Where Were You When...

[Boinky]

/me thinks teh Bootay was channeling Michael Moore

Now I've only seem the middle part of it, but that's very much the message behind the movie Bowling for Columbine. He looked at why the media focused so much on only the bad aspects of what happened, and pretty much ignored anything good that might be salvaged.

::another possible addition to the list as well::

[Tarryk]

Interesting points, StBoo. First off, I gotta do this, you may feel free to smack me for it...

...Irregardless...

StBoo!!!! Shame on you, you should know better.

As for the desensitizing of our minds? I tend to think of it as a roller coaster of human evolution.

Since time began humans have been desensitized to violence and pain. In fact, in days long past, we thrived on it. Public hangings were a form of entertainment for many. Roman gladiators disembowelled each other in the arena. Witches were burned alive. Domestic violence was commonplace. The list goes on.

If anything, history has increased our sensitivity to such massive proportions over the past 100 years that we have become desperate to believe that it has always been like this, and when we see tragedy and despair, we feel ashamed that we cannot directly connect with it.

Fact is, humanity never could directly connect with it. Violence has always and likely will always exist on many levels in our society, and the only way we can manage to live our lives without being in a constant state of despair and sadness is to put up the defensive mechanism of desensitization to it.

I think a revelation of sorts hit me when I saw a web-page dedicated to the people who died in the destruction of the WTC. It was a flash-animated slideshow of the people jumping out of the windows and the faces of those who died, all the while with a very sad Enya song playing in the background. When I first saw it, I started crying...like really bawling. My heart broke.

Two hours afterwards, I asked why I didn't have that reaction when WTC was happening, and it occurred to me. I had that reaction THIS time because it was presented in a way that formed a bond between me and the people. It was cinematic in it's approach, with the Enya music and the slow-fading slideshow of the tragedy. It was entertainment.

I immediately tried to dismiss the thought, cursing myself for thinking that, but as the hours passed and I continuously thought back to it, the more it made sense. I cried over that web page like I would have cried over a heart-wrenching theatrical tragedy or tear-jerker movie. Both of which are also classifiable as entertainment. Of course I didn't "feel" entertained, but that's no excuse. I didn't feel "entertained" when I found myself crying to the domestic sequences in A Beautiful Mind, but that's why I was crying nonetheless. It was entertainment assembled in such a fashion as to provoke a response. The response only comes a little bit quicker when it's real. The proverbial train wreck. You didn't want to see it, but once you did you couldn't take your eyes off it.

I feel like I am a strong human being in spirit, and I have the will to proceed through my life in the best way I know how. That involves, on neccessity, a desensitization to tragedy. I try to keep a memory of the past in order to protect myself and those I love in the future, but I do not try to keep it around to provoke an emotional response sans productivity. That's not to say that everyone should feel that way, we all have our vices. It's just my personal way of handling it, and I cannot think of myself as a bad person for blocking out the worst in humanity.

[Demenzia]

Hmr let's see.

Where were you when...

Pearl Habor was bombed? (12/07/1941)
Not born

John F. Kennedy was shot? (11/22/1963)
Not born

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the Moon? (07/20/1969)
Not born either

Mt. St. Helen's blew? (05/18/1980)
Likely gazing and drooling at some stuff hanging above my cradle

John Lennon was shot? (12/08/1980)
Likely trying to get on my feet and walk somewhere in my parents' apartment. Or playing with a bucket of paint on the floor

Reagan was shot? (03/30/81)
Likely babbling in the kitchen because I was so happy to finally know how to communicate with other human beings (namely my parents) using this weird stuff called "words"

The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded? (01/28/1986)
I can't remember this, but I rememebr sitting in my grandma's kitchen and having said "are we gonna die then?" when I learnt about Chernobyl (no, the radioactive cloud didn't stop at the French border, contrary to the local fantasies)

The 7.1 earthquake hit San Francisco? (10/07/1989)
Perhaps hearing about it on the news (TV), but not sure

