by gdvmarch

An act that blew up the world - that's what happened in Manhattan on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, as two jet liners under the control of lunatics cloaked in politically contrived and perverted religious zealotry and remorseless psychotic fervor crashed into the inner parts of buildings 1 and 2 of the 7 comprising the World Trade Center that were built around the 1960s and 70s.

New York's World Trade Center is one of scores of world trade centers situate in major cities throughout the world.  Collectively, they symbolize and actively demonstrate a way of achieving international peace and prosperity through world trade and education.  Indeed the respective list of tenants in these World Trade Centers are of diverse nationals -- individuals, corporations and associations as are the injured, still missing and presumed dead victims of those dastardly acts of September 11th.   They killed and injured people of the world - literally -- nationals of approximately 40 countries working in Manhattan. A few score Australians are on the missing and the WTC death list.  On information and belief, there are also similar numbers of U.K. citizens, plus persons from Indian, Pakistani, the South Pacific, Japan, China, Thailand, Germany, Iran, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, Scandinavia, Tibet, Russia, Ukraine, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Egypt, Jordan and other Arabic nationals, Middle and Far Eastern nationals, Americans (from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Washington, and other states - many recent immigrants, some now citizens), daily tourists from everywhere slain on their way up to the WTC 's Windows on the World and observation deck). These thousands of people were Catholics, Muslims, Protestants, orthodox and non-orthodox Jews, Hindus, Baptists, Shinto, Buddhists, Seventh Day Adventists, Moravians, Jehovah Witnesses, Scientologists, Quakers, Sikhs, members of Greek, Russian, Ukrainian orthodox churches, and of many other religions and religious sects, and included the agnostics, non-believers, and former lapsed this or that religion who are also guaranteed freedom to believe or not in our America.  They were of all ages, stages and stations in life.  They went to work, to visit, to travel, to learn.

Our population in New York City is extremely diverse and easy to identify.  Some see it as a melting pot; others view it as a gigantic and diverse tapestry of talent, experiences, cultures and learning. Whatever it is, based on what has happened elsewhere in the world where such diversity was tried or thrust upon various regions, for a human experiment it is a giant success despite its blips and potholes.

 One need just see or hear the names of the New York City Fire Fighters (the "Bravest") and their volunteer brothers, the New York City Police Officers (the "Finest") and their volunteer retirees; the Port Authority Police; the Emergency Service Technicians and Ambulance Personnel; the volunteer Doctors, Nurses, and other hospital staff; the F.B.I. and personnel of the Federal and State Emergency Agencies; the workers from Con Edison, the Department of Sanitation and the volunteer steel, iron and construction workers; the water and blanket carriers;  the Priests, the Imams, the Rabbis, the other Ministers of all religions --  and all  other volunteers responding in various ways to this giant emergency (hundreds of which are either severely injured, missing and/or presumed dead) to recognize the countries from which their bloodlines derive.  You just can't miss it in New York:  They're all first, second, third, etc., generation immigrants and citizens of the world who came and made America the strong, talented, generous, understanding, tolerant and multi-faceted nation that, all things considered and overall, it really is and will remain even though some, from time to time, give it a black eye by contrary conduct or improvident use of their mouths.  These generations of immigrants have fought in this country for this country and its allies and have helped build its economic and technological success.  When things get tough it is a country that holds out a hand and lifts up and feeds and clothes others less fortunate - a big heart with a lot of blarney but a spirit that endures.

