Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for September 11, 2011

I was standing on the platform of an elevated train station in Brooklyn, on my way to work, when the man standing next to me said, “a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center.” I turned and saw smoke coming from the South Tower. I immediately knew what was happening. I had seen it before in 1993.

A touching exchange. Zonker realizes that B.D.’s world is not as secure as Zonker, their baby-sitter, likes to pretend.

Thank you, Gary.

I was 3000 miles away. We were watching the coverage on TV at work when the first tower fell. I felt like someone had just knocked all the wind out of me.

BD’s National Guard unit worked at Ground Zero:

http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2001/10/23

At least “Cowboys & Aliens” makes sense.

I remember that I was off work that terrible day. I’m in England and a friend suddenly emailed me to say that a plane had crashed into the world trade centre. I thought maybe a light plane and turned the TV on to witness the horror and reality of what had happened. I have never been so thunderstruck. I witness death everyday as a medic but this time the tears wouldn’t stop.

Gary, thank you…

I was getting ready to go from my house to the office next door when my sister-in-law called & said a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. We turned on the TV in time to watch the second plane hit. Later, I got a call that one of our parishioners – who was a FDNY firefighter – was at the WTC and hadn’t reported back. I spent the rest of the day with his family (I’m their pastor) waiting for word from him. It never came.

Thank you Gary. Mxx

Do not grieve for the dead but grieve for the liveing for they carry the burden of remembering

Was 3000 miles away, commuting to work on a bus in LA. Still hit hard, still they sent us home (worked in a high rise, part shock, part security concern). Even though so far away, I’m with B.D. — will always remember, don’t wish to see coverage, don’t need to relive horror. At times there is a NY – LA antagonism, but on this only shared horror and complete sympathy with anyone close.

Remember the USS Liberty!

I’m ready to move on…

Bravo GT! Knowing families of victims and seeing the events as they transpired leaves me numb. I need and have no desire to relive those moments or see it again.

Too much rehashing can desensitize those without original experience and those of us, like BD who mourn and remember without visual reminders.

10 years. seems like yesterday. if you live for 1000 years, and looking back. what was the damn point?

It was a good movie, actually, thanks to Harrison Ford.

“If you were there, you don’t need to be reminded of what happened. We get to relive it every night.”

Well maybe not every night, but every time I pass by one of the places I found myself in that day (the sight of the just-hit first tower from the George Washington Bridge, the stretch of the FDR Drive I was trapped in when traffic froze listening to the radio while the atrocity was happening, the view down University Place of the one remaining tower, flames sluicing out of its narrow vertical windows…)

I’ve been avoiding every bit of 10th year anniversaria I can, so I share BD’s sentiments. But I think he’d appreciate today’s “Over the Hedge” strip – I know I did.

thank you. I won’t forget, but it’s time to go forward.

We won’t forget, ever — but if we don’t move on and succeed, and help others to do the same… they did win, at least a little.

__They don’t deserve even a bit of that.

I was working, and someone poked their head over a cubicle and announced a plane had hit one of the towers. I thought man, must have been bad weather or pilot problem. Then another head popped up and said a second plane had hit the second tower. I thought not a coincedence, all these TV’s got pulled from their hiding places. I went to a different floor with big TV’s and watched the day unfold. I was in shock when the towers fell. Next to me a coworker from Africa, a big guy, started crying. He was unashamed. He told me the next day he cried in front of his daughters knowing the world had just changed. I could not tell anyone that I cried that night. But I cried out of anger. Thanks to all the men and women who serve this country.

Beautiful Gary.

Wow. Amazing.

Does anyone remember a Sunday comic where Bush is in a press conference, and his answer to everything is “9-11”?

We need to remember the first responders medical bills.

A long time ago I read about the Ia Drang battle in Vietnam, and about one of the participants, Rick Rescorla. If this wasn’t a comic strip he may have one of BD’s “Band of Brothers”. Later he became head of security for Morgan Stanley/Dean Witter.

Rescorla predicted the nature of what threatened us years prior to the attack on 9-11, which is also the day he was murdered. His foresight and initiative helped to save the lives of over 2600 Morgan Stanley employees.

22,000 children die every DAY from preventable hunger and disease. There is something a little creepy and self-absorbed about all our hyped mourning 10 years after 9/11.

