Notes from the Cape

5 years ago today, several terrorists crashed two aeroplanes into the World Trade Centre in New York, one aeroplane into the Pentagon, and one crashed in Pennsylvania. Excluding the 19 hijackers, 2973 people died, and an additional 24 remain missing.

I know that more people die on the roads or of drugs or every year in the USA (let alone our roads). However, to the best of my knowledge this is the most number of deaths directly due to terrorist activities in a single incident ever.

People often asked "Where were you when JFK was shot?" My question is "Where were you on 9/11?". I know where I was. I was on an aeroplane -  a domestic flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town. When I arrived and switched on my cell phone, I had about ten voicemails, asking if I was ok. I was very puzzled by that (it was just a domestic flight – but it was the last flight in SA before the airports were temporarily closed – a world-wide action).

Then when I put on the radio to drive home, I heard the news. At first, I thought that it was a bad joke, but then I realised what had actually happened. It was absolutely shocking, and I was somewhat shaken and very glad when I got home.

On 5 August this year, Lois and I went to visit the so-called "Ground Zero", the site of the World Trade Centre. It was a very eerie experience, looking at a huge hole in the ground, that used to be a massive sky-scraper. A simple sign was in front of the hole "Here remembering 9/11". I stood there, feeling goosebumps.

Part of me was thinking that this is where it all started. I am not even sure what "it all" was, but it has something to do with the world entering a new age. This is not the age of Aquarius, but a far more sinister, nasty age.

On September 11 2001, the world changed. Take a few minutes and remember 9/11.

Here is a list of the victims. Note that the picture is 800k big – but you can read the individual names.

More  info on 9/11 is here.

The victim site is here.