Writings from 9/11 - Some Very Quickly Sensed the Truth

Ed Note: We've been reading blogs and searching for things written on the day of September 11, 2001. Here are some recent finds:

On 9/11/2001, Dave Winer wrote this on his blog:

"Speaking with my mother today who survived the Nazi Holocaust, she is certain that Jews will get the blame." (Ed Note: I think Dave's mother was right, i.e., Eric Hufschmid claims to be a "Truther." But it appears to be a vehicle for his anti-semitic screed. You can google him and others of his ilk. Sadly, their rants often prevent good people from looking further into the truth of 9/11.)

Dave Winer added, "John Perry Barlow likens the attack to destruction of the Reichstag that brought the Nazis to power in Germany in 1933. I hope he's wrong about that."

Here is a portion of what John Perry Barlow wrote on 9/11:

"1. I'm OK, Leah's OK, I Hope You're OK... 2. Prepare for the Coming Police State!

DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME...

I've received enough e-mail and phone calls this morning to indicate that many of you are concerned for my safety, knowing that I have an apartment within the debris range of the fallen towers.

In fact, I'm in halcyon Seattle, where nothin' could be finer. Rarely have I seen a nicer day here.

Dear daughter Leah, on the other hand, *is* in Lower Manhattan, where she is a freshman at NYU. After several stabs, I was able to get through to her this morning, finding her unharmed and calm. She is going to lay low in her dorm today and likely attempt to volunteer
for relief efforts tomorrow.

I've told her for years that is no population on earth more adaptable to emergency than the hyper-witted citizens of Manhattan. She reports that there is plenty of evidence to support this view surrounding her this morning. The Gothamites are rising to the occasion.

There are a number of you who work in the World Trade Center and its immediate vicinity. Rather than tie up telco bandwidth better devoted to those who really need it, I won't try to call you, but I would appreciate a response to this message assuring me of your safety.

I will rest easier knowing you're not forever at rest...

*DO* WORRY ABOUT US. AND, MORE TO THE POINT, U.S.

As most of you know, I believe that the United States has gradually, subtly, invisibly to most of us, become a police state over the last 30 years.

This morning's events are roughly equivalent to the Reichstag fire that provided the social opportunity for the Nazi take-over of Germany.

I am *not* suggesting that, like the Nazis, the authoritarian forces in America actually had a direct role in perpetrating this mind-blistering tragedy. (Though their indirect role deserves a much longer discussion.)

Nevertheless, nothing could serve those who believe that American "safety" is more important than American liberty better than something like this. Control freaks will dine on this day for the rest of our lives.

Within a few hours, we will see beginning the most vigorous efforts to end what remains of freedom in America. Those of who are willing to sacrifice a little - largely illusory - safety in order to maintain our faith in the original ideals of America will have to fight for those ideals just as vigorously.

I beg you to begin NOW to do whatever you can - whether writing your public officials, joining the ACLU or EFF, taking to the streets, or living visibly free and fearless lives - to prevent the spasm of control mania from destroying the dreams that far more have died for over the last two hundred twenty five years than died this morning.

Don't let the terrorists or (their natural allies) the fascists win. Remember that the goal of terrorism is to create increasingly paralytic totalitarianism in the government it attacks. Don't give them the satisfaction.

Fear nothing. Live free.

And, please, let us try to forgive those who have committed these appalling crimes. If we hate them, we will become them.

May God - or Whatever you want to call It - bless us all. We'll need it.

Barlow"

Ed note: John Perry Barlow lists himself as "Cognitive Dissident, Co-Founder & Vice Chairman, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Berkman Fellow, Harvard Law School"