Friday, September 15, 2006

New York- A 9/11 Experience

I was asked to repost this by a few, so here you go:


There were two big reasons why we went to New York. Jill and I are turning the big 3-0 this Friday and thought what a perfect weekend to celebrate, while fighting something we both feel very passionate about. It was a two for one deal...YAY!


Going there, I thought New York was going to be totally on board with all the 9/11 conspiracies, being appreciative of our support. I was sadly mistaken. People didn't even want to talk about it, wishing it would just go away. It made it difficult for the first few days, being there, knowing what we know, and people being so resistant. I felt very out of place and extremely frustrated. We held off of doing 9/11 stuff until Sunday, for good reason.


On Sunday, we first attempted to find out when Bush was speaking and where he was, but it turned out he was on later in the day...a time conflict with all the 9/11 speakers we wanted to listen to. When we got to the St. Mark's Church, where the rally was being held, we each got an "Investigate 9/11" t-shirt for the purpose of the demonstration that was beginning Monday morning. We listened to the speakers, talked to other supporters, and then had a dinner break. Me, Jill, Gina, Carrie, and Sam went outside, with our t-shirts on, and walked down the street to find food. We got some very negative reactions, to the point where I felt extremely nervous, I wanted to turn around and head up to where other 9/11 t-shirts were. People just did not want to be confronted by what we were doing, they were angry that we were there.


As the night went on, we watched a few possible "Loose Change Final Cut" clips, talked to more people and listened to Immortal Technique, a rap band who talks about 9/11 and the Bush Administration. It was good to be around people who were all on the same page as us, it was comforting to know we weren't fighting this alone. Before everyone departed, we got specific instructions from the Loose Change crew to be very civil and calm during the demonstration. We needed to be respectful of all the families and friends that were also going to be there, mourning their loved ones.


Monday morning arrived and we were to be at Ground Zero at 8 am. We didn't wear our shirts until we got there, we didn't feel the need to piss off the New Yorkers who had no idea what was about to go on. As we arrived to the permitted protesting area, we were pleasantly surprised by how many people were there. Nobody knew the number of who would actually show up and it turned out to be over a thousand...PHEW! All of us were given "Loose Change" videos to hand out and were instructed to keep moving along as we did this, in case of arrests being made.


Around 10am or so, all the 9/11 Truthers formed two lines to walk down the street in silence. This was to show the people we were here, that there were too many unanswered questions to the official story, and we weren't going to lie down without a fight. People were amazed to see us. I can't tell you how many pictures were being taken, how video cameras were on us, and how many journalists were there interviewing as many as possible. It was such an adrenaline rush, an empowering moment for me. I didn't care about the negative reactions because I was standing up for something I truly believed in. There were many tears being shed as I walked along and listened to all the victims names being read off. I was very sad, as if I was there on that horrific day and knew people in the Twin Towers. I felt personally affected, after all thousands of people were killed, the government refuses to answer questions and I AM an American Citizen.


After the morning march was over, we all dispersed. We walked around, handed out dvds, and talked to as many who would listen. One of the most memorable moments for me was this guy who walked up and requested a copy of "Loose Change." He shook my hand and said, "Thank you for being here and doing what you're doing." I had goosebumps...it rejuvenated every feeling I had when we first booked this trip and why we were there. Another woman came up to me and asked what we were doing. I told her, handed her the DVD, and she looked at me and said, "God bless you." And, then kissed me on the cheek. It was nothing like I've ever felt before, like pure energy surging threw my body. It was awesome!


Of course, there were others that didn't have the same gratitude. They wished we'd go away and felt we were disrespecting the victims. People are entitled to their own opinions, I can't argue; however I can disagree. We were fighting for their lost lives, showing our respect by fighting to get an investigation open to what really happened on 9/11. We care so much that we flew from all over the country to expose the lies that our government has been feeding us. We were there to honor our country and that's what it was all about for us...nothing more, nothing less.


Finally, the best was marching up and down the streets for the last part of the demonstration. We went to Larry Silverstein's Building, City Hall, and the police station to spread the word. It was history in the making and I was apart of it...an unforgettable experience that not everyone can say they did. After this trip, I've realized that life is truly what you make it and things will happen as long as there is purpose and free will of the people.

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