What Matters: October 2001
A Time to Share
October's column offered readers a chance to record their thoughts and feelings about the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Alumni shared their first-hand experiences as well as how these events changed their lives and the lives of those around them. They also shared their ideas about how the United States and the world should respond.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this special What Matters column.
Larry Marden '72 10/31/2001
I was on a bus just outside the Holland Tunnel on my way down to Wall Street. The towers were easily visible from across the river, particularly as you get closer to the city. We were all watching smoke rise from one of the buildings and wondering if it was a fire. Then we saw the second plane hit and people started screaming. We knew something awful was happening. Shortly after they closed the tunnel and we voted to have the driver turn around and take us home. Someone had a radio and it was piped over the P.A. system. We knew about the Pentagon, and the fourth plane, and were really scared about how extensive this might be. Then we heard a woman on the radio scream that one of the towers had collapsed. By this point we were a ways down the NJ Turnpike, and everyone turned around to see but a single tower standing along the river. It was a horrible sight that I won't ever forget. I was reminded of Lot leaving Sodom and Gomorrah as they were destroyed behind him.
We checked in with all the friends and relatives that afternoon and evening and were happy to learn that everyone was ok. It's only in the time since 9/11 that I have come to learn that several of the victims were people I knew—a former co-worker, a friend of a friend, etc.
I've been to the site a couple of times since. I used to go through those buildings every day to the Path trains underground to New Jersey. When I recall those days, the sadness can be overwhelming, but I feel even stronger feelings of anger. A little bit at us, because we allowed something like this to happen. But much more at the world—a world that takes us for granted, that feels free to express disdain or hatred for us, but a world that knows this country is the only place to live and sends its immigrants here to take advantage of us, largely without contributing fair value in return, unlike the immigrants that built this country.
I fear for myself, my family, and my countrymen, for future attacks, and for extended war and American casualties. But most of all I fear for my children, who it seems increasingly clear will grow up in a world far different, and far less carefree, than the one in which I did.
I wholeheartedly support President Bush and our country's mission. We cannot let the thugs take over our world, or the world of our friends and allies. I think we made a grave mistake after previous terrorist attacks by not responding as we need to now. The '93 World Trade Center bombing, Lockerbie, the Marine Barracks in Lebanon, the U.S.S. Cole. Nobody paid for any of those, and we unfortunately sent the world the message that terrorism is nearly risk-free.
No more. We must root them out, destroy them, and make it clear to the world that we will do this to anyone who tries to perpetrate acts like this again. We are the superpower, the guiding light. There must be causes for which we are not willing to turn the other cheek. If ever there was one, it is this.
Lars Oleson '00 10/19/2001
The light of liberty cannot be dimmed. To extinguish the candles of a few only makes the others burn more brightly.
Dave '99 10/19/2001
I live and work in Manhattan—about six miles from the WTC. I was far enough away so that I was never in any immediate danger, but close enough to fear for my life pretty seriously in the hours after the attacks when panic swept the island and no-one knew what was coming next. That fear of imminent doom has subsided now and been replaced with a general, constant, low-level anxiety about new attacks, but for now, nothing new (save for the anthrax threats, which have been more scary than they have been effective). Knock on wood. To those of you who lost people you knew and loved in the attacks, I don't know how to express a sufficient amount of grief, but I really am sorry.
As far as the political side of all of this, well, I'm not that politically aware, but there seem to be two poles of opinion in this country, with lots of people falling in-between. On one extreme you have the people who largely blame the US for this. They say we've been exploiting and oppressing people all over the world for ages, and that that's why militant groups like al-Qaeda are trying to destroy us. On the other extreme you've got people who become blindly nationalistic and warlike in situations like these—people who want to exact revenge and use ungodly amounts of force to level Afghanistan. I feel like the opinions from both of these extremes (you hear lots of them here in NYC) are pretty much not constructive.
For my rupee, this mess is a matter of human nature at its ugliest. Bin Laden doesn't want to destroy the US because of the mess in Palestine/Israel or because we're exploiting and oppressing Muslims everywhere. That's why he SAYS he wants to destroy the US, but surely a guy who was born into fifteen gazillion dollars can take more effective steps toward combatting oppression and poverty than knocking down two big buildings full of people who pay taxes to fund the ostensible oppressors. What Bin Laden REALLY WANTS is for his will to prevail. He wants his way—his perception of how religion should be, and his perception of how society should be—to become the only way, at least in his part of the world. By the same token, our country is certainly not flawless in this regard. We do plenty of unpleasant stuff (you've likely heard about alot of it) to impose our will on people around the world. In alot of ways, we try to push our perceptions of how society should be.
This, unfortunately, is what human beings do for the most part. People try to get their way. People, in general, don't really like compromise or seeing issues from alternate points of view. Some people really really really don't like these things…and some of these people have tons of money and stockpiles of weapons and well-trained armies and the stomach to kill lots of people to get their way.
That's messed up...
