Just One Story From 9-11 (Bumped)

Just One Story From 9-11...
that We Must Never Forget!
By Rudy Zitti

She probably awoke early that morning preparing for work just as she had done hundreds of times before. The commute from South Farmingdale amid the hustle and bustle of a typical work day in New York City was also uneventful. Upon arrival at the World Trade Center Captain Kathy Mazza went about her duties as the Commanding Officer of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Academy. She was unaware of the incredible events, challenges and fate that awaited her.

At 8:46 AM the first hijacked plane struck the North Tower which began to burn. Seventeen minutes later at 9:03 a second hijacked plane struck the South Tower where Mazza was working. Captain Mazza would spend the next fifty six minutes of her life rescuing people who were trapped in the building. Mazza led a group of people down a stairwell to street level. While people were trying to exit through the revolving doors they became jammed. Mazza used her 9mm sidearm and shot out the huge glass panel walls leading to the street enabling hundreds to escape. She went back into the stairwell to assist in the rescue of a wheel-chair bound person when the South tower collapsed. She was found only inches from a door that led to safety.

That same morning my family and I were in New York visiting relatives and friends. It was our last day and we were saying our goodbyes and making preparations for our departure from Laguardia Airport later that afternoon.

A concerned friend called and told us to turn on the television. My wife and I watched in confusion and disbelieve at the images that were being televised and while we were trying to make some sense out of all that was unfolding before our eyes we saw the second hijacked plane crash into the South Tower.

I remember the horrible sickening and helpless feeling that came over me as we watched the towers burning and stared in horror as people could be seen clearly leaping to their death from the North Tower. Then I was paralyzed engulfed in an eerie silence and crushing sadness as we saw the towers collapsed.

We were still numb from the events that we witnessed on television when we decided to drive to another relatives house who was supposed to take us to the airport. We drove along the Ocean Parkway which runs along the south shore of Long Island. As I stated before it was a crystal clear day and as we got closer to New York City you could see the smoke from the burning towers for miles. At one point we stopped with other people on the side of the road. We exited the car and watched in silence as the plume of never ending smoke rose toward the sky. No one said a word but you could tell that they were all thinking the same thing. How many lives were lost? What about all the families who's lives will be forever changed.

In the hours that passed we got phone calls from friends and relatives who told us that they had heard from loved ones and that they were safe. It wasn't until a couple of weeks later that I had learned that Kathy Mazza had perished in the tower collapse.

I knew Kathy Mazza through my long time friend and partner, Nassau County Police Detective Dominic Mazza. While I did not know her well, I did see the effect that the circumstances of her death had on family and relatives. The same was true for my wife who's childhood friend and New York City Firefighter Peter Bielfeld also perished that day.

While there are many stories to be told of events that day and in the weeks afterward the one thing that strikes me still, is how people came together in this time of need. Not just people who lived in New York or people like myself who had some direct or indirect connection to the victims, but people from all over America. People who tried their best to find ways to help by donating blood, sending money, creating memorials, volunteering in any way they could or by simply flying the American flag.

It was a time when, quoting Glenn Beck, “We came together as a nation not caring about red states, blue states or political parties, uniting and standing together to protect the greatest nation ever created.”
We were determined that this horrific act of terrorism would not diminish the American spirit. We would rebuild. We would fight back. We would not let this happen again.

There are three reasons why I am telling this story.

First, we must never forget, the heroes, the innocent, and their grieving families. I keep a link to a very powerful and graphic power point of 9-11 posted on my desktop as a reminder.

Second, although it has taken far too long—nine years—to rebuild something at ground zero, I am proud and uplifted by the start of construction. As I see the memorial features being built and the structures rising from the ashes it has elevated my spirit. Once again the indomitable American spirit can prevail. Even during these times of economic hardship and the divisive political atmosphere that exists in our nation and Colorado, we must fight for what we believe in and never give up. We will likewise prevail.

Third, if we are successful in turning the tide in the next two election cycles we must use it to not only turn our country around but to bring people together as a nation with the same purpose and principles that our founders used in building this great country.

After 9-11 we faced many challenges, today we face more challenges and while the quote below was written for a different reason and time in history we would be better off to change course and follow these words of wisdom from Congressman Charles A Lindberg after WWI:

“The one compelling duty of America is to put its own house in shape, and to stand upon an economic system that will make its natural resources available to the intelligence, industry and use of the people. When we do that the way to world redemption from the folly of present chaos will stand out in our country so clearly, honestly and usefully that we shall be copied wherever peoples do their own thinking.” (Charles A Lindberg, Sr., The Economic Pinch 1923)

If you are part of the grassroots movement then let's never forget those who died on 9-11, let's also never forget those who sacrificed everything in building this great nation, let's get to work like those at Ground Zero and start rebuilding, let's create something better, let's be proud of our founding, let's put our passion to work and return America to a leadership roll and greatness in the world.