My husband of over twenty-five years died on 9/9/01. Two days later, when the terrorist attacks occurred, I heard the news as I sat in my endodontist’s chair undergoing root canal surgery! I understand my personal loss was not the concern of the world but I cannot think of that tragedy without all these feelings of loss and despair for every one of us - and especially for those whose lives were lost and for their families and friends. My heart is heavy also for the responders who are suffering the medical devastations their contribution has caused them. God bless and help them all.

So glad to see today’s strip. I fear 9/11 has evolved into a wallow-fest, and at this point we instead need to heal and move ahead. Even if we didn’t lose someone or work the pile, most of us do not ever need reminding.

Thank you, Gary. You’ve been spot-on for as long as I can remember and having B.D. allow us to see his vulnerability is a brilliant comment on this terrible event. You are the best!

“Remember the Alamo”, Concord, the Maine, Pearl Harbor, Gulf of Tonkin, Iran/Contra, Beirut, 9/11, I’d prefer America think about or remember- Gandhi.

Thousands and thousands of live lost, trillions of dollars spent fighting the bogeyman. Natural selection has a lot of work to do with Home Sapiens (us). Homo Sapiens is Latin meaning Wise Men – a definitive example of an oxymoron (contraction in terms). This is one event I hope history does not forget.

Perfect

i am not an american and hesitate to get involved in this dialogue. However, @sandfan’s remark needs some perspective. Before you unequivocably hate muslims you should realize that amoung the 2752 people who were killed in the fall of the WTC approximately 1,100 were muslim.

Terrorists use religion as an excuse and the followers of the religion as scapegoats. For you to hate a religious group means you fear them. Again the terrorists win terror is their product – don’t buy into it.

What is truly sad is the nature of the reaction by the american military and political establishment. Why Iraq when bin laden was in afghanistan? you lost so much authority in the world, so much money and so many more american lives – twice as many as died in 9-11. mostly you lost prestige and influence that you will never be able to recover.

the terrorists have won in so many ways, not the least of which is seen in the statements of @sandfan – fear, mistrust, hatred.

remember thinking it was some drunken fool in a small plane when the first rumors started swirling around the office. Then the second plane hit, and I realized it had been timmed so everyone would already be watching to see the second, so the news would be filming the area already because of the first plane, and that was when I knew. I couldn’t know yet if it was someone of Faith or someone with a political ax to grind, but I knew it was one of them. A group of believers laying down their lives for their cause, excuse me, for their Cause. Another Oklahoma City, another abortion clinic bombing, another USS Liberty…

@clarkkent, when I try to go to that date (thru gocomix) I just end up back here.

The perpetrators of this war crime are still alive and have not faced justice. Too many unanswered questions about the unofficial story, too many “facts” that defy the laws of physics. Cowards, murderous traitors, implementors of the world’s most vicious con job, you failed to murder me on that day. I will never rest until you face accountability and justice.

Remember our heroes of 9-11 today. That’s what makes sense!

palin drome, you are obviously intelligent enough to know…hence your off the wall response. christlib???? what is that?

the world does not fear america except as a dying giant. many of us do still respect her for all she has done. we are saddened by the inevitable decline. america is bankrupt and devoid of resources. your infrastructure is failing. you even need china to guarantee loans so you can fund your military.

now that is sad….not fearsome.

So true, and thanks kindly, Gary

December 7, 1941

He that refuses to learn from history is doomed to repeat it.

In Sydney, we turned on the TV in the library so people could come in and see what was happening. I was working, and turned around to see one of our PAs standing, watching, with tears coursing down her cheeks. She could hardly speak. She managed to whisper “This is so terribe”. The memory still brings tears to my eyes.

We are all with you.

A friend of mine was traveling in Jordan when the towers fell- near Petra- everyone he met in Jordan was horrified by the act of terrorism and very supportive. There was nothing resembling “dancing in the streets”. We need to be careful that we do not paint all of Islam with the same brush. Yes- there are a lot of crazies in that faith- and they seem a lot more physically dangerous than the crazies from other faiths, but the average Muslim is not inherently supportive of this type of crazy. Most folks- whatever their faith- are pretty decent people. It is time that good folks focus more on their similarities than their differences and start working together to keep the crazy folks from all faiths from taking over.