Freedom's Fidelity

Friday, September 12, 2003

The Jumpers. I've read a lot of 9/11 tributes over the last few days, and it seems to me, this year, it's the jumpers that stick in my head. I never saw much of the jumpers, certainly not live that day. I went to work and was sent home an hour or so after the towers collapsed, by then the media had ceased showing that footage. But yesterday I read this piece from Esquire and Glenn Reynolds also posted the picture that's on the right with his 9/11 post, which led to an outburst from Eric Muller which is pretty well documented here.

For the record, Muller is dead wrong, for reasons already articulated in the comments section of his original complaint. But what got me thinking were these pictures that Glenn points to here, here, here, and here. You must look at them before you read on. (The pictures courtesy of this post by Justin Katz.)

Look at those people facing an unthinkable decisions. Are they attempting to climb down the building? I would, what's the better choice? Can you imagine standing on the edge of death as they are, looking and seeing your fellow men and women all around you, frantically looking around for help. But you see their eyes, and they are asking for something too, but it's not help. They all know..... there is no help, not in the mortal world. What should I do? Jump? How long will the fall be? More importantly how long will it seem.... 10 seconds.... 10 years? What will I think about, would God consider this suicide? (of course not!) Will it hurt when I crash?!?!? Who did this, what the hell is happening?!?!? All I did was go to work, it's getting so GODDAMNED HOT...... !!?!

ughhh.... I am thankful that I did not have to make that decision, I don't know what I would do and it's haunting to consider. Jump or get burned alive? BURNED ALIVE? That is not human choice, but it is a sobering reminder of what we are fighting against.

posted by Paul  permalink | |