So what exactly was it these ignorant, vile and psychopathic zealots sought to prove on September 11th when they killed these peaceful, unarmed, multi-racial, multi-national and multi-religious peoples trying to get along and get ahead in New York?  Were they hoping to obtain world sympathy for their somewhat obscured causes by killing civilians, by wiping out many who survived their bombs eight years ago, by denying shelter, water, electricity, food, medical and home care to thousands of disabled, demented, and elderly shut-ins who are dependent on others (relatives, neighbors, visiting agencies, home aides, etc., who could not reach them) for basic necessaries and daily activities of living -- such as feeding, shopping, medication, bathing, toileting, bed turning, diapering, oxygen, ambulation, wheelchair moving, closing and opening windows, electricity, water, etc.?   Filling their desolated apartments with choking acrid smoke, ash and asbestos dust and filth; knocking down pictures, window panes, bric-a-brac upon them, and frightening them out of their wits (even those without much of the latter left), can hardly be deemed by sane persons an ego trophy or a means of gaining sympathy for some real or perceived historical or other injustice.  Sounds more to me like the acts of would be world despot dictators and greedy psychotic men and those who make vast fortunes from drugging the world, selling weapons of mass destruction to psychos, etc., and who visualize themselves as world leaders a la Hitler, et al.

What did it achieve?  It frightened, it caused injury and death, it traumatized some for life, it created orphans, widows, widowers, it took away one or more sons and daughters, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, colleagues of others.  One senior fireman lost two sons - one a fireman and one a policeman, both responding to the WTC tragedy.  It took concerned neighbors who kept an elderly disabled couple alive.  The stories are too many and too sad.

On a micro-level, however, those of us lucky enough to see and feel it saw it brought out the courage, the heroic though often hidden strength, concern and generosity of New York natives, residents and visitors of too many countries and religions to name.  It brought forth the best in its politicians and the professionals and people rushing in from many states across America and Canada and Puerto Rico to help - e.g., fire and police persons returning the favor NYC uniformed officers extended at the Oklahoma bombings, the numerous earthquakes, forest fires, tornadoes, etc.

It certainly brought forth the most unusual, speediest and strongest show of immediate support, sympathy and respect for America I have ever seen from both old and new allies throughout the world - many of whom have been the victims of despots' war bombs, sabotage and deliberately destroyed buildings and other catastrophic events.  Such instigators and perpetrators of those maniacal activities should have been terminated long before they solidified their power and hypnotic charisma to destroy the lives of millions of ordinary human beings.

We will probably finally do something about stopping this evil zealotry that perverts nationalism and religion and hides behind their cloaks while it gives birth to world horrors of all kinds.  Let's hope we learn the lessons of history and tie up all loose ends of the expanding world-wide web of drug kings and illegal traders of drugs, guns, bombs, weapons of mass destruction, including biologics and toxic chemicals, whose ill-gotten profits from human misery fund more of the same, thousands of schools in some 40 countries that now exist to preach this hypnotic loss of self to suicide and murder, the terrorist training sites, its safe houses, sources of finance, and acquisition of sophisticated technology that can be misused to invade every countries' borders.

In the meantime, New York will survive and its people will be closer though they may still glare, avert eyes, or mouth-off.  It will take time as too many were adversely affected in numerous ways even though not actual tenants and workers at WTC GROUND HERO.  People in surrounding neighborhoods lost their homes - both permanently and temporarily.  Many learned for the first time what it was to live and sleep on the streets, uncertain as to whether they could ever return home, or claim property or save loved pets.  Many no longer have a way to earn a living.  Their job places are non-existent, destroyed, damaged beyond repair, and/or damaged badly and unsafe.  Some no longer have water or electricity.  Some have it sporadically.  Many lost days of work and pay.  People ran out of Manhattan, or were ferried or bused out after the debacle.  They could not get back into Manhattan at all for a few days.  Subways were down, tunnels collapsed; cars were prohibited; schools shut; and buses stuck elsewhere.  Deliveries and pick-ups halted - even those of an emergency kind.  Elevators full of people got stuck in buildings full of jet fuel smoke that were not blasted but lost electricity, etc. Grocery stores and restaurants remained closed as a lack of access to water, refrigeration, electricity and gas leaks not only ruined food and produce, but made them potentially unsafe places for human beings.  Some supermarkets couldn't get deliveries at all, so food became scarce in those neighborhoods whose residents were dependent on one supermarket. People made do.

