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Officer Paul Talty, 40, was a member of the NYPD, and was one of many that responded to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11. Well, we all know how this ends. He lost his life that day, trying to save others, when the towers fell.

Since then a memorial of sorts has been displayed at the corner of 50th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, the neighborhood he used to serve. Well, at least there used to be one. It was recently torn down by Adnan Emre, 26, a Turkish-born Muslim, who apparently felt a memorial to a local officer killed in the line of duty was “political”.

A passing MTA booth clerk witnessed the vandalism and called cops, who responded from the 108th Precinct station house just down the block.

Emre was charged with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, said a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. He faces a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Talty, 40, rushed to the World Trade Center’s south tower as it fell.

Talty had served in the 108th Precinct before he was transferred to the NYPD’s elite Emergency Service Unit.

He left behind a preteen boy and girl - and a pregnant wife, who gave birth to a girl two weeks after the attacks.

Talty’s survivors maintain the memorial.

Emre is a native of Turkey but now lives in Long Island City, police said.

Local residents were outraged by the destruction.

“If I caught him, he’d be dead, the bastard!” fumed Tom Ledden, 71, a long-time Long Island City resident and military veteran.

Sung Park, owner of a deli across the street from Talty’s memorial, said he fondly remembers the cop as a friendly, regular customer:

“I only have good memories of him,” he said.

“Who would do this? He’s a nut. People died on 9/11 and this sicko destroys the memorial? You must be really sick.”

Hmmmm, maybe liberals have a point. We should be more understanding, and release prisoners sooner. Personally I would suggest releasing Emre right back into the neighborhood where he committed his crime. I’m sure once he explains his crime to the local residents they’ll be happy to forgive him.

Well I’ve returned from a short vacation in our nation’s capital, which included me wandering around the Capital grounds, the National Mall and the vicinity of the White House on 9/11.

I didn’t get over in the direction of the Pentagon unfortunately. However, I knew roughly what was going to happen there and figured it would be fairly normal. Well as normal as a memorial service for people brutally murdered by Allah-crazy farking-loony terrorists can be I suppose. But I didn’t figure there would be much in the way of protests.

I figured (correctly) that if there were going to be protests it would be on the National Mall were there is open space, lots of people, and easily accessible filming location to get their message to the press. In fact, I had cheated a little and done my research. I knew Cindy “Casey Who?” Sheehan’s usual band of idiots would be down there. I knew they were planning something they called Camp Democracy, which is basically Camp Casey transplanted to DC.

Well I had learned from my previous experience in documenting protests/rallies/marches. So I had an “assistant” with me this time around, and I’d like to thank T-Rex for helping me out. Although admittedly, it probably wasn’t necessary since….well, what if you held a rally and nobody came?? That’s what we got to see. Empty tents. 60s holdovers moping in a bus. And hippies playing frisbee with their dog. Probably 50 people total…MAX. And from the looks of it they were all organizers who just….well, had nothing to organize.

Some of the sponsering organizations didn’t even both to set anything up. And even though their schedule indicated they had events until 7 pm, by 6 pm they were pretty much packing it up. It was almost sad. Granted there were still things to laugh at but one had to wonder if perhaps their 15 minutes are up?

In any case it was sort of disappointing for someone expecting to walk down to the Mall and see hundreds of whiny howling-at-the-moon crazy liberal-extremists camping out and making a scene. But there were still plenty of “interesting” site and incidents. You’ll see more in the pictures that follow.
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After groaning over the outlandish statements made by some Democratic leaders, Doug asks an interesting question

What’s really the worst and/or most embarrassing thing in American history?

The answer probably has alot to do with today. December 7th. Sixty-four years ago, the United States was caught sleeping, figuratively and literally, and suffered horribly for it. Now certainly I don’t mean to imply that the United States share some blame for what happened. I’ll leave statements like that to the ethically-challenged.

But certainly the fact that we were caught by surprise piles on further embarassment and anquish. Should we have seen the signs? Could it have been prevented?

On that day, I think this country decided that to suffer such a defeat ever again would be unforgivable. Since that day, the United States for the most part has cast aside the shield of isolationism and engaged the world directly. We have recognized our enemies and stood before them on the world stage. Unconsciously, the US seems to have learned a lesson, that it cannot afford to be taken advantage of. The cost is simply too great.

Until today.

