Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I am a Public Defender. On September 11, I was, and did, start my first murder trial. I left my office, a short walk from the courthouse, just after 9AM. As usual, I had my radio on the local news station, WBZ. As I was leaving, an announcer said there was an unusual sight in NYC - a plane had hit one of the Towers, and it was smoking. They kind of made light of it - it appeared to have been a small plane. I went to court, and we began to get the case going. During a break, I left the courtroom, and saw ashen faces and persons huddled around a few radios. They said both Towers were hit, that Boston flights were missing, that a bomb had gone off outside the State Dept, and there was smoke from the Pentagon and, I believe, the Capital. And a Tower was gone. I told the secretary who told me this that that was impossible - a skyscraper doesn't fall because of a plane. The radio confirmed all of this (much of it later not true). The DA heard the same radio, and told me he was worried b/c a friend of his was flying that day out of Logan. I also got word that an attorney in my office had just been told her dad was on a flight out of Logan to California. Thankfully, both were OK (I remember Susan getting the call from her dad in Buffalo, where his flight was forced down.) But another attorney in our office, from Marblehead, would learn soon that she lost several friends. The Judge came into the room with the radio to get some papers, and heard for the first time the news. Here was 2 lawyers trying a major case, and a judge trying to do his job - we had to get back to work. So we did. At the next break, the news was stark - there was no WJC anymore. At that point, we heard that other courthouses were shutting down, but we were still up. I marveled that anyone would think some county court would be a target, but public buildings were closing everywhere. Bill the DA and I did our openings with all this news in the back of our minds. Thankfully, the Judge realized going on was pointless. I explained to my client, who would lose the rest of his life later that week, what had happened. He had converted to Islam in jail, but it was I, not him, who wondered if that would hurt him - he couldn't even take in what had happened. Since his conversion was not evident, we decided it should not matter. The Judge stopped the trial for the day, telling the Jury, who had not idea, that a horrific tragedy had struck us, that the judge and attorneys would be unable to continue, and to prepare themselves. And so I finally went home to see the extent of what had occurred, and to cry. But the case continued the next day, and through the next week. As a reult, I got my news at night, while trying to concentrate on the case. My main reminder was looking out my window, which was in Logan's flight path, and never seeing a plane except high-flying fighters and larger jets. I had never seen the sky like that. (And I remember seeing my first commercial jet when they opened the airports again.) When it was over, I went about my business. But my colleagues and friends noticed that I was very short-tempered. I knew that in fact the tears I had held through the trial were screaming to get out. With every story of a missing fireman, policeman, or citizen, I would choke up. Finally, someone explained to me that I had never had that chance to mource during the tragedy, and it was coming out now. Funny thing is, even today, March 1, 2002, when I see some family member still looking for something to bring home, I tear up. I believe in the end we all do have not just a national consciousness that allows us to cry for our nation, but a human consciousness that goes beyond borders. I hope that we are able to cry the same tears for the innocent Afghans, and other nations, that have and will also suffer because of this inability by some to feel for others. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story111.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-01 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 170.63.9.199 Annotation Annotations to this item. Civil Liberties/Discrimination Gov't workers (non-military and non-rescue) Radio Coverage Religion Rumors DOMESTIC