I’m writing this from the fuuuuture, because I didn’t like what was up here before.

On September 11th, 2001, I took my site offline and replaced it with a simple comment form where people could share their thoughts on what was happening. I guess I didn’t want the pressure of having to write something about it myself, so I dumped it on everybody else. Over the next 48 hours, many of my friends, readers, and strangers from around the world took part in that conversation.

It got pretty heated, which was interesting. I quickly had to take even that page down, and replaced the site with a sort of memorial where all you could enter was your name and location.

Looking back on it though, that first discussion that took place was really interesting, and very much representative of what people were thinking and talking about at that time, so I do want to preserve it in some way. There were hundreds, if not thousands of comments, but I’ve chosen a small and pretty diverse sample to share below.

This is Christoph, from the fuuuture, signing off.

we live on. america will live on, but don’t be the archie bunker at home waving your flag…go out and make a difference.

give blood. help the people. protest missiles. protest killing. protest war.

do what ever you feel is right.

le-bastard

All I can say at this point is that I hope we can avoid quibbling at each other, avoid the discord. That’s what terrorists want.

Lets band together in some way and avoid the ethnocentricism and nationalism that the other page was riddled with. It’s unproductive and pointless.

Voltron

I think we should stop wallowing about the victims. They’re already dead. Instead of focusing our efforts on the victims, I’d like to see efforts focused on bringing the perpetrators to justice. Or at least blowing them up, since making them jump out of the 90th story of a building is probably considered ‘cruel and unusual’ punishment.

The end.

Charisma

i’d just like to point out the fact that “allah” is simply the arabic word for god. its not a seperate god its just the arabic translation for a word.

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sheila

Now they are saying there is a bomb in the empire state building,when will the violence stop,this is just terrible,they said bomb sniffing dogs have smelled a bomb or something like that so they evacuated the empire state building now and penn station.

The liberty plaza hotel is getting ready to fall now,it is live on msnbc right now,it is getting ready to come down,this is getting ridiculous now,its like all of new york is falling because of the wtc falling,this is crazy now,

neo

i don’t know anyone in NYC or DC. my life was relatively unaffected. this being the case, it is times like these that the truth of your total personal insignificance really hits home. events like these, that completely rob you of your individuality, and really make you see how unimportant your existence is…are hard to deal with for all of us.

Jesse

It seems we are heading for tough military sanctions. I hope Mr W will be careful in his action. A uniquely military solution, isn’t going to eliminate terrorism, but fuel is ranks. Bin laden isn’t the terrorism made in one man, it’s one component. You have to wonder why middle east became a terrorist factory. It’s not based on religious believes, this rage comes from a feeling of injustice. Occident have taken advantage of 3rd world countries for centuries. All over the world, the riches are richer and the poor are even more miserable. Now, there are easily accessible means to take that rage out.

le petit gros

a couple of hours ago two of my friends and i were walking up from around 23rd street to times square when the empire state building bomb scare was announced and we were told by an NYPD cop: [and i quote] “RUN!!! GO!! RUN!!!” so we moved very quickly back to the 14th street military checkpoint. [jesus, i am talking about new york city… in the united states… i said “military checkpoint” and “14th street” in the same sentence. fucked up. it’s like a block from the virgin megastore…] we kept hearing snippets from people about “positive bomb detection from police dogs.” then it was announced as a hoax. this city is so fucked up. so we cabbed to my friends’ apartment, since i discovered they closed the subways below 14th street, so i couldn’t get back to brooklyn.

you can smell the smoke up fifty blocks from ground zero. many people, including ourselves, were walking around with those surgical/construction masks. i think i am going to hack up a lung. in any case, it was strange seeing people waving the american flag cheering at military vehicles as they passed by. [we were originally out to go volunteer at chelsea piers, but we were turned away, because there were already too many volunteers. so we went and had dinner.]