Some related facts we should never forget.

A memorial for Captain Kathy Mazza has been built constructed in Farmingdale, LI, NY. The family and donors paid for the memorial that bears Mazza's name, along with the names of the 36 other Port Authority officers who died Sept. 11. The memorial also includes the numbers 23 and 343, representing, respectively, the the number of New York City police and firefighters who died that day.

A third hijacked plane crashed (United Flight 93) into a field in rural Pennsylvania killing all 45 people on aboard when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane.

A fourth hijacked plane (American Airlines Flight 77) crashed in the Pentagon killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel and all 64 people on board.

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Patriots And Moonbat Dissonance

Moonbattery: Massive Turnout for Restoring Honor Rally: "It was a great crowd. The folks in my little expedition party guesstimated it at 400,000 to 700,000. This was the most subdued, polite crowd I've seen. The police were standing around with nothing to do; there wasn't even a candy wrapper laying on the mall at the end of this thing. The crowd seemed more cross-sectional of America than the Tea Party-flavored 9/12 event, as though a lot of middle-of-the-road, less political types had climbed on the bandwagon since 9/12. As Beck requested, nobody brought signs; there was not one to be seen in the probably 1/2 million strong crowd. The only people with signage were the handful of folks protesting Beck. They stood around in small groups here and there, trying to join up confrontation in front of their and the media's video cameras, but the massive conservative crowd just swept around and by them like a powerful river going around an inconsequential pile of rocks. Everyone seemed happy to have protesters exercising their rights as Americans and speaking their minds, which seemed to surprise the hippies, who were apparently waiting for baton-wielding Nazis to descend on them at any moment. The hippie's cognitive dissonance, as it slowly sunk in that nobody minded them being there and people welcomed their participation, was interesting to observe."

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More Cuban Raaaacism

Remember when I mentioned all those Cubans in the 9/12 Tea Party march on D.C.?

They're some serious "whitey" raaaacists aren't they? Not.

It's not polished or teleprompted. But it's the ice cold reality that everyone needs to hear before it's too late.

So what are the lib loons going to start calling the Cubans? "Uncle Manuels"? I think we know who the real racists are, don't we?

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Mesmerizing Marches And Mad Moonbats

Speaking of marches, I find that Sophia Elena's video of the D.C. 9-12 rally has mesmerized Ray. Heh.

That's OK -- I was so mesmerized myself that I almost forget to post it.

Anyway, above Sophia Elena provides a slightly less mesmerizing version in rebuttal to all the foul language that the moonbats threw her way.

Well done.

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The Country's Lapels

For those of you who haven't taken the time to step back and look at the big picture of Barack OChavez, George Will has created a concise gem to marvel at:

On the 233rd day of his presidency, Barack Obama grabbed the country's lapels for the 263rd time—that was, as of last Wednesday, the count of his speeches, press conferences, town halls, interviews, and other public remarks. His speech to Congress was the 122nd time he had publicly discussed health care. Just 14 hours would pass before the 123rd, on Thursday morning. His incessant talking cannot combat what it has caused: An increasing number of Americans do not believe that he believes what he says.

He says America's health-care system is going to wrack and ruin and requires root-and-branch reform—but that if you like your health care (as a large majority of Americans do), nothing will change for you. His slippery new formulation is that nothing in his plan will "require" anyone to change coverage. He used to say, "If you like your health-care plan, you'll be able to keep your health-care plan, period." He had to stop saying that because various disinterested analysts agree that his plan will give many employers incentives to stop providing coverage for employees.

He deplores "scare tactics" but says that unless he gets his way, people will die. He praises temperate discourse but says many of his opponents are liars. He says Medicare is an exemplary program that validates government's prowess at running health systems. But he also says Medicare is unsustainable and going broke, and that he will pay for much of his reforms by eliminating the hundreds of billions of dollars of waste and fraud in this paragon of a program, and in Medicaid. He says Congress will cut Medicare (it will not) by $500 billion—without affecting benefits.

He says the nation's economic health depends on controlling health-care costs. Yet so important is the trial bar in financing the Democratic Party, he says not a syllable in significant and specific support of tort reforms that could save hundreds of billions of dollars by reducing "defensive medicine" intended to protect not patients from illnesses but doctors from lawyers. He has said he will not add a dime to the deficit when bringing 47 million people into government-guaranteed health care. But Wednesday night, 17 million went missing: "There are now more than 30 million American citizens who cannot get coverage." Almost 10 million of the uninsured are not citizens, and most of them are illegal immigrants. Presumably the other 7 million could get insurance but chose not to. Democrats propose fines to eliminate that choice. He suggests health-insurance companies are making excessive profits. But since 1996, profits of the six such companies in the S&P 500 have been below the 500's average. He says a "public option"—a government insurance program—would not be subsidized to enable it to compete unfairly with private insurers. (The post office and the government's transportation -"public option," Amtrak, devour subsidies.) He says the public option is vital for keeping health insurers "honest"—but that it is only a wee "sliver" of reform. About that, Nancy Pelosi -disagrees.

