Most despicable image of the day
 

While the sight of planes crashing into the towers, and the towers collapsing are certainly horrifying, the most terrible image is the scenes of people in the middle east celebrating. People were actually running through the streets jumping for joy. I can not believe that anyone could be happy about this. No matter how much you dislike a country and its politics, I just can not imagine wishing death upon that many innocent people. I don't know much about middle eastern politics, but I certainly hope that this is not the actions of the majority of people. Best wishes to all the friends and family of any victims,

I have seen that same footage also. If you look carefully, it is mostly children/teenagers and a few adults fueling the fire.

I do believe some radical Middle Eastern factions carried all this out, but the one tape being played over and over again does nothing but fuel the fire also.

And I wonder what kind of back-lash we will see against those of mid-eastern descent? I have this sick feeling that it's going to get ugly for a while. This is all so unbelievable.

I was upset that even as news anchors were reiterating that no definite suspects had been named - and so no ethnic groups should be targeted - they kept showing that footage. It was just so provoking - I cannot imagine why, I understand it is news, however, as an Indian, who saw the aftermath of the assasination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and communal riots, I just felt the same sick apprehension when I saw these videos.

I agree those dancing is completely infuriating. Whether or not they believe the US is the Great Satan or whatever, this was innocent civilians who were killed. I may be happy if Iraqi soldiers were terminated by our army, but I would definitely not feel the same way if innocent civilians were targeted exclusively.

In any case, as someone who can possibly be mistaken of Middle Eastern descent I am also worried of backlash. They had an interview with a Arabian grocer who works in downtown Pittsburgh and asked if he was worried. He said no because he's lived here for 55 years and everybody knows him. Similarly, I feel ok in my neighborhood, but unsure if I want to drive to new places in the short term.

In certain Lebanese restaurants in London last night, waiters were talking about the good that was done in New York. They should be deported.

There have been several scenes of celebations in the West Bank and Jerusalem. It was these same type of idiots that cheered when Saddam Hussein launched scuds at Israel during the Gulf war. I felt no sympathy when a few of the scuds hit the West Bank and killed several Palestinians.

I really dont give a sh*t about whatever circumstances could get these uneducated idiots to cheer about this. I also must say that I could care less about collateral damage that may occur in that part of the World or Afghanistan in the coming days.

Hanan Ashrawi commented today on CNN about the fact that they felt very sorry, and put in a plug about 11 Palestinians that were killed last night in Jerusalem (like anyone could really care at this moment in time). When looked at objectively, more people were killed in New York than have been killed in the entire Palestinian conflict. Ever.

I would submit that this scene may well represent only about 1% or so (perhaps even) less) or so of the local populations true feelings, no?

There's one in evry crowd, so to speak!

I'm scheduled to fly to lgw and cdg next week. We are still going and have realized that we will have to allow another hour for the questioning and security clearing that I, an american citizen, of middle eastern descent, will have to go through. I am not looking forward to it, but realize that it is better to be safe than sorry.

I fit no profile, just had the luck of being born in a country that has no diplomatic ties with the US.

lala

The problem is that those kids dancing in the streets today will be suicide bombers in a decade, fueled by a childhood of hatred and bogus religion.

Right now, the adults know better. This needs to be taken care of now, not in 10 years.

With many offices and retail businesses closed in San Francisco after the terrorist attacks in New York yesterday, my partner and I learned that our offices would also be closed for the day and resumed watching the coverage on television for several hours. While no new reports were being announced, we decided to go out for a walk in our neighborhood and reflect on what we had been watching. One block from our home is our neighborhood commercial area, Chestnut Street; we live in the Marina District, for those familiar with The City.

Not expecting too many people, we made a right on the corner where the retail shops, restaurants, banks and other businesses were located to find 2 young ladies tugging at the door of the Williams-Sonoma store, visibly and verbally upset that the store had closed early, as so many others had on the street. I was taken back by their attitude, that today, a day off, would become a shopping opportunity for them. I’m not suggesting that everyone was to stay home with the drapes drawn, however, a shopping excursion was the last thing that I would have ever considered doing on a day such as yesterday.

A block down, the Pottery Barn store has just closed and a small group had gathered, my immediate reaction was that a small riot would ensue, as again, people were commenting that they could not believe that the shops had closed, as they pushed and pulled on the doors.

While most retail shops has closed, most restaurants were open, patrons spilling onto the sidewalk seating areas, laughing and having a good time, as if it were the weekend, which is normally the scene for this part of town. Café after café, the scene was repeated, people sunning themselves, having a good time as if nothing has happened and as if it were a national holiday. Again, I wasn’t expecting everyone to be in a somber mood, I was really surprised by the lack of emotion and the festive atmosphere, it made me a little upset.

While not trying to be dramatic about this, as people have different ways of dealing with tragedies, I felt ashamed for most of the people I saw, taking advantage of a day off to go shopping or have brunch with friends.

Interesting post, here in Boston everyone I ran across, even today, in the suburbs, at the gym, are still just walking around in a sort of catatonic state. It is just horrible.

In a twisted amount of travel related irony, my Express-mailed-monday passport and visa application to a Washington DC foriegn embassy still hasn't left the Boston PO. so any committment to fly next week may be neither the FAA or my personal choice.

Maybe there is something wrong with me, but I have always been struck by the "adult" Palestinians who let there children run wild in the streets, throwing rocks at the Israeli military etc. It seems to me that they have no regard for the lives of their children and it is only their cause that is important to them.

Finally, I have always tried to keep an open mind about Middle Eastern politics, but my immediate reaction to seeing those people celebrating was that I wouldn't give a rat's ... if they all went to heaven immediately (if you know what I mean)!

The most despicable image wasn't the celebration in the street (although that was inhumane and awful enough). It was watching people forced to choose between burning to death and falling to their death leaping from the towers.

The greatest terrorist recruiting tool is the Israeli bulldozers taking out palestinian homes in the middle of the night.
You just created homeless people with nothing to lose, and where their home used to be, they see a new foreign settlement or road where their home was -- well what is more dangerous than justifiably enraged people with nothing to lose? There is a reason these people have been radicalized, a good part of it is a sense extreme injustice, helplessness and desperation. Of course some of these poor people just become pawns for rich people with grand evil schemes, but they wouldn't be pawns if their lives weren't already a living hell. It may be convenient and expedient to dehumanize and demonize palestinians, but there is a reason they have been radicalized in recent years. None of this implies I agree with what the extremists do, but knowing the reasons may help to prevent it in future...

I think we should retaliate fiercely again bin laden and his cronies wherever they are (afghanistan, Chechnya, pakistan, etc..), but lets be honest about the causes of hatred. It didn't come from nowhere...

That's the "image" I would choose; unfortunately, the other one mentioned has become too commonplace.