Americans are weak?
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From: Defiance
Americans are weak?
I hope I'm wrongly second guessing what happened aboard those four planes.
I have heard that the hijackers were only armed with knives. Each plane had at least 38-100 people aboard, was there no one that would challenge them? The people on the aircraft that hit the Pentagon only had a few minutes so they probably didn't have a chance to do anything.
Maybe the passengers on the aircraft that crashed near Pittsburgh stopped the hijackers from killing more people but couldn't save themselves.
Like you, I'm very angry right now.
I have heard that the hijackers were only armed with knives. Each plane had at least 38-100 people aboard, was there no one that would challenge them? The people on the aircraft that hit the Pentagon only had a few minutes so they probably didn't have a chance to do anything.
Maybe the passengers on the aircraft that crashed near Pittsburgh stopped the hijackers from killing more people but couldn't save themselves.
Like you, I'm very angry right now.
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From: Honolulu
If the passengers had known the intent of the hijackers, I'm sure there would have been more of a struggle. Most hijackings lead to hostage taking and re-routing to a country of choice, not a suicide plunge into a skyscraper.
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From: Austin
Don't be angry about it. Its not the best way to deal with situations like this. I encourage you to go outside and walk it off.
But as for being weak. A knife is a knife, its something more than your bare hands. You cannot imagine, or begin to imagine what hostages were thinking or reacting like. Sure you could say you'd think this or that, but when it comes down to it, you really don't know.
Back in 7th grade, I had a friend from Saudi Arabia. He studdered all his life. One trip back home over Christmas, he was held hostage for a few days at gunpoint. When he returned to the states, he no longer studdered.
Situations like this are quite traumatic and no one can ever predict what reactions will be like. Me? I'm glad that everyone is eager to help out in any way that they can. Everyone wants to help out. We just need to channel those energies into that, instead of any kind of retaliation on the domestic end.
But as for being weak. A knife is a knife, its something more than your bare hands. You cannot imagine, or begin to imagine what hostages were thinking or reacting like. Sure you could say you'd think this or that, but when it comes down to it, you really don't know.
Back in 7th grade, I had a friend from Saudi Arabia. He studdered all his life. One trip back home over Christmas, he was held hostage for a few days at gunpoint. When he returned to the states, he no longer studdered.
Situations like this are quite traumatic and no one can ever predict what reactions will be like. Me? I'm glad that everyone is eager to help out in any way that they can. Everyone wants to help out. We just need to channel those energies into that, instead of any kind of retaliation on the domestic end.
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From: Richmond
Remember it's all speculation right now, but how often does a hijacker not land the plane and make demands? I mean, nobody has ever used the plane as the bomb itself before. Terrorists either blow up planes or land them and make demands. It's unprecendented to actually do what they did. So, the standard is not to fight them because the crew and passengers were probably thinking "lets just get this thing on the ground". It probably didn't occur to the crew / passengers what was going to happen next....
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From: Sellersburg
If I am holding a knife to a flight attendants neck, or if I cut one persons throat while my accomplice holds another person with a knife at their neck, would you attempt to overtake me?
And as smccurry said above, they didn't know the intent of the hijackers. They probably assumed they would land and there would be demands made and special forces would overtake the hijackers. They were told there was a bomb- this bit is known. Would you fight with someone who you think could trigger a bomb?
Yes, if there were trained marines or professional military on board, they might have taken that chance because they are trained to react without regard to their own safety in threat situations.
What I find perplexing is why there isn't more cabin security on the planes. At minimum there should be a hidden remote camera to show the pilot who is knocking at the cabin door. If they had seen someone with a knife they could have prepared the pistol, assuming the rumor about all captains having a gun in the cockpit is true.
A simple X-10 camera placed in the passenger compartment could have made a big difference.
-B
And as smccurry said above, they didn't know the intent of the hijackers. They probably assumed they would land and there would be demands made and special forces would overtake the hijackers. They were told there was a bomb- this bit is known. Would you fight with someone who you think could trigger a bomb?
Yes, if there were trained marines or professional military on board, they might have taken that chance because they are trained to react without regard to their own safety in threat situations.
What I find perplexing is why there isn't more cabin security on the planes. At minimum there should be a hidden remote camera to show the pilot who is knocking at the cabin door. If they had seen someone with a knife they could have prepared the pistol, assuming the rumor about all captains having a gun in the cockpit is true.
A simple X-10 camera placed in the passenger compartment could have made a big difference.
-B
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From: Sellersburg
BTW, it appears that the flight that crashed in Pittsburgh was averted by the passengers. I'm surmising that one of them somehow got word that a plane had crashed into the world trade center.
One women told a story of her son (surname Bingham) who called using the phone in the plane and his last words were (apparently to someone else on the plane) "so its true".
It sounds to me like someone else phoned home and got word that a plane was crashed already. I don't know the timeline well enough to say...but if they got this bit of info, that explains why they would take action and avert the terrorist plot.
So indeed it seems Americans are not weak. They are smart and act appropriately when they have enough facts to make appropriate decisions. I think it will come out that these people on this flight are heros when all the facts are in.
-B
One women told a story of her son (surname Bingham) who called using the phone in the plane and his last words were (apparently to someone else on the plane) "so its true".
It sounds to me like someone else phoned home and got word that a plane was crashed already. I don't know the timeline well enough to say...but if they got this bit of info, that explains why they would take action and avert the terrorist plot.
So indeed it seems Americans are not weak. They are smart and act appropriately when they have enough facts to make appropriate decisions. I think it will come out that these people on this flight are heros when all the facts are in.
-B
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From: Seattle, WA
my father works for united airlines here in san jose, ca.
United and the us gov't were aware that that flight was headed towards washington dc. that flight was purposely brought down. by whom my dad's not sure...but it wasn't an accident. just wait 'n see....
United and the us gov't were aware that that flight was headed towards washington dc. that flight was purposely brought down. by whom my dad's not sure...but it wasn't an accident. just wait 'n see....
