Five years ago today, we awoke to this — a nightmare that we didn’t think could ever happen, that shouldn’t have ever happened but it did — an attack on American soil that before the day was over had taken the lives of over 3,000. We pledged as a nation to Never Forget! Today, there is a blogswarm in remembrance of those lost on that day.

Honoring the 2,996 — the victims at the World Trade Center 5 years ago today — that is an ongoing program culminating in 2,996 profiles, actually more, but I can’t check that number right now because their website is down. Not sure if it is just overloaded, or if it is the victim of a DOS attack, but the ubiquitous “contact billing/customer support” screen from their hosting provider is an ominous sign that it is the latter. [Actually, looks like they exceeded their bandwidth and the host shut 'em down, so here's a mirror site where you can find links to all 3,013 tributes.]

I messed up — procrastinated far too long thinking that I could sign up “later”, and when later came to pass, all of the profiles were spoken for. So, I’ll direct you to those of other bloggers that I know who didn’t decide to wait to select the ones that they honor today.

Paul at Prying 1 is honoring Daniel M. Van Laere, former firefighter and insurance underwriter who was on the92nd floor of the South tower when the 2nd plane hit.

John at Blogotional honors Eileen Flecha who, along with her fiance, also perished in the South tower.

SeeDubya at Junk Yard Blog remembers Lisa J. Raines, who was on Flight 77 which went into the Pentagon. SeeDubya and his wife had been booked on considered being on that very flight, but do to a timing factor changed their reservations took a later flight instead. (Thanks for the update, SeeDub.)

We could have been on Flight 77; by the grace of God we were not. There are many more ironies and twists to this story I’ve left out, and wish I could share with you. But consider this one: I signed up for the 2996 Project, memorializing a victim of 9/11, and was randomly assigned the case of Lisa J. Raines, who had done so much to help people start new lives, and who was one of 64 who died on Flight 77 out of Dulles.

[And more:]

The Anchoress presents her tribute of Firefighter Matthew David Garvey, former Marine, firefighter, FDNY, Squad 1. In it she makes this point about those that serve as our protectors, even to the cost of their own lives:

Or perhaps what we see in their eyes is a love greater than death.

They are the epitome of the gift freely given, and because their gift is free, nothing can ever claim victory over it.

Keep checking on the site for Honoring the 2,996 — once it’s back up you can view many more of the tributes.

Over at the Jawa Report, they want to make it crystal clear what 9/11 actually was, and who was actually to blame.

9/11 was not a tragedy. A tragedy happens by mistake or because of natural forces. A tsunamai is a tragedy. A car accident is a tragedy.

9/11 was an attrocity. Attrocicities are committed. An attrocity is the result of planned action.

Islamic extremists murdered American citizens on a mass scale on 9/11. It was premeditated action.
(…)
Bush and Clinton did not murder almsot 3,000 people on September 11, 2001. Muslim terrorists did.

Whatever the pre-9/11 failings were, these were not the result of Clinton or Bush. They were the result of a mindset. That mindset was of treating terrorism as a law enforcement problem and not part of a war.

Laer at Cheat Seeking Missiles states that it is no longer enough to just honor this day with a moment of silence.

So let the moment of silence be behind us now. Let the moment of defiantly shouting “FREEDOM!” begin. Let’s not forget what we’re fighting for. Let’s not forget that the enemy is strong-willed and intent on destroying us.

Let’s not let those who would rewrite history or jeopardize the future of democracy deflect us from the cause that became so real five years ago.

Not only must we never forget, we must act, and vote, as if we want to win this war. Our enemy is determined, and committed to its goals and ambitions — we can be no less committed to making sure that they never succeed. Our children’s children’s lives and society depend upon what decisions and actions that we do today. That is how, and why, I remember 9/11 . . . (db)

Technorati Tags: Remembering 9/11

This entry was posted on Monday, September 11th, 2006 at 9:21 am and is filed under A Post 9/11 World, Decision '06, G.W.O.T., Radical Islam. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.  |   Print This Post  |   Email This Post

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