“Such reckless disregard for the most holy principle of ‘hospitality’ (i.e. priority care for the destitute) combined with…attacks against the poor…services disaster on an all encompassing scale.
“Desperation layered across already frustrated people amplifies spiritual confusion; discarded souls exhibit shellshock and are left extremely vulnerable to glittering predators…”
Trouble In Black Paradise Chapter 17: BLACK LESBIANS AND GAYS ROCK THE FRONTLINES OF HISTORIC CIVIL RIGHTS BATTLES, page 410.
FEATURED IMAGE:
The towers of the World Trade Center pour smoke shortly after being struck by hijacked commercial aircraft, September 11, 2001. REUTERS/Brad Rickerby.
Greetings hunkered down readers!
I first attempted to respond to Jim Glines’ 9/11 reflections blog at his own “site”—on 2020’s actual anniversary day. A glitch erased the entire thing right as I completed it. You all know that nightmare frustration!
I now share it here seeing that at this place in time—with so much social exasperation erupting—the tragedy fomenting in 9/11’s wake totally connects to what absolutely escalates…
Trouble In Black Paradise.
Yes, I remember exactly where I was when this heinous act came to light.
5:30 am was the call for Tom and I to rise preparing for the workday. Tom would head to downtown San Francisco. I must catch CalTrain down the peninsula to Redwood City—an hourlong train ride. I ran the Copy Services at Electronic Arts, a leading game maker company.
The TV news always joined our predawn readying and I clicked it on. “Tom, you gotta’ see this!”
Shock and wonder hit us immediately watching one of New York’s Twin Towers—fire and smoke billowing from its side. No positive identification yet of its cause, but analysts already buzzed fear—speculating terror.
Me with Jim Glines during his September 21, 2001 birthday party at the Lone Star Saloon’s patio, a celebration that brought much needed cheer just over a week after America’s worst terrorist tragedy. It was in this patio that we had huddled with friends on that tragic 9/11 day. San Francisco. photo by Tom Longland.
Unlike your situation Jim a dark, desolate 22nd St. satellite station awaited me. The typical smattering of lethargic commuters huddled there seemed totally oblivious, lacking any sense of urgency, or need to alter rigid, daily disconnect patterns. No one communicated a heightened concern—only the rush to self-cocoon in a cabin before the sunrise. I settled with anxiety filled wonder into my own hunkering-in for this, which would not be an ordinary ride.
A placid public atmosphere would soon drastically change!
Walking thru Electronic Arts’ large glass doors into the huge main room the two gargantuan gamer TV’s weren’t streaming sample products—“both” Towers dramatically filled the screens—both now gushed smoke and flames. The lobby’s receptionists and security stood with frozen glares, along with some contractors and company workers. My boss was there, along with his boss. Emotion riddling across faces stated the obvious—the Towers and other landmarks were “under attack!”
Common sense immediately struck me and I approached my boss saying, “I need to go home!”
Again, unlike you my friend Jim, I got the “typical corporate” response—we must wait for “upper level” word and permission! I was stunned saying, “OK, but one plane was headed to San Francisco, national landmarks have been hit, and we’re in America’s wealthy, innovative technology nucleus—”Silicon Valley”—so if word doesn’t come soon, I’m leaving!”
The towers of the World Trade Center pour smoke shortly after being struck by hijacked commercial aircraft, September 11, 2001. REUTERS/Brad Rickerby
Crowds came and went beneath the TV screens, nervously monitoring developments when not left jittery at their desks. Suddenly, one Tower crashed to the ground—it broke my limit!
I told my boss, “I’m outta’ here! This narrow peninsula corridor is a potential ‘ground zero,’ it has dangerously limited options, few exits, its only train tracks and biggest commuter transit (CalTrain) are easily subject to sabotage—a catastrophe waits to happen!”
He gave me the greenlight to go!
Back in San Francisco I’am jittery taking the bus from the station directly to the Lone Star Saloon—you and Michael (our “Uta”) were there among a few others—just as I had hoped and prayed on the train. Bears, Cubs and Harley-Papas trickled in among us, as we huddled in commiseration—mourning with our friends (like you) who had friends in those Towers:
And predicting quite correctly how our public landscape was drastically altered into the unforeseen future.
From today’s anniversary position I look back down a 19-year trail. Your blog is from 2017—16 years from that infamous date—with 3 potent years having now transpired.
People look out of the burning North Tower of the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001. REUTERS/Jeff Christensen
I’ve watched the documentaries, including “The Falling Man” which titles your blog. Your jobsite encounter was rare—thankfully common sense prevailed. San Francisco perceiving itself to be a likely target, got it! But it angers me that standard “corporate” attitude slammed down thoughtless protocol in Silicon Valley that day.
Turns out it was the same protocol that confronted the 2nd Tower folks—who had finally evacuated as the 1st Tower burned.
