New York, New York.
Recently, I made a grand adventure of the great city we know as New York. My experiences numbered in the hundreds, from bargaining on the street, to seeing a woman with her shirt off playing a guitar. Now I know what you're thinking: well duh, it's New York. What should I have expected? However, there is one experience I do think is, well, a bit different from the norm. Or maybe two.
First, Chinatown. Try to find a samurai sword in Chinatown. Go ahead, I dare you. Seriously, it took me about, oh an hour to finally find a place (that did have quite a big selection.) The odd thing about Chinatown I don't understand: every store is the exact same thing. How exactly do, oh let's say one hundred, stores that sell luggage, jewelry, and knock-off handbags and purses stay in business? I just don't get it. So anyway, finally, FINALLY I find one store that seems to be selling Asian types of things. And, yes, oh sweet Lord yes, they have samurai swords. And I see one, one that is OH so familiar to me. Yes, it is the sword with the sarcastic, "To my brother Budd, the only man I ever loved." -Bill. Ah HA! I want it! I want it! And so I bought it. $40 well spent.
And next, my favorite and least favorite story at the same time. While stopping at the ever-inspiring World Trade Center, and paying tribute to the heroes of September 11, I noticed a man with a Mac computer, wearing a shirt that so wisely stated "I have questions about 9/11." His little device was playing some sort of movie about the attacks, so, interested, I took a gander and listened to what he had to say. From what I gathered, that is to say his exact words, were, "This is a point-by-point documentary explaining why the official story we were told can't be true." He then went on to say how the documentary shows how the buildings were imploded, basically that it wasn't terrorism.
Wait wait, now you're blaming the government, while not actually saying you're blaming the government? You're basically making a game out of selfless sacrifices that many New Yorkers gave? Coward? Check. "Enormously liberal" (in his own words)? Check. Selling the documentary for monetary gain? Check. A complete ass? ABSOLUTELY. Well, I could not stand for the debasing of such a solemn and sacred place.
I marched up to him. With a crowd of people listening intently, the conversation went a little something like this (oh yes, every sentence I spoke was with UTTER sarcasm).
(First I'd) "So what does this explain, exactly?"
(Then he'd) "It doesn't really take a conspiracy theory, but it explains why the story we were told cannot be true."
(Then I'd) "So, what story do you actually believe then?"
(He'd) "Just that the official story is not true. There is something else."
(Then, a few more parting shots) "I'm sure I know the answer to this, but what, political affiliation, are you exactly?"
(Of course he'd) "I am enormously liberal but-"
(I'd interrupt) "Exactly what I thought (he didn't hear this next part). Fucker."
I walked away.
Feels good to sometimes stand up for what you believe...
posted by Mike White @ 7:55 PM
1 Comments:
May I firstly point out that you're quite obviously an arsehole. I was at the site of the WTC on what I guess must have been the same evening, and I too listened to what this man had to say. As some-one who has researched (in a great deal of detail) the events of 9/11, particularly with regard to Neoconservative policy throughout the 90s and its implementation during the Bush Administration, it came as something of a relief to know that there is some-one out there who's willing to stand up and do what this guy was doing. The facts that this man was talking about (and I noted that he was careful to differentiate clearly between what we know to be facts, and what is at this stage still conjecture) are already in the public domain, but the American public remains largely ignorant of the many inconsistencies with which the 'official' version of 9/11 is riddled. The fact that some-one is willing to stand up and bring these inconsistencies to the attention of a wider audience is laudable in itself. The sheer magnitude of the tragedy of 9/11 to me outweighs out the fact that this guy was selling CDs of his work - the scale of the atrocities and the fact that Ground Zero is, as you point out, such a special place, makes it all the more important that people like this guy carry on doing what they're doing. If he made even one or two people question the government propaganda that has surrounded 9/11, then in my view his presence at Ground Zero that evening was of immeasurable value. While we're on the subject, I'd like to suggest that anyone reading this, particularly American citizens, get hold of a book called "A New Pearl Harbor", and Google the phrase "Project for a New American Century (PNAC)". Thank you for your time.
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