Just re-read this a few times and you'll be truly depressed about the comprehension and analytical skills of your fellow citizens.

And look, there goes Britney Spears limousine! Let's go!

TURN. THE. JACK. ASS. T. V. OFF.

And trust him. Nobody was there. Heh.

So maybe not quite all hope is lost yet.

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Of Linen And Toilet Paper

Of course the so-called media not only won't tell you about how big yesterday's protest was but go on and on about how everyone was an "astroturf Nazi racist" of course. Those charges are not based on fact but on psychological projection of course.

Mark Hemingway has a good report:

I asked one guy, who came up from South Carolina with 160 people on three buses, who put his trip together. He laughed and said, "My neighbor." Can we drive a stake through the astroturf claim now?

Another interesting detail about the march — it was filled with immigrants. I'm pretty sure every Cuban in a thousand mile radius was there, helpfully explaining to everyone who would listen that Cuba's vaunted free health care system involves shoddily trained doctors and bringing your own linen to the hospital. I also spoke to angry immigrants from England and Ireland, appalled the country was slouching toward socialized medicine.

Why the toilet paper in the title? That would be because of a little black (brown?) market problem that socialist Cuba is having right now. And I guess I must be a racist for using the commonly accepted terms to describe it, huh?

But wait, didn't I just quote in support of Cuban immigrants? I love them dearly. Do you have any idea what hell many of them went through to escape the giant Alcatraz they came from to get here? And have you ever met my family? Never mind. The truth doesn't matter -- only Alinsky's rules rule.

Speaking of family, I recently ran across another Orwell quote that pretty well sums it up:

A family with the wrong members in control; that, perhaps, is as near as one can come to describing England America in a phrase.

Any more questions?

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Iranian Inspiration

OK kiddoes. Here's an update on the protests that don't exist in Iran.

I was inspired by the protestor comment that "they don't even know what to do". That's the mode the Washington Fascists have us in right now as Glenn has been doing a good job of pointing out.

Time to declare solidarity with the Iranian people and follow their example. Time to turn the tables.

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On Protest (Iranian "Election" Update)

Today we had a Flag Day Eve Tea Party protest march in downtown Fort Collins. Thanks to Ray Harvey for organizing it and to all who attended! I would give it five stars for being an extraordinarily well behaved crowd. Because that's who we are of course.

But it should be noted that in Iran things are a wee bit more serious. These people deserve our sincerest sympathy -- and support. They are fighting the same sort of personality cult tyranny that O Duce is assaulting us with. But it's rather more advanced of course. Over there, sham elections have become a kabuki dance art form. Over here they just began in national form with the last one. Wrong headed as public financing is and noting the fact that McCain was a kabuki distraction, did you notice how effortlessly O Duce broke his pledge to use public financing and how big money and foreigners bought the election almost completely unreported by our state run media?

Anyway, watch this video and ponder. When our fellow citizens finally have their TVs turned off because of unemployment, runaway inflation and power shortages, it might start to look like this here.

They’re chanting “Death to this liar government.” Sobering.

UPDATE: Wow. Iran is on fire. Literally.

Even if you're not religious, you need to pray for their success. The implications of a revolution even vaguely directed toward freedom in Iran are absolutely enormous. The two sites you should be watching are Michael Totten and Michael Ledeen.

Ledeen points out that with no more hope an American president might help them any more they might finally take matters in their own hands for good:

Stalin would be proud. But even his Soviet Union eventually succumbed to the dissidents, and while the regime has most all of the guns, the chains, the clubs, the tear gas cannisters, and the torture chambers, there are tens of millions of Iranians who hate the regime. The question is whether they are prepared to face down the Basij, the police, and the Revolutionary Guards. It is usually a matter of numbers in these cases: if a million people gather in front of the Supreme Leader’s palace and demand freedom, while half that number make the same demand in front of the government buildings in Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz and Mashad, they might win.

Until quite recently, the Iranians did not believe they could do such a thing on their own. They believed they needed outside support, above all American support, in order to succeed. They thought that Bushitlercheney would provide that support, and they were bitterly disappointed. But nobody believes that Obama will help them, and they must know that they are on their own.

