That 9/11

 A little after 3 p.m. in my office in Geneva, Switzerland, I check the news on the internet as I do each day. A plane has just hit the World Trade Center, probably off course, I think.

Within a short time a second plane hits another building. The horror that will last for another 25 years and on has begun.

We have no television in my multi-national organization. One of the other two Americans I work with finds the most information on the El Pais newspaper website. 

I live close, rush home, check CNN, BBC and other international news stations. 

My Syrian neighbor and her American guest watch with me. The guest will not be able to go home until American skies open. I will not be able to reach my daughter, my beloved stepmom either, the first time since I moved to Europe. Compared to what people in New York are experiencing, that's nothing. 

A Muslim woman who lived in my building and with whom I'd never spoken to other than "bonjour" expressed her deep sorrow. There were tears in her eyes. I tried to comfort her. She did not fly the planes.

George Bush urges return to normal, to "shop." The clean-up begins.

For the families of the 2,977 victims, 372 of them  from 61 countries, it will never be over. The loss is forever. 

The total includes 343 firefighters. More died in an attack on the Pentagon attack and a planned suicide flight that the passengers aborted in a Pennsylvania field.

For the 145,000 sick and almost 10,000 dead from bad air quality after  9/11 it will never be over. How much suffering, how many deaths could have been prevented if the government hadn't lied about the air being safe? That will never be known. Their lies killed more Americans than 9/11.

There will only be small private memorial ceremonies for them.

A revenge war in Afghanistan killed 1,910 American soldiers nevermind some 46,319 Afghani civilians. None of the attackers were from that country although the organization was allegedly based there.

Some 3,519 American soldiers died in the related Iraq war based on the lie of nuclear weapon threat. The estimate of violent Iraqi civilian deaths is 151,000.

Another revenge war for another attack in another place include 70,000 and counting in Gaza. Every child who has suffered may seek revenge if s/he lives to grow up. We are just learning that the leader knew in advance.

Without proof of crime, America bombs small boats. They bomb Iran for reasons that vary if not daily as least weekly. Iran retaliates attacking American bases but numbers of American dead...who knows? Private hatreds may give way to revenge private or group in the immediate or distance future.

The ceremony at the 9/11 site with it bagpipes and bells was beautiful and fitting. I watched, fighting the tears although I knew none of the victims. It does not bring back those killed on 9/11. It does not bring back all those who have died since then as a reaction to 9/11. It is the human tragedy, the waste.

It goes on. Too many unnecessary deaths by power-hungry men and those who will make their fortunes from weapons sold. 

The cause for the enemy crimes is almost never examined. Revenge begats revenge. It is profitable.