The Berlin Wall Fell? (11/07/1989)
At school, I think, we talked about it

The First Gulf War began? (01/16/1991)
In the garden I think, and my parents told me

Burning of the Koresh/Waco Compound? (04/19/1993)
Can't remember if it was on the exact day, but I saw the info on TV about it. I think I was a little disgusted at it, actually

OJ Simpson was chased in his White Bronco? (06/17/1994)
I don't remember this, I admit

The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed? (04/19/1995)
Uhm.. same. I remember the news, but not what I was doing on that day nor where

Princess Di was killed? (08/31/1997)
At home, I was told to hurry my ass in front of the TV. I think my first thought was "are they still alive?", then seeing the recording of the burning car and "ah.. likely not". I'm not sure it touched me a lot though

Terrorists destroyed the WTC? (09/11/2001)
At school, during my art classes. I came home at 5 pm (French hour, so that was barely 4-5 hours after it happened) and read an e-mail from my BF saying "look at the terrorist stuff in NYC". First thought was "oh some other bomb in the subway, I bet" (sadly enough, we French people have a weird history of being "used" to that stuff, with all the COrsica problems and stuff). Then I looked at the links he posted, to Yahoo news and all, and was like "oh shit". Next thing I know, I was jumping on ICQ and checking on all the people I knew in the area. They turned out to be all allright, though one of them had lost a father-in-law and a brother on that day. I felt sad though when I read the newspapers on the day after. There was this first-page picture of a man jumping through the window to escape from the collapsing tower, and I told myself that it was terrible to see him try to save his life, when he'd die from the ground impact a minute later...

The Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry over Texas? (02/01/2003)
Don't remember, I've seen it on the news one day after.

The Second Gulf War began? (03/19/2003)
At work. One of my former colleagues was Irani (sp?), and regularly checking the news in the area. My thoughts about this have been quite like "what's all that shit. If they so wanted to get rid of Saddam, they'd have sent a sniper a long time ago and worked things without all this war crap. All of this is just some more media ass-licking to get popularity" (never got a high opinion of this Gulf stuff, I admit. It reeked of hypocrisy, and killing people for money *sighs* That's so sad)

The trains in Madrid were attacked? (03/11/2004)
At home, working on some pics for our lil' company, if I remember well. But I learnt about it the day after in fact.

Okay, I don't know what it reveals about me. Maybe that I have very little interest for following the news everyday. Maybe that all of this is so often the same old soup (killings, war, terrorism, sects, more terrorism, bombs) that after a while, it doesn't really touch me anymore. Perhaps that's the reason why to my first reaction about the WTC. "We're sued to hear about such things." And also, I really have a serious problem for feeling "sad" for people I don't know (I don't cry when a celebrity dies for instance), although I can find the circumstances sad and depressing. mainly when it presents somethign some jackass has spent time filmi ng, but not carrying any help to the people during that time (if anyone rememebr this scene, quite some eyars ago, of a child taken away during a flood, and it was filmed from beginning to end, but never you'd have seen anyoen trying to help the kid. Disturbing. Digusting.)

Somewhere deep inside, I must be a cold heartless bitch, I guess.

[Darth Bootay]

No smacking for the Tarryk. I've always expected and demanded your unvarnished opinion and personal truth. It's always gratifying to recieve it, even when it conflicts with mine. One of those things I respect about you.

Shame on me all you like. And then add a few to be sure you're keeping me thinking. After all, one can't sharpen one's mental claws on something with no substance.

[Xtrophic]

Where were you when...

Pearl Habor was bombed? (12/07/1941)
Not born

John F. Kennedy was shot? (11/22/1963)
Not born

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the Moon? (07/20/1969)
Not born

Mt. St. Helen's blew? (05/18/1980)
Not born

John Lennon was shot? (12/08/1980)
Not born

Reagan was shot? (03/30/81)
Not born

The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded? (01/28/1986)
Almost 4 years old. I have no recollection of this event as it happened. I later learned about it when I was about 10 years old when I saw a picture of the challenger shuttle at my best friends house with a text below that read "To the memory of the crew of challenger" (or similar). This picture was given to my best friend as his dad came home from visiting NASA.

