Alfred, I couldn't agree with you more. I also felt (and still feel) a
double pang, first for the victims and then for the towers. We lost the
equivalent of two small towns.
The towers were more than just two gleaming steel boxes. They were largely
self-contained communities where tens of thousands of people from all
nations worked, shopped, socialized and were entertained. I'm sure many
friendships, loving relationships and marriages began and were continued in
the towers. Many people spent a large fraction of their lives in them.
I only saw the World Trade Center towers once, in 1971. I was unable to go
into them because construction was still ongoing. From the top of the
Empire State Building, I still had to look *up* to see them in their
entirety! To me, they represent the power of human minds and hands to
transform the formless minerals of the Earth into something of wonder and
beauty.
When the injured have been tended to, the dead buried, and the guilty
punished, it will be time to rebuild the World Trade Center towers. Their
Phoenix-like rebirth will be the most fitting memorial to those who died in
them.
Jason
----- Original Message -----
From: Hu, Alfred <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2001 6:44 AM
Subject: [USMA:15243] Re: Attack on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon
> I strongly agree with John on this. The SI issue must not be affected by
> this tragedy.
>
> But I'm strongly in favour of rebuilding the World Trade Center Twin
towers
> to exactly what they were a few days ago - even putting the same offices
in
> the same floors in the same towers with the same floor plans for each
floor.
> Maybe reinforce the towers with more heat resistant steel.
> However if the building were to be in SI I wonder if the new towers would
> still be the exactly the same as the original ones? I greatly feel for
the
> victims of the tragedy but feel for the towers themselves too.
>
> alfred
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: kilopascal [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 8:19 PM
> To: U.S. Metric Association
> Subject: [USMA:15235] Re: Attack on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon
>
>
> 2001-09-12
>
> I hope this world wide support doesn't include accommodating the US in the
> use of FFU. I hope this incident doesn't cause the EU, out of respect and
> sorrow for the US, doesn't back of its commitment to be totally SI by
2009.
>
> John
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pat Naughtin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Wednesday, 2001-09-12 20:49
> Subject: [USMA:15233] Attack on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon
>
>
> > Dear All,
> >
> > I would like to add my condolences to those of Han, Tom, and others.
> >
> > I believe that this is an international attack rather than an attack on
> the
> > USA alone.
> >
> > Three Australians died in the aircraft and a further 50 are missing in
the
> > area around the destroyed buildings.
> >
> > The Australian government has committed us to the the total support of
the
> > USA at this time.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Pat Naughtin
> > Geelong, Australia
> >
>
