September 11th Truths

I have to say that, in my development of the Pajama Pundit on MySpace, I have come across an alarmingly high incidence of what is being dubbed the "9/11 Truth" movement.

If you are unfamiliar with the "9/11 Truth" idea, here is the Wikipedia page. This is what a Google Search yields. Yeah. Wow. Well over FIVE MILLION returns.

I came across this article written by Robert Frisk, the Middle East Correspondent for the Independent. I thought it had some good things to say.

I should first say that I, in no way, consider myself to be someone who subscribes to the "9/11 Truth" ideology (or "Truther" as many are being labeled in the main-stream-media). I do believe that September 11th, 2001 was indeed a terrorist attack on U.S. soil and was not perpetrated in any way by the government of the United States.

That said, there are definitely some glaring questions that remain unanswered and - in my opinion - will likely remain that way.

[W]here are the aircraft parts (engines, etc) from the attack on the Pentagon? Why have the officials involved in the United 93 flight (which crashed in Pennsylvania) been muzzled? Why did flight 93's debris spread over miles when it was supposed to have crashed in one piece in a field? Again, I'm not talking about the crazed "research" of David Icke's Alice in Wonderland and the World Trade Center Disaster – which should send any sane man back to reading the telephone directory.

I am talking about scientific issues. If it is true, for example, that kerosene burns at 820C under optimum conditions, how come the steel beams of the twin towers – whose melting point is supposed to be about 1,480C – would snap through at the same time? (They collapsed in 8.1 and 10 seconds.) What about the third tower – the so-called World Trade Centre Building 7 (or the Salmon Brothers Building) – which collapsed in 6.6 seconds in its own footprint at 5.20pm on 11 September? Why did it so neatly fall to the ground when no aircraft had hit it?

These are questions that need to be answered. But, I believe that they will continue to fuel the "Truther" movement. Let me explain:

With nearly every tragedy that befalls our great land, there inevitably will be some skeptics - and eventually some conspiracy theories. Think about it... John F. Kennedy's assassination, the Rev. Martin Luther King's assassination, both the AIDS virus and the SARS disease, Princess Diana's death, the bombing in Oklahoma City, TWA Flight 800, and even the tsunami that struck Indonesia in 2004. All of these events were national - and sometimes global tragedies.

Unfortunately, the American public will probably NEVER know what really happened to John F. Kennedy, outside of the "official" recording of that event. Princess Diana's death will likely remain a tragic car accident in the history books. The bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City will always be the work of a madman. I'm okay with these "truths", but some folks are not.

On September 11th, 2001 - our nation was brought to it's knees. Nothing has been the same since - in politics, or in daily life. Because our nation's (and arguably the world's) course was forever changed that day, human nature requires, nay, DEMANDS a reason why. Some abstract explanation like "they hate us for our freedom" doesn't fit the bill. People want to look evil in the face and say, "Why did you do it?" (oh, and we're still waiting for Osama's capture)

Unfortunately, that's not going to happen. Thus, the conspiracy theory is born.

I don't buy the "Truther" ideology, but I absolutely believe that they have every right to question authority and look for answers to the questions that remain.

I'll be watching for those answers too... IF they ever come...

filed in: Al Qaeda, Homeland Security, Osama bin Laden, September 11th, Terrorismshare: