Monday, September 12, 2011

September 11, 2011...

The horrific events of Sunday, September 11, 2011, will haunt me until....next Sunday. America's Team was once again taken down by Jets.  I don't want to name names, but TONY ROMO fumbled the ball on the goal line, and threw a pick with under a minute to go!  Several prominent figures were overheard saying, "This, was a national tragedy, the likes of which we haven't seen since the Cowboy's opening game last year..."


 And that's all I have to say about that...





I hope the American public does not think the intelligence community, the administration, or the media's response to 'credible threats' for the ten year anniversary was just 'the sky is falling.'  A little west-coast-stay-at-home mom, who knows NOTHING about counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence, or anything much outside of...well I don't know anything she knows much about...but she said to me, "If I were a terrorist, I would strike when they least expected, not when they most expected."  Me too.  We need to be ready.

While there were many ceremonies in and around NYC, I was not able to attend any of them.  I did watch a little TV early on Sunday morning, and that alone was difficult.  I watched the ceremony in Shanksville, PA.  There were some great speeches, and great acknowledgment of the magnitude of what happened on Flight 93.

Flight 93 only had 33 passengers on it, plus the four hijackers.  But it had the right 33.  The backgrounds and makeup of the passengers and surviving crew assured that the Muslim jihadis could not win.

It is apparent from phone calls that were made from Flight 93 at the time, that when the passengers were in the final stages of their plan to retake the plane, the terrorist pilot made some sharp maneuvers, jarring the passengers.  Todd Beamer was on the phone with with GTE-Verizon operator supervisor Lisa Jefferson.  He told her what the passengers were planning, and they prayed together.  When the plane took a sharp dive, Todd yelled out "Lisa!"  Jefferson responded, "I'm still here Todd."  He wasn't talking to her, he was calling out for his wife, Lisa Beamer.

I would like to think that if I had been in that situation, I would have been as brave.  I know two things for certain.  One, I would have been yelling at everybody, "I told you I hate flying! I told you! I knew this would happen!"...and Two, I would be calling out for Mrs. Bannon...she is my everything.

8 comments:

Mrs. Bannon said...

I love you Race - thank you for being so brave, and so hardworking, and so tough, and thank you for loving me!!

Patti said...

mrs. bannon...how do we know you didn't hijack this post?? or else I think someone kidnapped my brother yesterday and replaced him with an imposter..

at the very least I would have expected Race to yell "Patti!" If only I hadn't pushed him out of a moving car so long ago...

off topic- this music has GOT to go! It's unnerving!

innominatus said...

Gee, thanks. Now my wife is on my case:

"Why don't you every say anything nice like that about me on your blog??"

LL said...

Ever since 9/11 every time I get on the airplane, I look at the passengers and ask myself, which one may be a terrorist - who do I get to kill? And which one of the guys on the airplane will help me do it?

I especially mad-dog the rag heads and wait for the day that one of them brandishes a box cutter on an airplane.

I know that I can find an appropriate sheath for his box cutter. And with the narrow aisles, they can only come one at a time and I'd be thrilled to dish up their 70 virgins for them.

If this makes me sound a bit demented, it's because I am. And because I really don't like THEM.

Patti said...

Me too, LL. I carry hot coffee or tea with me to throw in their faces and imagine yelling to all my fellow passengers to throw their shoes at the terrorists heads all at the same time. I inspect every passenger as they are walking down the aisles to their seats and I make a mental note of where the suspicious ones are sitting.
I'M NOT JOKING. Ask my husband! I may be skinny but I'm strong!!


(Race- name that movie.)

One time I even asked a flight attendant why the middle eastern man seated behind me had not been bodily searched. She said they could not single people out based on ethnicity like that. SO I asked her to switch my seat- across the aisle from him. NO terrorist was going to slit my throat from behind! I watched that guy like a hawk the entire three hours. He pulled a gold pen out to do a crossword puzzle- I was sure there was a knife inside that fake pen. I stared him down until he nervously put the pen away and went to sleep. I am quite sure I save our entire plane from going down!

And I am completely in earnest. I AM paranoid! Justifiably so!

Race Bannon said...

Hey Pat:

Jihadi 1 says to Jihadi 2, when they awake after dozing off during the flight, "Where is your hand...your other hand?" Jihadi 2, "Between to hairy pillows?" Jihadi 1, "Those aren't hairy pillows!!!" They jump up and start yelling...LL moves in and uses the wires from the complimentary headphones to permanently silence Jihadi 1, while a short and skinny, but strong, mother of 10 beats Jihadi 2 about the head and shoulders with two formerly-free complimentary bags of heavily salted peanuts...

I avoid flying at all costs. But I do pull my mid-sized rental car next to every terrorist-looking driver I see, and I give them the stink-eye.

John Candy said...

"two" hairy pillows...not "to" hairy pillows

Mrs. K said...

Now Mr. and Mrs. Bannon and "SSS" (short, skinny and strong) can see why I don't fly to see them very often. You put such scary thoughts into my head. I too have daydreams of being a "hero" because who would suspect an old lady to have the strength and courage to stand up to some sheethead. I would take my crochet hook and rip out a heart or two. Then I would laugh uncontrollably knowing there are no virgins where they are going.

OMG it runs in the family. ;-}