ARGH. my friend said a man of indian descent was beaten up around columbia university today, clearly a victim of a hate crime by a bunch of morons.

this whole thing just, for a lack of a better word, SUCKS.

i am going to go drink some port. it is technically my friend’s but i paid for it, so screw it.

bertie

everything is bad today ?

perfekt

hopefully all this is settled without the taking of too many more lives. you realise america has to take the blame a little for this? for being neo-isolationists? you cant just sit back and think this cant ever happen to you… you also cant just keep fueling other countries to do this sort of stuff to eachother and not expect some sort of payback. this was not something done for no reason. this was not something done for religion. this was something done for payback.

i get the feeling you were all meant to learn something from this but sadly i think it has gone over your heads in the heated search for ‘revenge’. well…go get your revenge. go raze a more more countries to the ground. they are only countries you have been egging on to kill eachother for years now anyway, might as well finish them off.

i really do feel for all of you..i have friends in new york and i was lucky enough to find them all alive. but really revenge should be the furthest thing from your mind. rebuild yourselves and appreciate eachother. dont go out and lynch people because of their faith.

peace.

panos

it was definitely only a matter of time before something like this would happen. America was far from innocent. The people that died in this horrific incident were innocent, agreed, but the american government was far from innocent. It was not peace time either. A jihad was proclaimed some time ago, it was far from peace time in america.

zeitgeist

Americans: From alleged lazy arrogant jerks to media darlings in one day.

And anyone who’s watching the relief effort knows it’s well deserved. Warms your heart, it does, to see so many people helping one another.

mrbilly

Blaming what happened on the entire nation of Islam is like blaming every christian on earth for what happened in Waco, Texas.

Actinide

Umm, out of all the people putting down Bush, who voted? And if you aren’t old enough to vote then don’t say shit because you’re just repeating mommy and daddy’s words. We should be behind our president right now. He’s all we have.

tori

You know what would be good right now? For America to go back to the isolationist policies we had in the 1800’s. Don’t screw with anyone outside the Americas. And if we have to it will be through the United Nations. Why the hell are we doing things a half world away and making enemies? I say let everyone who wants into our country in, but as to screwing with other people’s business, let the people over there handle their problems or let a group (U.N.) do it.

Justin

America has not asked the world to feel sorry for us. And I’m disgusted by the flood of anti-American sentiment flowing into this discussion in a time of tragedy. How dare you attack us while our nation mourns! How dare you insult our culture and tell us we deserved this! Our nation is the reason so much of this world is free.

We don’t ask you to kiss our feet….but if you can’t scrape up an ounce of respect and appreciation for the life you live….perhaps our biggest mistake was extending liberty beyond our own borders.

Desperado

First, I would like to say that I am not trying to offend any americans, so please don’t tell me how deeple hurt you are by me criticising your nation (I’ve heard it before).

I get irritated when people talk about how we have america to thank for democracy and freedom, when in fact it is ancient greece, the revolutionists of France and Iceland (who created our current form of representive democracy).

I am very sorry for all the innocent americans that died in this attack, you should not have suffered like this, but your goverment is at least partly to blame.
I would like to see some of you who disagree with me actually come with some sensible arguments on your stace, instead of patriotic nonsense.

For now let’s focus on the victimes and donate blood, and remember that what you hear is not nessasarily the truth, that it is a person with an agenda, and think!

Sorry for the bad enlish.

Kroaka

I’ve read all of the posts. a few of you make me sick. Let me tell you outsiders this fact: the sleeping giant is awake.

Anyone who denies the good that we have doon for the world is worthy of fighting. Who comes to our aid when our cities are leveled by hurricanes, tornados, drought? Who sends billions of dollars to us when our country could use it? Who financially supports both the countries we like, and don’t like, in a time of crisis? The citizens of this great nation give the most they can to anyone who needs it. After WWII, we dumped billions of dollars into the economies of our sworn enemies, so that they could rebuild. Japan and Germany aren’t doing to bad because of us. We saved France back in the 50’s as well. No debts or loans have ever been repaid. We didn’t expect them to. We were kind enough to let it slide. Billions of American dollars in support. Yet, we were kind enough to let it go.

If you dare speak out against the most generous nation in recorded human history, you are subject for the same retaliation that our enemies will face. go to hell, or face me and let me send you there personally. I’d be more than happy, as would my friends and family, to make it so.

murphy

As one who view the attack/collapse from practically ground zero as well as participated in the rescue attempts for two straight days I have to say it is useless to argue about why and to complain about what our own country has done. Instead of the petty bitching how about showing some respect to the ones who perished in the various buildings attacked, the ones who perished in the planes that were uses, the ones who gave their lives to try and save others and to the families that have voids in their lives that will never be filled. This is a time that world needs to come together and heal a grave wound.

Jeff

Hate breeds hate.

Semper Died