I lost some Customers on 911.....

[MrMachine]

Hello all,

This is not directly related to the Laundry business except for the fact that I lost some laundry customers a few years back. Why? Because the World Trade Center was attacked by Muslim Extremists.
I lost 3 customers that I know of, and some of my customers also lost relatives. My customers posted photos in my store windows of relatives that were missing from that day in the hope that maybe somehow they would show up. They never did.
I myself lost a cousin who was a firefighter.

May the souls of their short lives rest in peace.

Being that the 9th anniversary of this premeditated attack is now upon us, I would just like to say that with all due respect Mr Feisal Abdul Rauf, take that Mosque and shove it where the sun don't shine.


http://attacked911.tripod.com/

[kees]

What a poignant post! Of course it relates to the laundry business. Despite the business end of everything, it shows that you have a heart.
:cool:

[Adamski]

Paul,

That link made me cry all over again. I'll never forget that day. I was doing my collection when the first plane hit. Being a former pilot, my mind could not make any sense of a plane flying into the World Trade Center on a clear, blue-sky'd morning. As the morning progressed and more news broke over the TV, I became numb. My mind could not even embrace the events that were unfolding. Later, I was driving downt I 96 to Grand Rapids. I remember the traffic was moving at the speed limit which was very unusual for this freeway where traffic generally exceeds the speed limit by 10 mph. I think everyone was listening to their radio and consentrating on the still-breaking news. It was such a very sad day. I didn't sleep through the night for the following 2 weeks. I'll never forget!

[merlin3]

Paul,

The day I forget 9/11 will be the day I die. I will gladly assist in seeing that mosque gets shoved to the proper depth. :mad:

That morning I had just started a 4 day trip for the airline I was flying for. We landed in Colorado Springs right about the time the first plane hit.

I sat in the hotel all day watching TV in a near state of shock. I knew it was not worthwhile trying to get any sleep as I knew we would not be going anywhere for several days.

When I see articles like the one linked below, it makes my blood boil:

http://bigjournalism.com/kmartin/2010/08/25/mainstream-media-pundits-to-americans-get-over-911/

Randy

[DaveLevenson]

On September 10, 2001, at about 6:00pm, I got a call from a customer in Elizabeth, NJ... one of their server computers was down. By 8:00pm, I had the computer in my office, and spent the next few hours repairing it. I had to replace the hard disk. A little after midnight, I delivered the repaired system to the customer's site. An employee of the customer met me there, and we worked together until about 8:00am on the 11th restoring the database from backup media. At bout 8:30am, the VP of IT arrived for work ... and I spent the next 15 minutes or so in his office, recounting the night's work for him. At about 8:50am, I left the site, planning to drive home and get some sleep (it had been an all-nighter). I turned on the radio to catch the 9:00am news.

As I started driving, the radio station interrupted its chatter with a bulletin. There had been an explosion of some kind near the top of the World Trade Center. Another bulletin, less than a minute later, stated that the previously-reported explosion was actually an aircraft crashing into the building. Then the station went off the air. Most of the FM stations were off the air -- their antennas were on that building. The AM band was full of news of an airliner crashing into the building.

I didn't go directly home; I stopped at my office. An elderly employee named Jim was sitting at his desk, listening to a radio, and crying. Jim had been in the U.S. Navy during WW-II in the Pacific Fleet. He had been at sea when Pearl Harbor was attacked, but lost many friends then. Between sobs, he told me: "I had always hoped that I would not live to see the next war. Apparently, I have."

Jim was a deacon at the local church. Over the next several weeks, he took many days off to officiate at the funerals -- sometimes four in a day -- of local people who died that day.

[MrMachine]

On September 10, 2001, at about 6:00pm, I got a call from a customer in Elizabeth, NJ... one of their server computers was down. By 8:00pm, I had the computer in my office, and spent the next few hours repairing it. I had to replace the hard disk. A little after midnight, I delivered the repaired system to the customer's site. An employee of the customer met me there, and we worked together until about 8:00am on the 11th restoring the database from backup media. At bout 8:30am, the VP of IT arrived for work ... and I spent the next 15 minutes or so in his office, recounting the night's work for him. At about 8:50am, I left the site, planning to drive home and get some sleep (it had been an all-nighter). I turned on the radio to catch the 9:00am news.