Even when some days later officials lowered the cordons on streets to levels nearer to the downtown damaged area, cars and many other forms of transportation and deliveries were not allowed in many parts of Manhattan and surrounding areas where connecting bridges, tunnels and highways were closed.   Private office, court and government buildings remained closed in lower, mid and upper Manhattan.  Landlords and building managements did not want people stuck in elevators when electricity failed; nor did they want the harassment suffered by some buildings that opened and then had to be evacuated along with tenants in surrounding apartment buildings (such as the Empire State Building) because of "crank" bomb threats.  Many buildings still remained closed days later.  Office equipment over a huge area was destroyed by the WTC blast damage and the subsequent shaking and smashing caused by crumbling giant and surrounding buildings.  Windows were blown in and out, office space filled with inches of ash and cement (some with asbestos, etc.); shelves, cabinets, etc., were toppled.

Employees were warned away from the continuing thick acrid smoke from the ongoing burning jet fuel, the ash and dust of the crumbling buildings, and the lack of water and electricity.  Also, throughout Manhattan and adjacent areas telephone service was either non-existent and/or only available for sporadic periods.  Hence, if the smoke and acrid stench didn't produce nauseating retching and stinging eyes (which it did), and the electricity stayed on to oblige, many offices, places of business and residences throughout Manhattan and adjacent islands and borough areas couldn't operate computers, e-mail, and/or other forms of telephone or wire communications. Thus, many Manhattan businesses that engaged in financial and other services rather than in manufacturing goods were effectively out of business and furloughed employees.  Where some employees could walk to work, they served as skeletal staff.  Many called in could not get there; in other instances bringing them in was a waste of time. In part, this was due to the fact the downtown area in and around the burning and collapsing World Trade Center contained tons of underground and below street level cables, including those of AT&T and Verizon (formerly New York Telephone) in the WTC basements and tunnels. Ergo, computers, e-mail, wires, and other forms of emergency and business communications were lost.  The potential lack of safety which may have ensued from a lack of telephonic access to emergency services also played a major role in managements' and landlords' decisions not to re-populate office buildings for a few days.

Readers of this Enzo board may be interested to know that the office building housing Enzo's offices in midtown Manhattan was initially kept closed by its owners and none admitted.  After a couple of days a couple of members of management were allowed in for a while and went to work with limited and sporadic telephone access trying to deal with the emergency situation (created by the WTC disaster, police and government restrictions on buildings, streets and other sources of access, and employee absences and personal emergencies) that impacted on its clinical labs ability to operate at acceptable and much needed levels.

As you know, Enzo has increased the customer service sites for lab tests in Manhattan and elsewhere as well as increased the number of physician clients in Manhattan that use its clinical lab services for office and hospital patients on a daily basis.  Enzo employees pick up the materials submitted for testing and deliver test results.  Many tests are needed on an urgent basis.  As you will gather, all of the employee and restricted access and utility problems wreaked a certain amount of havoc as clinical tests (especially for hospitals without full electricity and other utilities) form an important part of any vast medical emergency.  Getting its clinical lab services restored promptly was essential to Enzo and extremely difficult without e-mail and other adequate forms of fast communication.   Enzo management worked very hard over long hours and in spite of the fact some  - at least initially - had their own family emergencies and could only look forward to returning to residences without water, electricity and phone service, that perpetually smelled of leaking gas, very putrid acrid smoke and dense dust.

So when - as I have just seen -- some of you are demean and scream at and about Enzo's management, please try to remember the disaster this past week was not confined to one or two buildings that collapsed downtown.  It was a number of burning buildings and infrastructure and was not all over in a few hours or a day.  It had many other serious ripple effects in other places and in and to peoples' lives.  We still have to find around 5,500 persons buried in the ruins - perhaps more.  We still have to house people wandering the streets and out-of-state volunteers; and we still have to care for and calm the shut-ins and frightened disabled so we can all return to what used to be known as a "normal day".

Today and tomorrow are Rosh Hashanah -- religious holidays for many, including some at Enzo.  If we cannot wish them a joyous New Year, let us at least try to wish those adversely affected this past week some Peace.  To board Enzo-ites who celebrate this holiday, I wish you all "Rosh Hashanah"!