[at-l] OT: Ground Zero

[nealb@midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

Was talking to a body that had a similar feeling when they talked about the
pictures they saw.  I reminded them that several thousand had probably died
(this was a week or so after the day).  Most were civilians and included
women and children and included people from around the world (including
Muslims).  And that this attack indicated that anybody, anywhere could be
next.  That gave them a pause.

I think that such happenings are so out of norm that people don't know what
to think or how to react.  So some people opt (unthinkingly) for numbness or
cluelessness.  Nothing to be ashamed of.  I did the same when I was told one
of my best friends in high school had died in an auto accident.  

If you go to visit such sites (including places like Gettysburg and Pearl
Harbor), you should really do some reading first and try to put things in
perspective.  Say Six Million Jews and Four Million other "undesireables"
died in concentration camps, etc. during World War II, and it doesn't hit
you as hard as reading some accounts and making it more personal.

Speaking of which, I wonder how many people were influenced to hike the AT
"after" they read someone's personal experience?  

-----Original Message-----
From: Clifford R. Haynes [mailto:chaynes@megalink.net]
Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2002 5:31 PM
To: Backcountry AT-L; KinnickinicHere@aol.com
Subject: Re: [at-l] OT: Ground Zero


Not everyone's reaction is the same. My son and his cousin ( boys 15 and
16 )  stopped at ground zero on the way to Florida. My sons reaction,
"nothin to see just some wrecked buildings and a hole in the ground". The
Nephew's "kinda cool I guess, but not much there to see."  There reaction to
Disney World " OK I guess, the had a couple of good rides."