Stardate 20010912.0555 (On Screen): As I was laying in bed last night, I finally found tears for this event. Thousands of people may have died but nearly all of them were simply unfortunates who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But over 300 of the dead were firemen and policemen and paramedics and ambulance crews; these are people who rushed
to the disaster area and died when the buildings fell. They sought out danger in order to help others, and paid with their lives. As horrible as it must have been for most of us to watch the events unfold yesterday, how much worse must it have been for wives of firemen to see this, and to know that their husbands might be there -- and then to watch the buildings collapse and fear that their men were under it? How many beloved names were screamed in agony as the buildings fell? How many women cried themselves to sleep last night, desperately wishing for one last hug by strong caring arms now crushed beyond recognition, wanting to hear snores one last time from voices forever stilled? How many dreamed about their men, only to wake and realize they were gone forever? Of all the victims of this, these are the ones I grieve for most. The real victims of this tragedy are not the thousands who died, but the tens of thousands who loved them and must live with their deaths.
(discuss)
