Freedom Tower Taking Shape

It has taken for what seems like forever, but the new Freedom Tower is now etched on the New York City Skyline.  The Steel has reached to the 87th floor.  

For some amazing shots from the tower go here.  


It is good to see this project coming along.  America may have been kicked on 9/11, but we will survive and this tower is a testament to that.  

Dutch Architects See No Resemblance to 9/11 Attacks

“It was not our intention to create an image resembling the attacks nor did we see the resemblance during the design process. We sincerely apologize to anyone whose feelings we have hurt, it was not our intention.”

Really?  You didn't see a resemblance, are you blind?  

However the Weekly Standard reports that Jan Knikker of MVRDV told a Dutch language newspaper, “I have to admit that we also thought of the 9/11 attacks.”

Sick.  Why would someone want to live in a building like this?  

We Will Never Forget

Below is part one of the documentary made by two brothers who happened to be at firehouse closet to ground zero on 9/11.  The rest is on you tube.  If you have never seen it, it is well worth your time.  A moving tribute to the firefighters who risked thier lives to save others. 

President Bush's Speech to Dedicate Memorial to Flight 93

He really hit the right tone here. 

Everybody Knows Where They Were on 9/11 - That is Except Obama

"We all know where we were on Sept. 11th 2001," TSA administrator John Pistole said.

Really?  Then why has President Obama given two different accounts of where he was on that day?  This may seem like a minor thing, but if he lied about this, can he trusted at all? 
 
He told Scholastic readers he was home that day watching Malia and Sasha and watched the tragedy from there.



He told WBEZ:


“I remember that I was driving to a state legislative hearing in downtown Chicago when I heard the news on my car radio, that a plane had hit the World Trade Center,” he said.

H/T to PJ Tattler




 
How can he not know where he was on 9/11?  Since I am sure he does know, why is he turning into a different story?  The man is pathological.

What, Israel Doesn't Warrent a Mention as a Community That Experienced Terrorism?

“As we commemorate the citizens of over 90 countries who perished in the 9/11 attacks, we honor all victims of terrorism, in every nation around the world, we honor and celebrate the resilience of individuals, families, and communities on every continent, whether in New York or Nairobi, Bali or Belfast, Mumbai or Manila, or Lahore or London.”

From the White House "guidelines" on how to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

I don't know about you, but I don't think I need Obama to tell me how I should mark the day. 

Hmm, do you think leaving out Jerusalem was just a oversight? 

Coming Together to Remember - Oh, Really?

Then why can't first responders go the memorial at Ground Zero?  The men and women who showed up at Ground Zero the days following the attacks of 9/11 are heroes.  Some are now ill due the work they did trying to recover  bodies so their loved ones would be able to have a proper funeral and a little bit of closure.  Yet, they are being treated like they don't even matter on the tenth anniversary. 

If you believe the words you are saying President Obama, you would put your foot down and tell that politically correct lunatic Mayor Bloomberg that the first responders belong at the memorial service.  As usual, words is what we get from you, not actions. 

History Will be Kinder to President Bush

I have always maintained that history would be much kinder to President Bush then the press and country was during his presidency. One of the most pointed thing in his legacy is the fact that President Obama has kept much of the apparatus on the war on terror in place after taking office, much to the chagrin of his left base and totally against the then candidate Obama. Candidate Obama thought it would be easy to try KSM in New York. Candidate Obama thought he could close Gitmo in a matter of months. Candidate Obama never would have admitted to keeping rendition in place. Candidate Obama would never have admitted to increasing the drone program into Pakistan. Candidate Obama never would have added more troops to Afghanistan. President Obama has done all of these things. Many of them were done kicking and screaming, but some have been done because once president he realizes that the responsibility is different. Once president he had access to security information that had been denied to him previously. Once president he was forced to realize that the American people are not as far left as he is. They had some say in terms of bringing KSM to U.S. soil for a show trial.



Since the death of UBL we have seen a great deal of media attention put back on the tragedies of 9/11. Time Magazine actually went back and looked up the kids who were being read to when Andy Card leaned over and whispered to President that America was under terrorist attack. Remember the uproar the left had when President Bush didn’t leap out of his chair and run out of the room? Remember the jokes and the ridicule? Remember the left dismissing the claims of President Bush that he was worried about upsetting the children? Turns out he was right, at least according to the kids present in that room. The kids are all teenagers now, and they tell a very different story of that morning and of a president who tried to remain calm. They say that him staying in the room was the right thing to do, as they could see from his expression something had upset him. Being small children they of course wondered if they had done something wrong and know that if he had run out of the room it would have been more upsetting to them, as at that age the carnage of that day was nothing something that they were not prepared for and could not comprehend.


It is well worth the read. History will be kinder to President Bush.

We Can Absord It? - Obama's Wars

"We can absorb a terrorist attack.  We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever....we absorbed it and we are stronger."

