future now though and can see the light at the end of the tunnel approaching in certain ways. Im no longer a lunatic in many peoples eyes. Glad to be a member here...

Love to ya all.