Because We Are Americans Read online

  Copyright

  All profits from the sale of this book will be distributed equally to The American Red Cross, 430 17th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006, and the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund, P.O. Box 5028, Albany, NY 12205.

  BECAUSE WE ARE AMERICANS. Copyright © 2001 by Warner Books, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Warner Books,

  Hachette Book Group

  237 Park Avenue

  New York, NY 10017

  ISBN: 978-0-7595-2669-3

  First eBook Edition: November 2001

  Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

  Because We Are Americans

  What We Discovered on September 11, 2001

  Edited by Jesse Kornbluth and Jessica Papin

  America has changed since September 11, 2001. We have lost fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, and friends. But we have also met countless heroes in our midst. And we have learned once again what it truly means to be American.

  BECAUSE WE ARE AMERICANS

  We rushed into the flames to save the lives of others and worked night and day seeking survivors.

  BECAUSE WE ARE AMERICANS

  We immediately and unstintingly gave the victims food, clothing, money, and our very blood.

  BECAUSE WE ARE AMERICANS

  We stand together now to do what has to be done.

  BECAUSE WE ARE AMERICANS . . . is a book for all of us who need to remember and be inspired anew by our response to that terrible day. This collection—made up of postings on the Internet, words from our leaders and the media, testimonials from survivors, and more—captures what we felt and what we did: the fears and prayers we shared, and acts of kindness and heroism we performed that transformed our nation.

  All profits from the sale of this book will be distributed equally to The American Red Cross and the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund.

  Contents

  Copyright

  Because We Are Americans

  INTRODUCTION

  CONNECTED

  HEROIC

  LOVING

  GENEROUS

  RESILIENT

  UNITED

  RESOURCEFUL

  PATRIOTIC

  RESOLUTE

  TRANSFORMED

  CONCERNED

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  INTRODUCTION

  On the morning of September 11 it was warm and clear in New York City, with just a hint of fall in the air. Going to work on days like that, you think how good life is, and you contemplate taking a stroll at lunch, walking home through the park, or heading out to a baseball stadium in the cool of the evening to catch one of our pennant contenders play in a game that really matters.

  But as I stepped off a downtown bus at 8:50 A.M., all those pleasant thoughts vanished. For in America’s busiest city, with the workday just beginning, people were standing around, looking up at a thick stream of dark smoke.

  “A plane hit the World Trade Center,” someone said.

  There was no panic, just puzzlement: How does a plane, on a sparkling day, crash into a skyscraper so tall you can see it for miles? Something felt wrong. I hurried upstairs, logged on to America Online and turned on CNN.

  Minutes later, I watched a jetliner zoom across the television screen and explode as it crashed into the Trade Center’s second tower.

  The next thing I clearly remember was that my computer screen was filled with Instant Messages. The ones from friends were urgent and personal: “I’m okay. Are you?” The ones from AOL colleagues in other buildings asked the same question. Then, like people who work in media all across America, we moved quickly beyond our own reactions to practicality: “Let’s get to work.”

  And so, minutes after the second plane hit the Trade Center, with two other hijacked planes still hurtling toward their targets, AOL set about reporting the awful events.

  Updating the news—and throwing cold water on the rumors that raced across America—was only the start of the ways that AOL and other online services helped hold our country together that day and in the days to come. After all, news was available around the clock on radio and television, on many Web sites, and in special editions of big-city newspapers. And those sources did a terrific job in helping us comprehend the day’s impossible-to-understand events.

  What online services and some Web sites offered, in addition to news, was something just as important and maybe more so: the chance to reach out and talk with a world of people who were at once distant strangers and immediate friends.

  On a normal day, most of us don’t think of the technological miracle called “interactivity” as anything extraordinary. We read and send e-mail as if we’ve been doing it forever, even though for most of us it’s only been a few years. Teenagers who have scores of friends on their Buddy Lists come home from school and send Instant Messages to kids they saw just a few minutes ago, and everyone accepts that as part of the fabric of day-to-day life. It took September 11 to demonstrate what the ability to “find” people online can mean in times of crisis.

  Terrorism is unlike other forms of war—its primary targets are civilians. And the point of terrorist attacks isn’t just to kill or wound the innocent; it’s also to break the opponent’s will to fight back. So hijacking jets and crashing them into buildings was only a prelude; the real detonations were to occur in the psyches of the American people, who were supposed to feel isolated and defenseless, betrayed by our country’s inadequate security—and horribly alone.

  But when we went online that day, we weren’t alone. We reached out for friends and loved ones, only to discover that many of our friends and loved ones were going online to reach out for us. And then, once the overwhelming majority of us saw that our friends and loved ones were alive, we reached out to the larger online community.

  In New York City, telephone service was disrupted by the attack; land lines didn’t work well, and even cellular service was spotty. People quickly discovered that online services were often the simplest way to communicate. Like my friends and colleagues, they began with Instant Messages; just on AOL, 1.2 billion were sent that day. They followed up with message board postings that, like the Instant Messages, had a common theme: “Have you seen . . . ?” Then, as the impossible fact of a terrorist assault on America began to sink in, people shared their fears and consoled one another.