The 7.1 earthquake hit San Francisco? (10/07/1989)
Have no memory of this. Then again, at this young age international incidents wasn't really high on my "must know" list.

The Berlin Wall Fell? (11/07/1989)
I was at school, 7 years old, and I recall we watched it on TV in the classroom and later had a follow up discussion where the teachers explained what the berlin wall was, and why it was torn down.

The First Gulf War began? (01/16/1991)
I have no memory as when the war began, but I do remember watching it on the news. At this time I was fascinated by military machinery and thus it was a little surreal I think to watch it all. At this time I doubt I could fully grasp the context of a war, and that people dying actually was removed their existance.

Burning of the Koresh/Waco Compound? (04/19/1993)
No memories what so ever. Still don't know what it was (have to do a search and find out).

OJ Simpson was chased in his White Bronco? (06/17/1994)
Never heard about it until now.

The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed? (04/19/1995)
I remember it very well, I was at my best friends house and we heard about it on the TV. I was very disturbed at first as to WHY anyone would do something like this. I recall me beeing a little shaken up about it.

Princess Di was killed? (08/31/1997)
This was a tragic day, and I recall I learned about it when I was at school. It was beyond me how such a wonderful person could have vanished from the place of the earth in a moment and I followed every article there was about it. At this point I was about 15 and had internet access (yay!).

Terrorists destroyed the WTC? (09/11/2001)
This is a day that will forever be etched in my memory. It was grandmas birthday and I was coming home from school and my moms sister was watching TV in the living room as she called us in there. What they showed was WTC tower 1 in flames. About 10-20 minutes later we watched as the second aircraft hit the second tower. At this point we still wondering if was fiction or not, becuse it was just horrible.
I also remember we had to hide this fact for grandme because she at this point had a very strange mind and would associate this with something as someone close to her had died. I didn't loose any one in this terrorist attack, however a dear friend of mine whos dad was in NY that very day was in terrible chock not knowing if he had survived or not. Luckily we later recieved word that he was fine.

So I will never forget the day, it has been etched in my mind.

The Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry over Texas? (02/01/2003)
I was working and was browsing the news sites as usuall when I learned about it. Later that same day (I think) Otori posted the news here on the GSP forums and I felt very sorry for the families for those to persished on that very day.

The Second Gulf War began? (03/19/2003)
Me and a friend had more or less expected that the war would erupt sooner or later so we weren't exactly chocked when it started. We were just confused about the motives to push this war was. I am against any kind of war by default, as it only leads to misery. I could go into a debate here, but I rather not. As to return what I was doing, I was having a chat with my best friend (whom I've known since I was 2) over the net since he lives about 1h from me now. And we exchanged news links and had a vivid discussion about it.

The trains in Madrid were attacked? (03/11/2004)
I didn't know about this until I read about it here. The news must have eluded myself. I haven't been checking the news as regulary as I used to recently.

[Tarryk]

No smacking for the Tarryk. I've always expected and demanded your unvarnished opinion and personal truth. It's always gratifying to recieve it, even when it conflicts with mine. One of those things I respect about you.

Shame on me all you like. And then add a few to be sure you're keeping me thinking. After all, one can't sharpen one's mental claws on something with no substance.

Thank you for the props StBoo, but I think you misread me on that openning statement. I wasn't shaming-on-you for any of your beliefs or opinions whatsoever...I respect your opinions and contributions of thought to this BBS in much the same way you just described of my own.

In my first line, I was shaming on you for using the word "irregardless"...it's not a word.

[Timbrewulf]

In my first line, I was shaming on you for using the word "irregardless"...it's not a word.