As I started driving, the radio station interrupted its chatter with a bulletin. There had been an explosion of some kind near the top of the World Trade Center. Another bulletin, less than a minute later, stated that the previously-reported explosion was actually an aircraft crashing into the building. Then the station went off the air. Most of the FM stations were off the air -- their antennas were on that building. The AM band was full of news of an airliner crashing into the building.

I didn't go directly home; I stopped at my office. An elderly employee named Jim was sitting at his desk, listening to a radio, and crying. Jim had been in the U.S. Navy during WW-II in the Pacific Fleet. He had been at sea when Pearl Harbor was attacked, but lost many friends then. Between sobs, he told me: "I had always hoped that I would not live to see the next war. Apparently, I have."

Jim was a deacon at the local church. Over the next several weeks, he took many days off to officiate at the funerals -- sometimes four in a day -- of local people who died that day.



Dave,

I had one customer who worked in the World Trade Center, up near the top.

Here is his amazing brush with fate:

He told me that he is not a smoker, but he was working with a woman who he really liked, who WAS a smoker. She went outside to have a cigarette so he figured he would join her and maybe flirt a little. The first plane hit while they were outside. He said if they stayed inside, they both would have been killed.

[moe19x]

New York mosque plan stirs up 9/11 memories

Page last updated at 17:57 GMT, Wednesday, 19 May 2010 18:57 UK

The site of a planned Islamic centre is two blocks from the Ground Zero site

It doesn't take long to walk from Ground Zero to the old, crumbling Burlington Coat Factory on Park Place. Two or three minutes at most.

From the outside it doesn't look like much. Paint peels from the walls. An old, iron fire escape zig-zags up the outside of the building.

At the front door a sharply dressed man, in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, ushers in the worshippers. Men to the right, women to the left.

For now, this former clothing shop is a makeshift mosque, a place of worship for lower Manhattan's rapidly growing Muslim population.

If plans to develop the site go ahead however, within five years it will be a landmark Islamic cultural centre, a celebration - in the minds of its backers - of the religion.

A place for Muslims and non-Muslims to gather, it will include a mosque.
'Powerful symbolism'

This is a deliberate attempt, Imam Feisal Rauf tells me, to present what he sees as the real face of Islam to a city where some - since the terror attacks of 11 September, 2001 - have come to distrust the religion.
Continue reading the main story

What better place to show that we, as Muslims, condemn the acts of 9/11 than making this stand and making this statement here

Imam Feisal Rauf

"This space [Ground Zero] has very powerful symbolism in the perception of the world," he says.

"It is important for us to be stakeholders in what this symbolism means.

"What better place to show that we, as Muslims, condemn the acts of 9/11 than making this stand and making this statement here. When we say it here, we will be heard."

Had the centre been planned elsewhere in this multi-cultural city, it would possibly have gone largely unnoticed.

But situated just two blocks from Ground Zero, it has raised concern among some of the relatives of those killed in the 9/11 attacks.
'Not Islamaphobia'

Mike Burke's brother - a fireman - was one of the almost 3,000 who died as the World Trade Center's towers collapsed.
Mike Burke stands by cranes at Ground Zero Mr Burke says families of 9/11 victims do not want a mosque by Ground Zero

Mr Burke wears badges commemorating the event on the lapels of his denim jacket.

It is not Islamaphobia, he insists - it's just that he and others do not want an Islamic institution nearby.

"I think the first concern for the families is that the religious beliefs of the terrorists who struck is going to have such a prominent place right around the corner from Ground Zero," he says.

"This is not an… anti-Muslim effort. It is understandably… emotional for them to be suddenly told that around the corner from where their loved ones were killed they're going to put a mosque."

The project's leaders say they have gone out of their way to bring people living nearby on board with the plans.

They own the building and under city law have the right to build what they want there. Nonetheless, they spoke to the local community board and asked for its approval - something they didn't have to do. They got its support.

Sharif El-Gamal, the chairman of Soho Properties, which owns the building says he wants "a place where I could show off my hospitality, my culture, my background".

What he and the others involved envisage is a world-class facility - an environmentally-friendly building constructed with cutting-edge technology. It would be a place to show off what they consider Islam has to offer.
Sensitive issue

For some this has become a useful chance to voice popular fears about Islam.
Charles Wolf Charles Wolf says it would be wrong to prevent the building of a mosque

One group that says its aim is to defend freedom of speech against what it calls "Islamic supremacist intimidation" is arranging a rally at Ground Zero in protest at the plans.