  At America Online, experts on terrorism and trauma streamed into virtual auditoriums—which remained open and staffed around the clock—and gave us advice about talking to our children and dealing with our own distress.

  Every online service and hundreds of Web sites began publishing contact information for the Red Cross and other charities.

  In days to come, “normal” process was forgotten. At AOL, and, I’m sure, at other online services and Web sites, people worked around the clock—we all understood that interactive media was Ground Zero of the American conversation about the attack and its aftermath. Special features sprouted everywhere: poems from teenagers, drawings from children, tributes to the dead and missing.

  And it didn’t ebb. At AOL, numbers told us how important time online was to a hurting nation: unprecedented participation in AOL Live events, tens of thousands of message board posts, millions of votes in our polls, and millions of dollars donated. But even more meaningful was the shift—from confusion to resolve, from grief to inspiration—you could chart in the chats and on the boards.

  That resilience is not l
imited to Americans; around the world, people triumph over circumstance. But there is something thrillingly American about 285,000,000 people getting knocked down, mourning their losses, and then dusting themselves off and setting out to rebuild. If how we behaved in our communities and online during those few weeks in September is any guide, the American spirit will be a greater challenge than any the terrorists have ever faced.

  This book is a record of that transformation from shock and grief to resolve and rededication. For those who were online during those long days and endless nights, it’s a reminder of the stages we passed through; for those who weren’t online, the chronicle of reactions you’ll find here probably mirrors the reactions you experienced in your community. And, to give us a sense of perspective, we’ve included comments and wisdom from some of America’s greatest leaders and thinkers, from crises past to this latest trial.

  It’s been hard for all of us since September 11. Two cities we love are crippled, and many, many others have suffered grievous losses. There are too many people on our Buddy Lists who aren’t around anymore. And the ripple effect of loss and grief sneaks up on us, as, we suspect, it sneaks up on you. But we have been freshly inspired as we have worked on this book. We hope you will find inspiration here too.

  Jesse Kornbluth

  Editorial Director, America Online

  CONNECTED

  FROM AN AOL NEWSROOM CHAT, 9/11/2001 9:45 AM EDT

  AOL HOST: This is what we know so far: Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. Another hit the Pentagon. The White House and Pentagon have been evacuated.

  QUESTION: How many people were hurt?

  AOL HOST: Not known. But it does appear that one plane was an American Airlines 767 hijacked from Boston shortly after takeoff. I can only think that plane had 100+ people on it.

  QUESTION: Who do you think is responsible for this?

  AOL HOST: “Terrorists” is too vague, but it’s the best we can say right now.

  QUESTION: I want to know what they are going to do about the military.

  AOL HOST: I would say that we are on full military alert.

  QUESTION: Is the White House on fire?

  AOL HOST: No. There is a fire at the Pentagon, where a plane seems to have crashed.

  QUESTION: Who has claimed responsibility for these acts of terrorism?

  AOL HOST: No one. And that is very nervous-making, don’t you think?

  QUESTION: Would you speculate on responsibility? They keep saying Palestinians, but this is more like Iraq, considering the recent plane downings near Baran.

  AOL HOST: I hear you, but I think it’s best not to speculate just yet.

  QUESTION: Will this lead to a war?

  AOL HOST: If so, it is a different kind of war than we usually fight.

  QUESTION: Is there any reason to believe that the terrorists will attack the White House?

  AOL HOST: If so, I think it would have happened already. But we do not know if there are other planes in the air.

  QUESTION: Do you know what hit the Pentagon?

  AOL HOST: No.

  QUESTION: Why weren’t the planes detected by radar?

  AOL HOST: Good question. And here is another: If one of the planes was hijacked from Boston, was the government tracking it for almost an hour?

  QUESTION: What does this say about the apparent inadequate security at a major airport?

  AOL HOST: It says there is no such thing as “security.”

  NEWSFLASH: One of the World Trade Center towers just collapsed. Now let us recap. A plane hit near or at the Pentagon. Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center. The president is on his way back to D.C. All airports in U.S. closed. Unclear how many dead . . . There are many rumors, but that is all they are—rumors. We’ll confirm them as they’re authenticated—IF they are authenticated. New York City is completely closed: bridges and subways and tunnels. And airports are closed. We have lots of anecdotal reports that many, many people have been terrific in helping others out of the buildings and out of the area . . .

  “Hi, Mom . . . I love you very much. I’m calling you from the plane. We’ve been taken over.”

  —MARK BINGHAM, TO HIS MOTHER IN SAN FRANCISCO, Newsday 9/13/2001

  “People jumped online and they IM’d me and said, ‘Are you okay? Is your brother okay? Do you know anybody who’s missing?’”

