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September 11

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Quotes of the day from previous years:

2003
Never burn a penny candle looking for a halfpenny. ~ Irish proverb
2004
Only tragedy allows the release of love and grief never normally seen. ~ Kate Bush
2005
September 11 was, and remains, above all an immense human tragedy. But September 11 also posed a momentous and deliberate challenge not just to America but to the world at large. The target of the terrorists was not only New York and Washington but the very values of freedom, tolerance and decency which underpin our way of life. ~ Tony Blair
2006
On September 11 — what happened? Picture this: two upended matchboxes, knocked over by the sheer force of paper-darts.
Only it was much, much worse than that. In fact, words alone cannot adduce how much worse it was than that. September 11 was an attack on words: we felt a general deficit. ~ Martin Amis
2007
Our best destiny, as planetary cohabitants, is the development of what has been called "species consciousness" — something over and above nationalisms, blocs, religions, ethnicities … I have been trying to apply such a consciousness, and such a sensibility. Thinking of the victims, the perpetrators, and the near future, I felt species grief, then species shame, then species fear. ~ Martin Amis on the terrorist attacks of 11th September 2001
2008
Although September 11 was horrible, it didn't threaten the survival of the human race, like nuclear weapons do. … I don't think the human race will survive the next thousand years, unless we spread into space. There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet. But I'm an optimist. We will reach out to the stars. ~ Stephen Hawking
2009
On September 11, 2001, the world fractured. It's beyond my skill as a writer to capture that day, and the days that would follow — the planes, like specters, vanishing into steel and glass; the slow-motion cascade of the towers crumbling into themselves; the ash-covered figures wandering the streets; the anguish and the fear. Nor do I pretend to understand the stark nihilism that drove the terrorists that day and that drives their brethren still. My powers of empathy, my ability to reach into another's heart, cannot penetrate the blank stares of those who would murder innocents with abstract, serene satisfaction. ~ Barack Obama
2010
We have entered the third millennium through a gate of fire. If today, after the horror of 11 September, we see better, and we see further — we will realize that humanity is indivisible. New threats make no distinction between races, nations or regions. A new insecurity has entered every mind, regardless of wealth or status. A deeper awareness of the bonds that bind us all — in pain as in prosperity — has gripped young and old.
In the early beginnings of the 21st century — a century already violently disabused of any hopes that progress towards global peace and prosperity is inevitable — this new reality can no longer be ignored. It must be confronted. ~ Kofi Annan
2011

This enemy attacked not just our people, but all freedom-loving people everywhere in the world. The United States of America will use all our resources to conquer this enemy. We will rally the world. We will be patient, we will be focused, and we will be steadfast in our determination.… we will not allow this enemy to win the war by changing our way of life or restricting our freedoms. ~ George W. Bush ~

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.
We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. … The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.
Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. ~ Barack Obama ~