President Obama quoted in Bob Woodward's new book Obama's Wars.  This is a direct quote that White House is only not denying, but seems to be happy with the book and it's contents. 

This is truly scary.  While I fully understand that a large part of the presidency and governing in general is to look at things in a macro setting as opposed to looking at every issue on a micro level.  This is the reason that a country can't make deals with terrorists.  It only promotes more terrorism and the job of the government is to protect the country as a whole. 

With being said, WTF?  As I said, I am glad that he is looking at these issues on a macro level and I am very relieved that he says he is trying to prevent them, but this is one of the most insensitive statements a president can say.  Almost 3,000 families were shattered by the deaths of their loved ones.  A nation went into a tailspin when the realization of the dangers in the world came crashing down on that Tuesday morning.  The president would be much better served to keep these opinions to himself. 

Ground Zero Mosque and the Truthers

I have zero tolerance for truthers.  This is unacceptable.  He cannot say that he is a moderate and believe that President Bush murdered three thousand Americans for oil or whatever else the truthers think.  In this case, I guess he would just be protecting Usama bin Laden.  One very good example of why I can't stand the "truthers" they had the nerve to show up at the memorial service for the victims of 9/11 at the Washington Memorial on Saturday.  For the sake of argument lets say they are correct, it doesn't change the fact that three thousand people were brutally murdered.  They and their families deserve to be treated with respect and dignity no matter who was responsible.  They certainly didn't deserve what happened to them on that fateful day. 



This was broken by the New York Post

Judith Miller believes that the mosque will not be built because they cannot raise the money.  So this is hardly over. 

Pentagon Memorial 9-11-10

Have We Forgotten Our Heros of 9/11?

During the time of the 9/11 aftermath, I worked with a young woman who was very dedicated to charitable causes.  One of the causes she helped out with was The Red Cross.  If you remember, The Red Cross was one of the charitable organizations that collected money for 9/11.  A few months after the attack The Red Cross was in the news because they had said they wanted to use some of the money for additional disasters.  She and I totally disagreed on this.  I said at the time that money needed to be saved because we had no idea what was going to happen to the workers that were working at the site, or to the people who lived in that neighborhood.  They may have long term health problems and mental health problems and would need that money for their families and for the medical expenses. 

Like most things the media forgets about it and moves on to other things.  We should be looking into this again.

Have You Forgotten?

I certainly hope that you have not.

The Mosque and the Radicals

While I have always disagreed with the building of the mosque, I have been supportive of the constitutional rights to do so.  I was happy to see that the argument against the mosque no longer included government involvement in stopping it.  Because under no circumstances in this country should the government be involved in the legal building of houses of worship.  Our country was founded for that freedom and it must be protected. 

Iman Rauf's appearance on Larry King Live last night should give every person pause.  This is a well educated man who chooses his words carefully.  As such, even if you are looking at this mosque only as a constitutional issue, his words should make you want to reassess that opinion. 

"If we move from that location the story will be that the radicals have taken over the discourse.  The headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is under attack"

"The danger from the radicals in the Muslim to our national security, to the national security of our troops"

"No one's body is at this location."

Basically what this man is saying is that we have to do what the radicals want or else.  I don't think that we do. 

1. No where in the Muslim world do they have religious freedoms for non-Muslims.  So, there opinion of our freedoms are completely irrelevant.
2. Who exactly is it that is driving the headlines?  He and his wife have both made inflammatory statements that will then be beamed across the world.  He is making the headlines. 
3. The vast majority of people didn't get any body back, the murder victims were basically pulverized. 

I am not one to be blindly against Muslims.  I do believe that some of the opposition is based on more than just the location.  There are people that want all Muslims out of this country, that cannot be denied.  But, I don't think that fear is unreasonable.  For those who want don't understand the fear factor here is something that sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

Terrorism experts say about 7% of Muslims have been radicalized.  That seems like a very small percentage until you actually do the math.  There are approximately 1.1 billion Muslims in the world.  That is approximately 7 million radicalized terrorists that are willing to strap bombs on themselves to kill as many innocent people as possible.  We have quite a few states in this country that don't have that many people in them.  That is a legitimate reason to be afraid. 

The fact that the Iman is unwilling to answer some very simple questions should give everyone some pause:

1. How did a man who was a waiter just a few short years ago come up with the money to buy the property? 
2. Does anyone really believe that the radicals will not attack us if we the mosque is built? 
3. Where is the money coming from? 
4. Why does the Iman's book have a different translation in English than in Arabic? 
5. If the Iman understands the sensitivity of the victims families, then why is just move it several blocks? 

If these questions are answered they may find that they will garner more support than just 30% of Americans. 

The Rise of Freedom WTC Site Finally Seeing Progress

The World's Reaction to 9/11

The 9/11 Tributes Begin

This is a tribute that took place in Fairfield County, CT.  Fairfield County borders New York and is very close to Manhatten.  Many people who work in New York City live in this part of CT. 