  —HOST OF A SMALL WEB JOURNAL, Entertainment Weekly 9/28/2001

  FROM AN AOL POST, 9/12/2001 12:18 PM EDT

  SUBJECT: WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE TOWERS CAME DOWN?

  I was breast-feeding my three-month-old son and crying. What kind of world did I bring my son into, and will he ever be safe? Will he have to witness to such a catastrophic tragedy? I pray to God that he will not.

  FROM AN AOL POST, 9/14/2001 5:04 AM EDT

  SUBJECT: EVERY TIME I HEAR A PLANE I CRINGE

  Last night, 9/13/01, all flights were canceled at JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark.

  About 9:30 PM I heard a plane, and my body froze, waiting to see the news of another target hit. Fifteen minutes later I heard another one. Again, I froze.

  I realized from the first plane that they are military aircraft patrolling our air space, but I think I’d be happy if I never heard the roar of a jet engine again in my life. I live in the Bronx and in the flight paths to the various airports, and I feel like I’m holding my breath, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I know I should feel safe with all the military protection (aircraft carriers, etc.), but I just can’t seem to take a completely deep breath.

  FROM AN AOL POST, 9/16/2001 1:39 AM EDT

  SUBJECT: HELP ME DEAL WITH THIS

  I am 40 years old. I went from the Garden of Eden to hell. I am afraid for my family. Is nerve gas next on the list of terrorist deeds?

  I am afraid for my country. Is our economic way of life doomed?

  I am afraid for my world. Is this the beginning of the end for mankind? I feel I have no control over my world anymore. Help me—the depression is really deep. The terrorist bastards have won, and the images of the WTC falling haunt me day and night.

  FROM AN AOL POST, 9/16/2001 12:57 PM EDT

  SUBJECT: RE: HELP ME DEAL WITH THIS

  I felt such fear when I first learned about these horrific attacks on our peace and way of life. I felt exactly as you described. Being 51 years old, I’ve been through some nasty episodes in my lifetime, enough to have learned that “feeling better is a do-it-yourself project.”

  I know that if I’m going to feel safe again, I’m the one who’s going to have to take the steps to feel that way. Me. Not the government, not the terrorists, not Mommy and Daddy. Me. So I decided that I would help myself to feel safe again.

  The first thing I did was to limit my exposure to it, so I’ve watched the latest developments just once a day. I’m not sticking my head in the sand, but I’m not sticking it out there for the media to shoot off either!

  Another thing I’ve done is made the decision to trust our country’s leaders and a loving “higher power.” I’m scheduled to fly from Boston to San Francisco in January, and I will go. I’m uncomfortable with that, but I’m going. I decide to trust.

  One of the things that helped me feel safer is realizing that I AM safer. Really. We are all safer today than we were a week ago! Physically safer. It’s safer to fly today because of all the precautions now being taken. And if I felt safe last week, I can feel safe this week.

  I just FEEL more vulnerable. This is just a feeling, not a fact, and it need not govern my life. On the other hand, feeling a realistic amount of vulnerability is a good thing. It can lead one to pursue one’s own truth, and it can motivate us to live fully and treasure each day.

  There are many ways to experience the events of the past week. I’m quite sure we all experienced the same initial emotional response—great fear and sadness and anger. But we can choose not to be stuck in that place, not to live there. We can CHOOSE “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
>
  I don’t have control over the world—I never did! I do have control over MY internal world, and really, that’s the world I inhabit. The “terrorist bastards” can only win if I lay down and let them win. My choosing to feel safe, choosing to go on with my life just as I’ve planned—including the cross-country flight—this is what keeps them from winning.

  Yes, I have some fear, but I also have a lot of trust. I am saddened by the scenes of devastation and loss, but also encouraged by the scenes of human love and kindness and patriotism. I believe that feeling our vulnerability makes us stronger, wiser and more loving.

  And I choose to focus on the positive.

  FROM AN AOL POST, 9/18/2001 11:16 PM EDT

  SUBJECT: RE: HELP ME DEAL WITH THIS

  I am 54, and I too, went from the garden into hell. I am afraid of all the same things, too. This world should be such a wonderful place—a celebration of the diversity of people and beliefs, and all of the wonderful choices we should be able to make for our lives.

  I am beginning to pull myself out of fear and depression this way: I am telling ALL of the people I love and care for how I feel about them and the difference they have made in my life.

  I look back on my life, all of the mistakes that I have made and all of the wonderful things I have done and become, and I am proud and satisfied.

  I look forward to what I can do to spread kindness every day in every way that I can, to all sorts of people.

  I look at my ethnically different neighbors with a mixture of mistrust and concern for their safety as Americans like me and as intrinsically good people, knowing that the terrorists have disguised themselves as these same good families. I struggle not to fall into that destructive, suspicious mindset. While I struggle, I smile and practice kindness.

  I know we must fight, and I believe many will die, probably horribly, and probably right here at home, in our neighborhoods, maybe even in my house. When I am most troubled by these thoughts, I think that everything has its time and life is transitory anyway. We know we all will die. It’s how we live that matters.