Although I watched the horror of this tragedy unfold from my 14th floor terrace, the following is almost incomprehensible to me:
"...Port Authority officials believe the casualty count will likely hit 20,000 and possibly more – just from persons working in the office buildings alone.
Executives have known for some time after the attack of 1993 that engineers believed that if one building collapsed, the other tower would likely collapse. Still, emergency officials first told occupants of the second tower to be remain in their offices and not to evacuate.
Thousands of additional deaths are expected. Perhaps more than 10,000 casualties may be found in the large underground mall that connects the buildings of the World Trade Center. The mall reportedly can easily handle more than 50,000 individuals at rush hour. The mall hits these peak numbers as commuters from PATH trains from New Jersey and various New York subway lines (A and E) stop at the Trade Center.
Don’t expect speedy results on the casualty count. The bombing of 1993 – which only destroyed several floors of one tower - took more than six months to clear.
The New York police and firemen were real heroes — who knew the risk of staying in the area of the buildings. The Port Authority source said fire and police officials put out an urgent call for Catholic priests, and several responded. Fire Department officials asked the Catholic priests to give firefighters and police entering or in close proximity to the buildings general absolution and the Last Rites, a sacrament Catholics accept before anticipating death. The priest told NewsMax's source that the police and firemen clearly understood their deaths were imminent as they continued their heroic rescue efforts...."
As millions of people are, I too am stunned by this horrific event. I pray for the victims, their families and friends. I also pray that my fellow Americans will remember our heritage and our commitment to maintain our freedoms, and will bond together - regardless of race, ethinicty, origin, etc. - to fight the true enemy. Let us not strike out at any of our fellow Americans who happen to share some heritage with the suspected terrorists, but not do not share the radical views expressed by these terrorists. These terrorists must be stopped, but let us not terrorize our own.
Pray for safety and peace, not only for us, but for the world as a community.
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