I grew up right near this park that has this memorial, it is beautiful there in the summer time. 

Never Forget

Bob Beckel Shows What an Idiot He Is

The below video is really long, but at almost 14:30 into it, Bob Beckel comes out with the statement that we have to get over 9/11.  While I will agree that many New Yorkers are reacting to the Ground Zero Mosque on an emotional level, that doesn't mean that they are wrong.  It has been less than ten years since it happened.  I live outside of Washington, DC, and we were also hit on 9/11.  The damage done to the Pentagon was nothing compared to what happened in New York.  The Pentagon's damage was only a small part of the building and the fire was put out in a matter of days.  The city got back to almost normal in a matter of weeks.  If you didn't drive by the Pentagon you wouldn't have really known about the additional security measures. 

I grew up in Southern CT, very close to New York City.  You can be in Manhatten in 40 minutes, so I have been there many times.  Shortly after 9/11 I had this draw to go to the city to see it.  I will never forget that smell.   The buildings burned for months after the attack.  The trade center is still nothing more than a hole in the ground.  It was actually many years later until I drove home to CT.  I will never forget when I was driving on the George Washington Bridge and looked over to see big gapping hole in the NYC skyline.  No, Bob, I am not yet over it.

Do you think the men who carried out this dead firmeman should get over it? 

How bad must it have been in that building that this was the better choice? 

Should these six children get over it, Bob? 

Do you think they are going to forget this moment? 

So yes, Bob, this is still raw.  For the people who lived through this day and people who lived in the city at the time, it may remain that way forever for them.  Apparently, you can blame for it, but personally, I don't have the heart to.

Then we have this idiot blaming President Bush for 9/11:

A Pre 9/11 Mentality is Unacceptable - Terror is Still in the Skies

Yesterday we were given a reminder of why we cannot live in a pre 9/11 world. The dangers of terrorism exist in the world and we have to remain vigilant. A 23 year old Nigerian man got on plane to travel to the United States with the intent of blowing up the plane on American soil. His travels started in Lagos, Nigeria onto Amsterdam, then to Detroit. While it is not clear what materials he used in his attempt to blow up the plane, the reality remains that we are still in danger.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab apparently has ties in the United Kingdom and Yemen. The UK has very serious issues when it comes to Islamic extremism. London has been nicknamed Londonistan. This nickname has been deserved. The U.K. has more lax immigration than the U.S. does. Many immigrants come to the U.K. to take advantage of their version of our welfare system. There are several Imams that preach fiery anti-western speeches in the many mosques around London while collecting a monthly check from the very country that they are hell bent on destroying. If asked about the hypocrisy of this, they will just say that they qualify for it. London also has many dissidents from Middle Eastern countries that traveled to western nations due to arrests warrants in their home countries such as Saudi Arabia. They put in claims of fear of torture and death threats and will be allowed to stay. There is a radio program that is broadcasted out of London done by a man who is a proud and vocal follower of Usama bin Laden. He cheered the destruction of the twin towers on 9/11.


Sadly, there is a movement within portions of the British government that is using the same form of appeasement that they did during the 1930’s with Hitler. Incorporating Sharia law into British common law is one of the ways that this being done. While it may seem harmless on the surface to incorporate Sharia into child custody and divorce cases for the growing Muslim population within the country, it is not. When you immigrate to another country you need to become part of the culture of the country that you are now living in. I am not saying that you let go of your culture, but you need to become part of the country that you are living in. I am a product of this. While I was raised to be an American, I was also taught the Scandinavian traditions and culture. I carry those with me to this day. If you want to live under Sharia law, then stay in a country that follows it. There are plenty of them around the world.


Yemen is another country that has very real problems. It is an extremely poor country that has a very unstable government. It is not a country that westerners should travel to, as you may be kidnapped and held for ransom. It is a common occurrence. Yemen has beautiful antiquities that are draw for people that want to see these things for themselves. Yemen is the ancestral home of the bin Laden family, and one of his wives is a native. While the Yemenise government has made attempts at curbing international terrorism, it has not gone very well. The judicial system has not been great at jailing these people, and when they do there are breakouts from the prisons where sometimes up to 100 people will be freed at a time. Since these occur on pretty regular basis, it would make sense that some of the jail officials are in on it, or at the very least being paid off. It would not be hard for Yemen to become the next Afghanistan that harbors bin Laden, training camps, and the like.


At this point it is unclear how strong his ties to terrorism are. We have not been told if he attended any training camps or if he is a lone wolf that looked for people to help him with the explosives. Those questions may never be answered to the American public for security reasons. What is clear is that we cannot forget what happened on 9/11, al Qaeda has not. The desire to bring about economic collapse of the western world is still a main goal of bin Laden and his followers