Main Entry: ir·re·gard·less
Pronunciation: "ir-i-'gärd-l&s
Function: adverb
Etymology: probably blend of irrespective and regardless
nonstandard : REGARDLESS
usage Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that "there is no such word." There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead.


I've had this debate so bloody many times now.. Yes, most English profs will tell you it's improper use of the language.. But damnit! It does exist.. :p

[Tarryk]

Okay, it's a 20th-century dialect-based word, but it is not a recognized english word. It's something that was made up and then used so much that eventually someone wrote that definition. Same with:

Ebonics is a recognized standard too, for the exact same reason, but it's still not in webster's standard, thankyouverymuch.

[Darth Bootay]

Okay, it's a 20th-century dialect-based word, but it is not a recognized english word. It's something that was made up and then used so much that eventually someone wrote that definition. Same with:

Ebonics is a recognized standard too, for the exact same reason, but it's still not in webster's standard, thankyouverymuch.

LOL.

Yeah well I beat 'irregardless' last night IRL. I REALLY think I need to sit down and get some remedial English courses. Why?

"It's even gooder"

Yeah, I was tired. Yeah, I've been exposed to a lot of people with poor vocabularies and even worse spelling. Yeah, I'd spent a weekend in close proximity to my BF's sister's preschoolers.... But "gooder"???? OMFG! NO excuse. I was HORRIFIED before the words were even completely out of my mouth...

I'd say spank me, but I'd probably enjoy it too much.

[Ms.Ice]

This is a fun game Boo. my best boyfriend's partner is ten years younger than us, and we ALWAYS play the "How old were you when..." game. He hates it, LOL!!!


Pearl Habor was bombed? (12/07/1941) not born


John F. Kennedy was shot? (11/22/1963) not born


Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the Moon? (07/20/1969) not born

Mt. St. Helen's blew? (05/18/1980) At home, watching anxiously because my grandmother was heading back to WA from CA. She caught a warning and turned around though.

John Lennon was shot? (12/08/1980) i watched my mother and her friends freak out and make memorials, like we did when Jerry died. Somehow i felt a personal loss, i guess because my mom was so upset.

Reagan was shot? (03/30/81) no clue, hated Reagan

The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded? (01/28/1986) In my fifth grade science class, watching on TV. my teacher had applied and interviewed to go and so we were all really into it. When it blew our teacher walked out and the principal came to assign the class to new rooms.

The 7.1 earthquake hit San Francisco? (10/07/1989) Freshman in high school. Terrified on two levels, i had many friends living there, and i live in a web of fault lines.


The Berlin Wall Fell? (11/07/1989) Began a celebration that carried thru to my birthday. Really just an excuse to party.

Burning of the Koresh/Waco Compound? (04/19/1993) 17, a senior in high school. i was with a group of fellow drama nerds, and we watched in utter horror. Honestly the facts on this case have only gotten worse in the last 11 years.

OJ Simpson was chased in his White Bronco? (06/17/1994) didnt care, still dont. This one was too much bullshit to try to figure out {i guess i mean the court case} Sadly i was in college and it became the focus of my Poli-Sci class.


The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed? (04/19/1995)

Princess Di was killed? (08/31/1997) i was oblivious to this one. i think Mother Teresa had died at the same time period, and my thoughts were all on her.

Terrorists destroyed the WTC? (09/11/2001) watched it live.... for weeks they played it over and over. The interesting task for me was explaining it to my students. They had such warped ideas about what happened.

The Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry over Texas? (02/01/2003) missed this one

The Second Gulf War began? (03/19/2003) Sad... just so sad. Anything more i could say would for sure be moderated, so i'll save TK the trouble.

The trains in Madrid were attacked? (03/11/2004) i saw this on the early morning news, and was very interested to hear blame originally placed on ETA. So i made some calls and did a bit of research.


What about..... Where were you when the first video was shown on MTV?



This was fun, thankies Boo!!

[Ms.Ice]

wait a second...

Tacz.. you have a couch, in your kitchen!?!

Is that totally wierd, or is it just me??