And here's an electrifying status report passed on by Totten:

"My next door neighbor is an Iranian immigrant who came here in 1977. He just received a SAT phone call from his brother in Tehran who reports that the rooftops of nighttime Tehran are filled with people shouting 'Allah O Akbar' in protest of the government and election results. The last time he remembers this happening is in 1979 during the Revolution. Says the sound of tens of thousands on the rooftops is deafening right now." It's almost four in the morning in Iran.

And my young sons were complaining about how far they had to walk today. They've come a long way but I have much to teach them yet. And I pray the most difficult of the lessons to come won't be learned the hard way.

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Remember

Please take a moment this Memorial Day to remember those who have fallen that you may be free.

As you may have noticed lately, perhaps you may find a voice inside of you nagging that perhaps you too may need to make some difficult choices to keep the -- now rapidly diminishing -- freedoms that you have.

We need to start listening to those voices -- and acting upon them in a principled way -- before it's too late.

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QOTD: "Practical Politics"

If you didn't take the time to watch "Cry Freedom" then at least you don't want to miss this Mencken quote from one of the featured signs:

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins." -- H.L. Mencken

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Cry Freedom

Via Instapundit.

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Did I Forget To Mention...

Katrina Pierson for President? Finally a solution to the British President dilemma ;) My deepest apologies for not posting her here sooner. An authentic speaker wielding Jefferson quotes. It doesn't get much better than that.

I'm also reminded of the comments of President Kennedy at a gathering of Nobel Laureates at the White House. He said that there hadn't been so much brainpower gathered there since Thomas Jefferson dined alone ;)

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Survey Says...

Power Line has some tolerably good news on the Tea Parties:

This Rasmussen survey is the first I've seen on the tea party protests that have been held around the country, mostly last Wednesday. Rasmussen finds that 51 percent of Americans approve of the tea parties, with 33 percent disapproving. By far the largest group of respondents, 32 percent, is "very favorable" toward the protests.

Almost equally interesting is that one in four Americans says that he or she personally knows someone who participated in one of the rallies. That probably helps to explain why the Left's over the top attacks--slanders, really--didn't gain more traction.

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Pathetic With A Capital Priceless

Congrats to everyone on the parties! I went to the one in Loveland which was a little different as we lined the sides of the busiest intersection in town. I think it had a lot more impact than standing in a park although there was too much horn honking to have any speakers. I can live with that.

It was also amazing the number of folks who drove by not only honking but waving flags. It was a good way for them to join in without feeling quite as silly as the rest of us. But I even started to warm up to it after a while. I decided to use a sign that was to the point: "ATTN: Washington, You have run out of our money." The favorite sign I saw on the web though was this one on Instapundit: "Why teach reading and math? Congress uses neither!". Hoo Haw.

But the reaction from Congresscritters was pathetic with a capital priceless:

PATHETIC: “Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) blasted ‘tea party’ protests yesterday, labeling the activities ‘despicable’ and ’shameful.’”

Ironic: “The husband of an Illinois congresswoman pleaded guilty Wednesday to tax violations and bank fraud for writing rubber checks and failing to collect withholding tax from an employee. Robert Creamer, a political consultant married to four-term U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, could face four years in prison on the two felony counts when he is sentenced Dec. 21.”

Tax hypocrisy abounds in Washington, but they’re angry that people are protesting. . . .

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What we have been waiting for!

It was just two weeks ago that Glenn Beck started the 912 Project. Since then you may have heard many complain on his radio show and 912 Project web site that people were not focused or were looking for some direction. Well, there is a new National 9-12 project website. These individuals have volunteered to lead and donate their time and money. They have spelled out a clearly defined purpose which I for one would be proud to follow. Below, is a sample of what the National 9-12 Project is about and web link. Please take a look at what they have laid out. Lets all get behind this movement to take back our country.

Duplication Is The Key:
It is critical to the 9 12 project as a whole, as a nation wide effort to act, move and speak as one body and one voice. We all have our pet issues that range from gun control to abortion. We must put our singular purposes aside and address the source of all of our grievances.With a national effort with a national, state and local leadership all bound together with the same purpose the same goals, we can all duplicate our efforts down to the last detail. We will all be holding the same signs, chanting the same words and marching in the same direction.The danger we face if we fail to unite as a national effort is, that if the hundreds of small groups that are protesting continue to go off in every direction confused and not quite sure what to do and when to do it, before too long the passion will fade and discouragement creeps in. And that is what "they" want. It may feel good being out on the street waving flags and holding signs, but in reality is it going to accomplish as much as a nationally supported protest? No it won't. Imagine what we could do "if" we all supported each other! WE MUST JOIN FORCES AND DUPLICATE!
http://www.thenational912project.com/home.html

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