  • proposed by Kalki, as two quotes for the 10th anniversary of the attacks in which the twin towers fell by the two men who have served as US President since that time, in the battles against terrorism.
2012
In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talents, new creations. The new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new; an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking, is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto, "Anyone can cook". But I realize — only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more.
~ Brad Bird ~
in
~ Ratatouille ~
  • proposed by Kalki (Bird born 11 September 1957)
2013
The magnificent here and now of life in the flesh is ours, and ours alone, and ours only for a time. We ought to dance with rapture that we should be alive and in the flesh, and part of the living, incarnate cosmos. I am part of the sun as my eye is part of me. That I am part of the earth my feet know perfectly, and my blood is part of the sea. My soul knows that I am part of the human race, my soul is an organic part of the great human soul, as my spirit is part of my nation. In my own very self, I am part of my family. There is nothing of me that is alone and absolute except my mind, and we shall find that the mind has no existence by itself, it is only the glitter of the sun on the surface of the waters.
~ D. H. Lawrence ~
2014
Do not flinch from experiences that might destroy your beliefs. The thought you cannot think controls you more than thoughts you speak aloud. Submit yourself to ordeals and test yourself in fire. Relinquish the emotion which rests upon a mistaken belief, and seek to feel fully that emotion which fits the facts. If the iron approaches your face, and you believe it is hot, and it is cool, the Way opposes your fear. If the iron approaches your face, and you believe it is cool, and it is hot, the Way opposes your calm. Evaluate your beliefs first and then arrive at your emotions. Let yourself say: “If the iron is hot, I desire to believe it is hot, and if it is cool, I desire to believe it is cool.”
~ Eliezer Yudkowsky ~
2015
The fundamentalist seeks to bring down a great deal more than buildings. Such people are against, to offer just a brief list, freedom of speech, a multi-party political system, universal adult suffrage, accountable government, Jews, homosexuals, women’s rights, pluralism, secularism, short skirts, dancing, beardlessness, evolution theory, sex. These are tyrants, not Muslims. … The fundamentalist believes that we believe in nothing. In his worldview, he has his absolute certainties, while we are sunk in sybaritic indulgences. To prove him wrong, we must first know that he is wrong. We must agree on what matters: kissing in public places, bacon sandwiches, disagreement, cutting-edge fashion, literature, generosity, water, a more equitable distribution of the world’s resources, movies, music, freedom of thought, beauty, love. These will be our weapons. Not by making war but by the unafraid way we choose to live shall we defeat them.
How to defeat terrorism? Don't be terrorized. Don't let fear rule your life.
~ Salman Rushdie ~
2016
Terrorists will never be able to defeat the United States. Their only hope is to terrorize us into changing who we are or our way of life. That’s why we Americans will never give in to fear. And it’s why this weekend we remember the true spirit of 9/11. We’re still the America of heroes who ran into harm’s way; of ordinary folks who took down the hijackers; of families who turned their pain into hope. We are still the America that looks out for one another, bound by our shared belief that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper.
In the face of terrorism, how we respond matters. We cannot give in to those who would divide us. We cannot react in ways that erode the fabric of our society. Because it’s our diversity, our welcoming of all talent, our treating of everybody fairly — no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, or faith — that’s part of what makes our country great. It’s what makes us resilient. And if we stay true to those values, we’ll uphold the legacy of those we’ve lost, and keep our nation strong and free.
God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
~ Barack Obama ~
2017
I'm amazed that there is such misunderstanding of what our country is about, that people would hate us. I am like most Americans. I just can't believe it, because I know how good we are, and we've got to do a better job of making our case. We've got to do a better job of explaining to the people in the Middle East, for example, that we don't fight a war against Islam or Muslims. We don't hold any religion accountable. We're fighting evil. And these murderers have hijacked a great religion in order to justify their evil deeds. And we cannot let it stand.
~ George W. Bush ~
2018
Since September 11, an entire generation of young Americans has gained new understanding of the value of freedom and its cost and duty and its sacrifice.
The battle is now joined on many fronts. We will not waiver, we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail. Peace and freedom will prevail.
Thank you. May God continue to bless America.
~ George W. Bush ~
2019
Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins, we start to build up new little habitats, to have new little hopes. It is rather hard work: there is now no smooth road into the future: but we go round, or scramble over the obstacles. We’ve got to live, no matter how many skies have fallen.
~ D.H. Lawrence ~
2020
Not very long ago some one invented the assertion that there were only "Four Hundred" people in New York City who were really worth noticing. But a wiser man has arisen — the census taker — and his larger estimate of human interest has been preferred in marking out the field of these little stories of the "Four Million".
~ O. Henry ~
2021
On a day when buildings fell, heroes rose: Pentagon employees ran into smoke-filled corridors to guide their friends to safety. Firefighters rushed up the stairs of the World Trade Center as the towers neared collapse. Passengers aboard Flight 93 charged the cockpit and laid down their lives to spare countless others. One of the worst days in America's history saw some of the bravest acts in Americans' history. We'll always honor the heroes of 9/11.
~ George W. Bush ~
2022
Augustine said that God created the universe new every day: and to the living, emotional soul, this is true. Every dawn dawns upon an entirely new universe, every Easter lights up an entirely new glory of a new world opening in utterly new flower. And the soul of man and the soul of woman is new in the same way, with the infinite delight of life and the ever-newness of life. So a man and a woman are new to one another throughout a life-time, in the rhythm of marriage that matches the rhythm of the year.
~ D. H. Lawrence ~
2023
We are today, as human beings, evolved and cultured far beyond the taboos which are inherent in our culture. This is a very important fact to realise.
~ D. H. Lawrence ~
2024
This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world.
~ George W. Bush ~
  • proposed by Kalki; on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
2025
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We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly. Stupid maybe, but not cowardly. - Bill Maher on calling the terrorists cowards.