[Kaetty]

Pearl Habor was bombed? (12/07/1941)
Not born

John F. Kennedy was shot? (11/22/1963)
I was at school either 4th or 5th grade. The teacher came into the classroom grimfaced and said, "Boys and girls I have bad news, the President has been shot". Later when I got home from school my Dad had tears in his eyes. And he was a stauch Republican! But the fact that someone had actually killed the President of the United States shocked everyone so badly that all were crying even if they had previously said they hated Kennedy.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the Moon? (07/20/1969)
I was watching the moonlanding on television. From the time I was a little girl and had gotten up early to watch the astronauts take off in their space capsules I had been fascinated with the space program. This was the culmination of the dream that Kennedy had inspired when he had declared years earlier that we would put a man on the moon within a decade. It was still a time when NASA seemed to be able to do anything.

Mt. St. Helen's blew? (05/18/1980)
I only remember that I heard it on the news and wondered if the other so-called dormant volcanoes in the chain were also going to go active. The pictures of it with the destruction of the trees that had been on the mountain was awe inspiring.

John Lennon was shot? (12/08/1980)
I heard it on the news and was amazed. Why would anyone want to shoot John Lennon? He was such a symbol for my generation. It was so depressing.

Reagan was shot? (03/30/81)
Shocked but far more concerned about Brady who was badly injured than Reagan who was mildly wounded. I remember feeling disgusted when it was revealed that the motivation was to impress a girl. Yeah that'll really get a girl for you.

The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded? (01/28/1986)
I was watching it. At first no one knew what happened. There was just this strange double smoke trail. The NASA announcer said something about problems. You could see the families in the stands anxiously craning their necks. And then these words, "Telemetry confirms, the vehicle has exploded", and there was this ...gasp...and then moans that rose from the stands. It was awful. And it was the end of a dream.

The 7.1 earthquake hit San Francisco? (10/07/1989)
Watching the news. Horrifed at the sight of the collapsed double freeways.

The Berlin Wall Fell? (11/07/1989)
I scarcely could believe it. I was too young when the wall first went up to understand the ramifications of it but I lived within the shadow of the Cold War for all of my childhood and young adulthood. The wall was the symbol of the Cold War and it was coming down. The world was going to change completely from that which I had known.

The First Gulf War began? (01/16/1991)
Anxiously wondering how it was going to work out. Vietnam had scarred my whole generation badly. At least we weren't going in there by ourselves.

Burning of the Koresh/Waco Compound? (04/19/1993)
Felt very angry at David Koresh for his willingness to sacrifice his followers. Also angry at authorities for not arresting Koresh when he was in the open and preventing this kind of scenario.

OJ Simpson was chased in his White Bronco? (06/17/1994)
Was hoping that he wasn't going to shoot someone in order to prevent being captured.

The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed? (04/19/1995)
Felt that the person who did this was evil and a coward. Remember that at first everyone was talking about Arab terrorists (because of the first bombing of the WTC) and thinking that there wasn't any indication that it had been Arabs.

Princess Di was killed? (08/31/1997)
Heard on the news that she had died and was sorry about it but I could not BELIEVE the amount of media coverage. I kept asking myself good Lord what did this woman really DO to deserve all this lamenting and grief from people who had never even met the woman?

Terrorists destroyed the WTC? (09/11/2001)
Was riding into work with a co-worker and heard of the attacks on the radio. At work no one was doing much work, a big screen tv had been set up in one of the rooms and people kept dropping in to watch it when they weren't talking about it.

The Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry over Texas? (02/01/2003)
Watching the news broadcast of it on tv. Besides feeling bad for the people who died, felt a sad resignation that this would be the end of the space program.

The Second Gulf War began? (03/19/2003)
Watching the explosions in Bagdhad on tv and thinking over and over again, omg, omg, omg....

The trains in Madrid were attacked? (03/11/2004)
Saw it in the newspaper. Felt that this was just the beginning....