Comments on: Writing on 9/11 http://www.epolitics.com/2008/09/11/writing-on-911/ dissecting the craft of online politics and online advocacy Wed, 7 Jan 2009 19:34:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: cpd http://www.epolitics.com/2008/09/11/writing-on-911/#comment-412078 cpd Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:38:03 +0000 http://www.epolitics.com/?p=963#comment-412078 Still, you gotta keep perspective -- civilization has ALWAYS been threatened by something catastrophic, from earthquakes to resource exhaustion to mongols massing on the border. As a pedestrian in DC, I'm more likely to be killed by a bus than by a truly disastrous event (and I don't even want to THINK about the cumulative effects of all my own bad habits, which are legion). The two things that really scare me? Accidental massive nuclear war and an unexpected asteroid strike -- those are the two things that could wipe out the edifice of civilization that we've built up as a species over millennia. But that's an essay for another day. Still, you gotta keep perspective — civilization has ALWAYS been threatened by something catastrophic, from earthquakes to resource exhaustion to mongols massing on the border. As a pedestrian in DC, I’m more likely to be killed by a bus than by a truly disastrous event (and I don’t even want to THINK about the cumulative effects of all my own bad habits, which are legion).

The two things that really scare me? Accidental massive nuclear war and an unexpected asteroid strike — those are the two things that could wipe out the edifice of civilization that we’ve built up as a species over millennia. But that’s an essay for another day.

]]> By: Suzanne http://www.epolitics.com/2008/09/11/writing-on-911/#comment-412058 Suzanne Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:15:35 +0000 http://www.epolitics.com/?p=963#comment-412058 Thanks, Colin. Funny, this year more than previous years I dreaded coming downtown. On 9-11 2001 I was working a few blocks from the White House. An employee called as I was en route to daycare with my baby in the car seat in the back. "Have you seen this crazy thing on the Today Show?" he asked. I dropped my son off, went into the office. The staff was riveted to the radio. A former assignment editor had to get to a TV -- ran off to a local bar (at 10 am?). Then the phone rang. My husband said "a plane just hit the Pentagon, get Matthew out of daycare and come home right away." All of us walked out of the office without even speaking, even as b'cast news guy came running up the street -- "go home!" he yelled. Crazy. We all worked from home for weeks. And forever after as I drove down 19th street toward the office, I noticed that I could see planes -- flying bombs -- heading toward national airport. So -- today I had the creeps. Ever since 9-11 whenever something strange happens I think "Is this it?" Truly -- it seems not a question of whether, but when. Thanks, Colin. Funny, this year more than previous years I dreaded coming downtown. On 9-11 2001 I was working a few blocks from the White House. An employee called as I was en route to daycare with my baby in the car seat in the back. “Have you seen this crazy thing on the Today Show?” he asked. I dropped my son off, went into the office. The staff was riveted to the radio. A former assignment editor had to get to a TV — ran off to a local bar (at 10 am?). Then the phone rang. My husband said “a plane just hit the Pentagon, get Matthew out of daycare and come home right away.” All of us walked out of the office without even speaking, even as b’cast news guy came running up the street — “go home!” he yelled.

Crazy. We all worked from home for weeks. And forever after as I drove down 19th street toward the office, I noticed that I could see planes — flying bombs — heading toward national airport.

So — today I had the creeps. Ever since 9-11 whenever something strange happens I think “Is this it?” Truly — it seems not a question of whether, but when.

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