  • This unsigned proposal was made by Bagman369 (talk · contributions)
  • 0 ♞☤☮♌︎Kalki ⚚⚓︎⊙☳☶⚡ 07:11, 5 September 2013 (UTC) 1 Kalki 23:11, 10 September 2007 (UTC) this might be acceptable as a QOTD on a date related to Maher, but I do not consider it an acceptable QOTD for any anniversary of the attack. ~ ♞☤☮♌︎Kalki ⚚⚓︎⊙☳☶⚡ 07:11, 5 September 2013 (UTC)
  • 2 Zarbon 22:20, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
  • 4 Putting things into context, if the Americans in the Revolution had done the same in order to win, we would be celebrating their Bravery --JayStander 02:34, 4 September 2008 (UTC)
I certainly believe this is definitely not the case at all. Only extremist bigots, aggressive nihilists, and other extreme fools supportive of their stupidities laud such murderous and destructive actions. Such extreme fools have historically very rarely comprised any major factions of any of the major cultures or societies of humankind. Humans are very often very bigoted about many diverse things — but very rarely that bigoted. ~ ♞☤☮♌︎Kalki ⚚⚓︎⊙☳☶⚡ 00:11, 11 September 2020 (UTC)

Men! The only animal in the world to fear! ~ D. H. Lawrence (born 11 September 1885, and a somewhat relevant statement in regard to 11 September 2001)

  • 2 Kalki 00:18, 11 September 2007 (UTC)
  • 2 Zarbon 22:20, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

I was reminded as I was reviewing my life, that I have been in too many conflicts, too many wars, political battles, military battles, civil strifes in government. And always one lesson stands out and that is, those whom you fight most passionately often turn out to be your best friends. ~ Ferdinand Marcos (born September 11)

  • 3 because fighting for the sake of fighting alone is a waste. Zarbon 04:08, 27 April 2008 (UTC)
  • 1 Kalki 22:01, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

Leadership is the other side of the coin of loneliness, and he who is a leader must always act alone. And in acting alone, accept everything alone. ~ Ferdinand Marcos (born September 11)

  • 3 because it takes courage to assume responsibility. Zarbon 04:08, 27 April 2008 (UTC)
    • SOURCE: The Palace of Crystal - Page 113 by Harry Davis - Political Science - 2007
  • 1 Kalki 22:01, 10 September 2008 (UTC) with a lean toward 2.

There are many things we do not want in this world. Let us not just mourn them; let us change them. ~ Ferdinand Marcos (born September 11)

  • 3 because talking alone will not solve problems, actions sometimes speak louder than words. Zarbon 04:08, 27 April 2008 (UTC)
  • 1 Kalki 22:01, 10 September 2008 (UTC) with a lean toward 2.

We cannot and we will not negotiate with terrorists. We have nothing but contempt for them. To conciliate differences with these people without them changing their objectives is to condemn our Republic to ultimate strangulation and death. ~ Ferdinand Marcos (born September 11)

  • 3 because a battle against terrorism is one that the entire planet is fighting. Zarbon 04:08, 27 April 2008 (UTC)
  • 2 Kalki 22:01, 10 September 2008 (UTC)
  • 3 bystander (talk) 17:52, 9 September 2012 (UTC) with a lean to 4

Terrorism has no motherland and terrorists have no nationality. ~ Karen Demirchyan

