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rivka ([personal profile] rivka) wrote2001-09-12 07:43 am
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I have to tell myself...

...that everyone I have seen, heard, or read posts from in the past 24 hours is in shock. That people are not responding to this with their full reasoning capacities. That the ugliness I'm seeing in some online exchanges is not people's "true selves" revealed, but their anger and terror being expressed in a rather scattershot fashion.

But some of it scares me, and more of it saddens me.
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I have to agree ...

[identity profile] bunyip.livejournal.com 2001-09-12 06:29 am (UTC)(link)
I have to agree that it is very sad what it is being said online. I'm glad that you and Misha are okay.
jenett: Big and Little Dipper constellations on a blue watercolor background (Default)

[personal profile] jenett 2001-09-12 07:09 am (UTC)(link)
I agree, though. A lot of what's being said *really* scares me, and scares me much more than the actual deliberate carnage, as horrific as that was.

Question is, though, and the one I can't get out of my head: there's shock, and yet... what you see at times of shock is often much closer to the heart of the person than most people want to admit. The person without the thin varnish of civilisation and security around them.

[identity profile] fernblatt.livejournal.com 2001-09-12 08:20 am (UTC)(link)
It is indeed saddening. I would not have believed it from the online bunch, but on #c it was particularly bad yesterday in ways I will not say, I will not go on IRC today for that reason. Anger and uncertainty can be express in odd fashion sometimes. Am glad you and Misha and others in the general area are fine... Myself, am at home relaxing as Arnold AFB went to Threatcon Delta and we were sent home and told to stay home today. A Good day to take a driveabout I think, rather than park myself in front of the computer all day. Perhaps it will be more sane this evening when I return....
redbird: closeup of me drinking tea, in a friend's kitchen (Default)

I hope that's just it

[personal profile] redbird 2001-09-12 09:59 am (UTC)(link)
because of the person I was responding to on Usenet, who seemed to sincerely think that this was a good excuse to pursue a blood feud without finding out who had attacked us.

We need to be mindful. We need to pay attention to what has actually happened, and to what hasn't. This is a shocking blow: but New York still stands, the United States still stands, and enough innocent people died yesterday, without more innocent blood being shed to avenge them.

What realy upsets me

[identity profile] sinboy.livejournal.com 2001-09-12 10:21 am (UTC)(link)
Is watching people call each other names and argue.

I understand...

[identity profile] johnpalmer.livejournal.com 2001-09-15 12:33 am (UTC)(link)

I understand better than some. On my tired days, I have to run at full emotional intensity to do anything. People are numbed, and tired, and feeling defeated. And strong emotions can carry you past that.

"Kill them all!" gives you anger, and anger gives you energy, and energy lets you keep going when you can't go on your own anymore. And, yeah, it's pretty damn scary sometimes... but it's also not "the real person". It's the animal part that runs the meat-machine that carries "the real person" around. The real person is exhausted, and not in control... but the good ones will reassert control, ASAP, and be back.
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