While gathered outside—still stunned watching the neighboring Tower—they were told to reenter and go back to work. Most didn’t have the gumption that I did—to tell employers and their overseer “security” hell no, I’ll see you tomorrow! Workers altruistically herded back into that space—obeying a “corporate” decision—it turned out to be unnecessarily deadly.
Jim, sadly our reflective “lens” tells us just why.
The same social “Lemming climate” carries over which sets-up our current explosive cultural divisions—it expands working class disenfranchisement—it worsens a deadly, economically crippling, once-in-a-lifetime “pandemic.” A White House “corporate culture” monster presides over it all—exacerbating unnecessary chaos—and needless death.
But then the glimmers of hope:
Whites lead unprecedented numbers of multi ethnic protest masses, swelling national streets—action once unthought of in certain rural areas—demanding that Black Lives Matter! An awakening in people following George Floyd’s public murder by police—Afro “sleepers” as well—says to hell with America’s entrenched “Lemming culture!”
The late Mark Bingham was instrumental in founding the gay San Francisco Fog Rugby Team. photo from greginhollywood.com
Openly gay Mark Bingham dared to spontaneously break standard protocol—saying to hell with “Lemming culture”—he and Todd Beamer, Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick rallied a force on United Airlines Flight 93 that sabotaged 9/11 terrorist’s intent, preventing a crash into the Capitol—or White House.
Today standard pundits romanticize a “national unity” triggered by Sept. 11—which did hit us all!
But pundits fail to declare that it was just a surface level, temporary unity. Ongoing racial unrest in 2001 was set to boil over—it was merely delayed. Signs of disunity in uncaring, or oblivious folks immediately burst thru—before 9/11 dust could settle—leading right up to a ripeness that elected America’s 2016 “monster!”
That afternoon a young white gay male who huddled in our shell-shocked haven patio looked at my Afrocentric apparel—his naïve innocence asked, “Aren’t you afraid of being attacked looking like that?” I said, “No! This is the same level of social challenge you don’t think about—that I must face every day!”
Merely weeks after 9/11, with authorities pleading for the public to be totally aware of surroundings—that “we” must lead in protecting “one another”—commuters were locked right back onto their phones—ignoring the environment—the worship of extremist self-absorption being too great. It disgusted me!
The wreck of the World Trade Center smolders in the background as a man passes a subway stop near the World Trade Center towers, September 11, 2001. REUTERS/Peter Morgan
It shows me that Al-Qaeda terrorists expertly exploited America’s historically “tuned-out,” divisively groomed public way back then, just as another culprit does it today—Russia!
U.S. Lemmings elected to our presidency the biggest international “Russian operative” of all—who now puts the “corporate interests” of deadly wealth decisions over the lives of workers—forcing destitute, cornered citizens to go back into Covid 19 infested factories—who then infect communities and cities at large.
Facebook is under fire for its part in allowing Russian operatives (and other hostile countries) to ravage its platform—illegally helping to elect the president. Its owner Mark Zuckerberg is anything but a new progressive CEO offering an alternative “corporate” environment (a façade soundly smashed).
Zuckerberg, now one of the world’s richest men, arguably guards the president’s back—Facebook’s “corporate” headquarters sits in Silicon Valley.
Oh, and back at Electronic Arts I continued voicing the obvious worries. It got the bosses to OK my drafting a terrorism awareness outline. Titled “A Silicon Valley Worker’s and Resident’s Evacuation Plan” it also proposed “safe spaces” to wait out dire circumstances. I got feedback from “no one”—it never saw the light of day.
Jim, I shudder to think of folks in that 2nd tower kicking and tormenting themselves over the decision to not trust their own instincts—going back in there.
A banner hangs outside a white tenant’s apartment windows in San Francisco’s Castro District. In 2015 as Black Lives Matter protests erupted nationally amid police murdering unarmed Blacks, a group of Black Queer & Trans Lives Matter protesters were violently attacked by the Castro’s Toad Hall Bar staff and patrons. photo September 3, 2020, by Adilifu Fundi.
Today—echoing Al-Qaeda back then—both Russia and our monster president wants this thing to be sure:
“That we Americans and indeed the world never be at rest again, never be content to be who we are in safety and surety…”
In a major way they are succeeding. And like you say I do agree…
“…they forgot one very important fact: they were dealing with AMERICANS.”
If indicated signs are true a collection of pivotal “wake-up” moments—from Sept. 11th to now an unarmed Jacob Blake being shot 7 times in the back by police—are jolting Americans out of their socially rancid Lemming trance.
Signs say this November’s election should instill the gumption to say, “hell no, I’m breaking that pattern—I’ve learned something—I’m not doing that!”
Otherwise I fear that all the democratic principles this “experimental” country stands for—being so unprecedented in the West—and this very country itself—will be lost!
Adilifu Fundi 
Beautiful, just beautiful, thank you!
LikeLike
Dear man you are very welcome! Thank-you so much for responding here.
LikeLike