Many wholeheartedly reject such a stance. Among them is Charles Wolf, an energetic man who has been heavily involved in the discussions over what should be built at Ground Zero in place of the Twin Towers.

He says many of the victim's families - like him - believe the Islamic centre should be built.

"The Muslims are not responsible for 9/11. There have been extremists in all religions," he says.

"Denying them the ability to build a mosque… would be like London denying the Roman Catholic Church the opportunity to build a church during the years of the IRA bombings."

All sides know this is a deeply sensitive issue. It's one that raises important questions about the place of Muslims in American society today.

Almost a decade on from the 9/11 attacks, this country is still grappling with their aftermath.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10127563.stm

[MrMachine]

Charles Wolf Charles Wolf says it would be wrong to prevent the building of a mosque

One group that says its aim is to defend freedom of speech against what it calls "Islamic supremacist intimidation" is arranging a rally at Ground Zero in protest at the plans.

Many wholeheartedly reject such a stance. Among them is Charles Wolf, an energetic man who has been heavily involved in the discussions over what should be built at Ground Zero in place of the Twin Towers.

He says many of the victim's families - like him - believe the Islamic centre should be built.

"The Muslims are not responsible for 9/11. There have been extremists in all religions," he says.

"Denying them the ability to build a mosque… would be like London denying the Roman Catholic Church the opportunity to build a church during the years of the IRA bombings."

All sides know this is a deeply sensitive issue. It's one that raises important questions about the place of Muslims in American society today.

Almost a decade on from the 9/11 attacks, this country is still grappling with their aftermath.


Moe,

That is a total crock.
A Muslim Mosque at the heels of Ground Zero is extremely painful to those of us who lost loved ones, and is an insult to all of us.
If Imam Rauf wants "To build bridges", this is definitely NOT the way to do it. He could easily relocate the Mosque, but he is deliberately poking us in the eye with the location of his Mosque, and he damn well knows it.

There would be no "grappling with the aftermath" if this Imam would respect our feelings.

I DO have a possible solution here though. Since Imam Rauf is SO concerned about his 1st amendment right to build his Mosque, and Rev Terry Jones is SO concerned about HIS 1st amendment right to burn the Koran, I suggest a deal.....If Rauf pledges to move his Mosque to a less sensitive location, perhaps Rev Jones can pledge to not burn the Koran. Then, everyone would be happy.

[kees]

Charles Wolf Charles Wolf says it would be wrong to prevent the building of a mosque

One group that says its aim is to defend freedom of speech against what it calls "Islamic supremacist intimidation" is arranging a rally at Ground Zero in protest at the plans.

Many wholeheartedly reject such a stance. Among them is Charles Wolf, an energetic man who has been heavily involved in the discussions over what should be built at Ground Zero in place of the Twin Towers.

He says many of the victim's families - like him - believe the Islamic centre should be built.

"The Muslims are not responsible for 9/11. There have been extremists in all religions," he says.

"Denying them the ability to build a mosque… would be like London denying the Roman Catholic Church the opportunity to build a church during the years of the IRA bombings."

All sides know this is a deeply sensitive issue. It's one that raises important questions about the place of Muslims in American society today.

Almost a decade on from the 9/11 attacks, this country is still grappling with their aftermath.


Moe,

That is a total crock.
A Muslim Mosque at the heels of Ground Zero is extremely painful to those of us who lost loved ones, and is an insult to all of us.
If Imam Rauf wants "To build bridges", this is definitely NOT the way to do it. He could easily relocate the Mosque, but he is deliberately poking us in the eye with the location of his Mosque, and he damn well knows it.

There would be no "grappling with the aftermath" if this Imam would respect our feelings.

I DO have a possible solution here though. Since Imam Rauf is SO concerned about his 1st amendment right to build his Mosque, and Rev Terry Jones is SO concerned about HIS 1st amendment right to burn the Koran, I suggest a deal.....If Rauf pledges to move his Mosque to a less sensitive location, perhaps Rev Jones can pledge to not burn the Koran. Then, everyone would be happy.

It sounds good to me!

Suzy
:cool:

[Adamski]

Guys,

If Rauf and Jones didn't have such enormous egos, none of this would even be happening.

[kees]

Tonight my mom sent me a very moving Powerpoint re: 911. I don't know how to attach it to the board. Please email me at loyalfriend@optonline.net if you are interested in viewing it.

Suzy

Please fly your flags on 9/11 out of respect for those who lost their lives. (I'd put mine at half mast except I don't have a flagpole.)
:(