And after giving this careful thought, I've thrown the (extremely light) weight of my opinion behind the current US military actions—not because we need to
Chuck Lieberman '70 10/15/2001
This was extremely shocking to me since it was so personal. I personally knew two people who did not survive the attack, there were several people from my town in New Jersey who did not survive, three family members of my congregation (none of whom I knew personally), several stories of very close calls including one person—a friend of one of my sons, who left tower 2 after the first plane hit, but his girl friend's father, a partner in the firm for which he worked, failed to survive, I gave a class to trainees at Canter Fitzgerald, and lastly, I once had an office on the 102nd floor of Tower 2 some years ago. Being the workaholic that I am, I likely would have stayed, since there was no obvious threat to the South Tower after the North Tower was hit. I'm also a native New Yorker, although I live in New Jersey and it feels so very personal, although I understand it isn't. In the days after the attack, I found it cathartic to talk about it.
Like many others, I was absolutely blown away by the bravery of the firefighters and other rescue workers who were going in, even as the risks were clearly rising. And I've been so very touched by all everyone has done. My son and I went to a blood bank the afternoon of the 11th and were turned away, since they already had more volunteers than they could process. And everyone has been exceptionally supportive.
I have also become quite angry over the attack and strongly support heavy retribution. I'm offended that the Taliban actually threaten retailiation for attacks, to the point that I feel we should make an extreme example of them, to help deter any future terrorist from following in their footsteps. I believe President Bush is actually intending to do so (and I hope he does so to the degree I would, which some may find extreme). I would support
Jonathan Cohen '82 10/11/2001
I lost my oldest friend Adam from my childhood days. We grew up together & shared much of the fun and angst that we all experience from 10 to 40 years of age. He was family.
He was so proud of his new job, CFO at Cantor-Fitzgerald, a firm that occupied the top of the Towers. He had really made it and wanted to meet and celebrate in the city. I rescheduled a few times, but was meaning to go meet him. We were in-fact trading voicemails and emails that morning.
It was disturbing to get a voicemail and the news of the crash at about the same time that day. It was chilling to get my email from earlier in the day bounced back—and there was no further phone service into those buildings. What hope there was faded over the next few days.
I recently went through the saved emails in my archive—you all know, to clear out the ones you really don't need. There were a few from Adam, addressed to his brother, and similarly signed. I still need these.
There are many things I must do in the near future to honor him, and his family. But I can't shake the image of him kicking me in the rear, and telling me not put off sharing good times with people you love.
Modesto Gomez '80, SM '81 10/11/2001
I echo Ted Kochanski's comments. I would also add that if the forum needed to have had an admonition it should have said:
Ted Kochanski '74 10/9/2001
The statement that contributors refrain from making comments that incite violence is itself an obscene politically correct comment.
The core values of our civilized world have been threatened at its very roots by forces of nihilism.
We must strike back, not for revenge but for the sake of civilization itself.
Mark Snyder '76 10/8/2001
I am reminded of something that Jacob Bronowski wrote in
Greg Gagarin '43 10/7/2001
The events on 9/11/01 in the morning reminded me of 12/7/41, when as a Jr. in the Dorm, we learned about Pearl Harbor. I had the same feeling of 'uncertainty' and apprehension. But this is a 'new' war!
Pat Spi SM '87 10/5/2001
Hi from Washington DC. I work in the Federal Govt. and am grateful my loved ones and I were not hurt and dismayed that many others were. I am noticing a different attitude toward government now and am hopeful that those who work in the public health arena, for example, will feel more public support than has been true for some time. I am learning too about what has been done in the name of our country that has so estranged us from others around the world. I knew about some of it, but its ferocity was not known to me. I pray we will all learn from this. ps
John (Jack) Tuohy SM '70 10/5/2001
I grew up and live in the New York Metropolitan area where 'roads are crowded tempers are short, people are rushing'. Things are different now. People say hello. Drivers stop to let you into a line of traffic or to pass across to a side street. Our awareness of our common humanity and the principles that we share are heightened.
Probably everyone in the NYC area knows multiple families affected by the tragedy. It is disheartening. But it appears that out of this suffering we have been drawn together; we seem more inclined to appreciate the truly important things in life. No where was this more evident than at the memorial service at Yankee Stadium. People of all races and religious backgrounds blended together and prayed, hugged, held hands, cried and sang. It struck me that this is a remarkable spectacle.
In this country we have evolved to look past our differences and see the common humanity that we all share. In so doing we are able to not only respect each other despite our differences but in some way we can actually celebrate that which makes us different. Although as MIT graduates we may be inclined to believe that our technological achievements will mark this time in history, it may turn out that our culture which expects us to respect each other as humans first may be our most noteworthy accomplishment.
Uthai Ang MAA '76 10/4/2001
Hi! I am All right. Just working a little close to CIA in Langley, VA.
What Matters is a guest opinion column written by a different MIT alumnus or alumna. The views expressed are entirely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Alumni Association or MIT. Interested in writing a column? Email whatmatters@mit.edu.