  • 4 because a terrorist has no loyalty to any land and absolutely no loyalty to any people. Zarbon 04:08, 27 April 2008 (UTC)
    • SOURCE: BBC Archive - NewsBank - Oct 20, 1999
  • 1 because when I read the quote I get the sense that it can too easily be taken multiple ways. It can be saying that terrorists are people who fight only for themselves and their own greed, which I think is the speaker being a bit presumptuous or it can mean that terrorists are not all fighting for one country or one cause insinuating that fighting one country or cause won't get rid of them. --JayStander 07:54, 2 September 2008 (UTC)
    • Well, that's not what he's saying at all. Just to clear it up, the quotation is referring to how the act of terrorism belongs to no race and it automatically expels one from any living norms. Basically, it goes against terrorism in that it degrades the very being of a terrorist, to specify them by their actions and not their nationality, and insofar, degrade them heavily. It is definitely anti-terrorism. Zarbon 04:17, 8 September 2008 (UTC)
  • 1 Kalki (talk · contributions) 19:02, 6 September 2010 (UTC) * 2 Kalki 22:01, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

We don't know when this madness will end but I do know that god is speaking. I have to believe that in my heart, and I have to know that god will use even this tragedy, to shake up the world. ~ Unknown, (quoted from a video on 9/11)

—This unsigned comment is by 203.219.12.141 (talk • contribs) .
  • 1 Kalki 22:01, 10 September 2008 (UTC) Needs better sourcing
  • 2 Zarbon 22:04, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

The attacks of September 11 were intended to break our spirit, instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than every to live our lives in freedom. ~ Rudy Giuliani

  • 3 Kalki 13:42, 5 April 2009 (UTC) * 4 Kalki 22:01, 10 September 2008 (UTC) with a lean toward 4.
  • 1 Zarbon 22:04, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

A story with a moral appended is like the bill of a mosquito. It bores you, and then injects a stinging drop to irritate your conscience. ~ O. Henry

  • 2.5 Ningauble 00:26, 20 July 2009 (UTC) (with apologies for nominating a pun)
  • 2 Zarbon 17:52, 21 August 2009 (UTC)
  • 2 Kalki 16:49, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

I'm not afraid of loving my enemies
Turning the other cheek
Blessing those that would curse me
I honestly want peace with you
But when you come against my country
When you come against my family
You try to destroy my people
I can't just stand by
There's no way that I can stand by
This time, I will not stand by
I am coming, and if I come, then pain is coming with me
I'm coming, and pain will be with me
~ Kevin Young, frontman of the band Disciple

I returned to see under the sun that the swift do not have the race, nor the mighty ones the battle, nor do the wise also have the food, nor do the understanding ones also have the riches, nor do even those having knowledge have the favor; because time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all. ~ECCLESIASTES 9:11

It’s the end of the world. I was excited by the whole situation. Well, if everybody is going to die, die hard, shit, but what do I know. Is this an atomic bomb—the end of the world—the end of the millennium? No more fear of being fired—for typos or tardiness—digressions or recessions—and what a way of being fired—bursting into flames—without two weeks notice—and without six months of unemployment—and without sick leave, vacation, or comp time—without a word of what was to come—on a glorious morning—when nature ran indifferent to the course of man—there came a point when that sunny sky turned into a hellhole of a night—with papers, computers, windows, bricks, bodies falling, and people running and screaming. ~ Giannina Braschi in "United States of Banana" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5UdS8DI-ks

I know you. I have heard of you all my life. I know now what a scourge you have been to your country. Instead of killing fools you have been murdering the youth and genius that are necessary to make a people live and grow great. You are a fool yourself... O. Henry

We have come upon a phase of our history when ideals are only a veneer for greed and power, (in public and private affairs) when devotion to duty and dedication to a public trust are to be weighted at all times against private advantages and personal gain, and when loyalties can be traded. Ferdinand Marcos

Patriotism, a willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons. ~ Bertrand Russell

The great necessity is that we should act according to our thoughts, and think according to our acts. But while we are in thought we cannot really act, and while we are in action we cannot really think. The two conditions, of thought and action, are mutually exclusive. Yet they should be related in harmony.
~ D. H. Lawrence ~
Marriage is the clue to human life, but there is no marriage apart from the wheeling sun and the nodding earth, from the straying of the planets and the magnificance of the fixed stars. Is not a man different, utterly different, at dawn from what he is at sunset? And a woman too? And does not the changing harmony and discord of their variation make the secret music of life?
~ D. H. Lawrence ~


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