I heard and saw the incredible terror hiting NY and Washington DC yesterday and was worried to hear about both Ralphs. Happily Ralph Hoehn mailed in the evening saying that he already was evacuated before WTC collapsed. I still havent heard from the other (the first?) Ralph and hope to get some news within next pw-digest. I think that a severe change in "international culture" culture took place yesterday. In our 11-o-clock news I heard a german politician say: "In these days we all are american ..." He most probably thought of JFKs Berlin speech and the words "Ich bin ein Berliner" years ago. And in a way, yes, I am american, too, now: worried and shaken by anonymous violence. Please, take my sympathy for what has happened to your country and yourself. Frank ... eine neue Kreatur. Das ja. Unbedingt. Frank Fichtmueller, Guetebohlweg 4, D 78343 Gaienhofen (d) evkirche.hoeri_at_t-online.de (p) fichtmueller_at_gmx.de (T) (0049) + 7735 - 2074 (d) 2776 (p) (F) 1431 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dear Frank, Thank you so much for your words of solidarity. I am deeply moved. Bijili Sacramento, California, USA In a message dated 9/12/2001 8:37:47 AM Pacific Daylight Time, evkirche.hoeri_at_t-online.de writes: > I heard and saw the incredible terror hitting NY and Washington DC yesterday > and was worried to hear about both Ralphs. Happily Ralph Hoehn mailed in the > evening saying that he already was evacuated before WTC collapsed. I still > haven't heard from the other (the first?) Ralph and hope to get some news > within next pw-digest. > I think that a severe change in "international culture" culture took place > yesterday. In our 11-o-clock news I heard a German politician say: "In these > days we all are american ..." He most probably thought of JFKs Berlin speech > and the words "Ich bin ein Berliner" years ago. And in a way, yes, I am > american, too, now: worried and shaken by anonymous violence. Please, take > my sympathy for what has happened to your country and yourself. Frank > > ... eine neue Kreatur. Das ja. Unbedingt. > > Frank Fichtmueller, Guetebohlweg 4, D 78343 Gaienhofen > (d) evkirche.hoeri_at_t-online.de (p) fichtmueller_at_gmx.de (T) (0049) + 7735 - > 2074 (d) 2776 (p) (F) 1431 > > > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Wednesday, September 12, 2001, at 03:01:48 AM PDT, Frank Fichtmüller wrote: > In our 11-o-clock news I heard a german politician say: "In these > days we all are american ..." He most probably thought of JFKs > Berlin speech and the words "Ich bin ein Berliner" years ago. And in > a way, yes, I am american, too, now: worried and shaken by anonymous > violence. Please, take my sympathy for what has happened to your > country and yourself. Hello Frank, I too, am very glad to hear that both "our Ralphs" are fine. I also thank you for the empathy you've expressed so well. Yesterday's tragic events were committed against all loving human beings - no matter where we are physically. I used to live in NYC, and still consider it my "hometown" in a way. Many of my closest friends are still there. A few minutes ago, I wrote a response to someone in another discussion group, and though it is a bit long, I hope this list won't mind if I "re-publish" it here, as it expresses how I'm feeling, and I want to share it. I will start this after the quote I was replying to... [snipped quote] Hello Monica, I will pray for your friends - as well as for mine - and for everyone else's family and friends potentially and probably directly affected by this terrible tragedy. I'm in a similar situation to yours - along with so many others. I have friends who work in the destroyed buildings, and other friends who live very near by. My friend and personal attorney has his office in an upper floor of the south tower - the first to collapse. I also have a friend who is an EMT, and another who is a fireman. I haven't heard from either of them - hopefully just because they're too busy to call. I haven't been able to reach, nor have I heard from any of those I'm most concerned about. I was able to reach only two of my friends in NYC yesterday, then I decided I should not tie up a line trying to constantly get through to other friends just yet. In 1993, I was still living in NYC, and was only three blocks away from the WTC when the bomb was exploded. One of my friends that I'm worried about right now was slightly injured in that incident. This time around, I fear I may never see her again. I too, feel too sick to eat, sleep, etc. since yesterday. For some reason, even though I got to sleep at just 2 AM, I woke up at the very moment of the first plane hitting the north tower (5:45 AM where I am), turned on the radio, heard what had just happened, and then watched the rest of the horror unfolding "live" on television. Even if it turns out that all my personal friends are okay (I doubt it), I'm still so deeply saddened by what has happened to possibly tens of thousands of people at the WTC, the victims in Washington, and all the victims in the crashed planes. I'm also deeply saddened that my favorite city was so horribly violated. Though I now live 3000 miles away, NYC is still my "city home". If there is any such thing as a silver lining to this tragedy, it was to see how well my "fellow" New Yorkers have been handling this, and reaching out to help each other. In spite of the usual problems found in a large urban city, problems caused by disturbed individuals, and the reputation of New Yorkers as being "rude", I've so many times seen "strangers" pull together when true need was perceived. I see this happening in NYC right now. Even though we have again seen the darkness humans are capable of, we also see the light and love that we're capable of. Added to all the pain I feel right now, there is one more small but personally significant coincidence here... it was my birthday yesterday. I didn't celebrate, and no matter how much I might wish I could, I shall never forget the sadness and horror of that date. Though all such murderous tragedies - large or "small" - are indescribably painful for all directly involved, as well as for those with empathy, the magnitude of what happened yesterday is still for me, immeasurable. I would like to conclude with something I wrote yesterday - in another discussion group: "I don't believe that US policy - past and present - is free of unjustly spilled blood on it's hands, but that still does not make what's happening today "deserved" in any way. Terror like this must be stopped, but I also hope that much care is taken to get the facts straight before acting, and that great effort is made to be *just* - not just vengeful." My condolences to all who lost loved ones, and for all who still don't know. My condolences also to all humans anywhere, as we've all been violated - yet again - by a terrible act committed by our fellow human beings. When will we learn? Melissa -- PGP public keys: mailto:pgp_keys_at_gmx.co.uk?subject=PGP_Keys_1&Body=Please%20send%20keys *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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