It appears we have repeatedly cast aside those lessons. One could argue it began with the Iran Hostage Crisis. Others might argue the USS Cole. Still others might argue the original World Trade Center bombing. The most creative of us, might make a case for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

But even if none of those qualify, certainly 9/11 should. We were already in a war we refused to acknowledge. A line had already been drawn in the sand by those who would refuse to accept an worldview other than their own. Could we have predicted that specific event on that specific date? From what we’ve seen it’s doubtful. But we certainly should have understood we were at war already. At war with a radical fringe of dedicated men of terror willingly to commit horrific acts for some perverted view of a higher power.

We had forgotten the lesson.

Some of us have re-learned that which we should never have forgotten. You will find those pleading for us to continue the fight…to not surrender a fight which we are already winning. They are also those who understand this isn’t a criminal investigation that can be solved with simple police tactics…this is a war.

Unfortuanately, there are those that have already forgotten the lesson.

They would prefer to tuck tail and run, hoping that our enemies will not follow. They would prefer to have a nice chat with our enemies over coffee rather than force the discomfort of interrogation.

Which bring us full circle. What’s really the worst and/or most embarrassing thing in American history?

To forget.

After 2390 people lost their lives to teach us that lesson 64 years ago. And thousands more lost their lives to help remind us. To remind us of a simple lesson.

What is that that lesson? As much as I try to put it in words of my own, I am repeatedly reminded of the last lines of the USMC Creed.

Before God I swear this creed.

My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country.

We are the masters of our enemy.

We are the saviors of my life.

So be it, until there is no enemy, but PEACE.

The day of 9/11 I saved many of the pictures of the day from the news that I could gather. I didn’t want to forget what happened that day.

Here I post just a few of them, to tell the tale of that awful day.

Otherwise some video (that I found later one I believe?):

First Plane Hitting
Second Plane Hitting
People Jumping
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Ok so I haven’t written a rant for awhile. It’s been a rather hectic couple months. In the past few months I’ve started a business, started going back to school for my Masters and my Grandfather passed away. But those are subjects for other rants.

Today as you all certainly know is 9/11. The one year anniversary of a rather big event. Exactly one year ago today a bunch of fanatical assholes took the controls of 4 airplanes and murdered 3000+ men, women and children in cold blood. The victims weren’t soldiers and most didn’t even work for the government. They were ordinary people like the rest of us. With families and loved ones like the rest of us. Living out their daily lives like the rest of us. But there is one thing that separated us from them. On that fateful day, their lives were taken from them without cause or reason.

Late last nite I was out with some business associates. Someone pointed out that it was after midnight and it was now 9/11. What a morbid thought. I realized until that point I had been innocently living out my life. Suddenly it occurred to me how easily our lives could end at a moments notice at the hands of a mad-man. I thought of all the people who were comfortably sleeping at that point. I wondered how many of them went to sleep with the thought that this could be their last nite on earth.

I also could help but think about a conversation I had with my father earlier in the day. He called to inform that he’d be flying to Chicago that day and then flying back the afternoon of 9/11. What bothered me is he never really tells me if he’s traveling, unless it’s part of another conversation and then only casually. However, in this conversation, he called me specifically to let me know he’d be flying on the anniversary of 9/11. The message that brought with it worried me.

I laid in bed later last nite. I couldn’t help but think, will I wake up to chaos and destruction as I did a year ago? What will the dawn of a new day bring and am I ready for it?

I woke groggily, the result of having gotten to sleep far too late. I knew that at work we would be having Memorial services and moments of silence periodically. I woke up and realized I didn’t want to go. It’s been a year, but it seems like only a month. I realized the last thing I want to do was have to possibly relive those memories surrounded by others. I stayed home and watched the official Memorial services on television.

I’ve never been one to seek out others while in mourning. I prefer to be…alone…both physically and mentally. It makes me uncomfortable to watch others suffer and have them see me suffer. Being allowed to sit quietly and silently on my own is my idea. So alone I watched as the President honored the victims and encouraged the survivors to fit on. I was fairly unmoved.

I finally left my place and started driving to work. Everywhere I looked, American flags were flying. Flying at half-mast. Already rampant patriotism was especially high today. Normally the sight of the flag at least is a comforting image.

Instead of going to my desk at the office I drove straight out to our lab out at the airport. There would be less distractions there, I figured I’d be able to get more done. And secretly I hoped to watch my fathers plane come in on radar and then see it safely land.

Once out at the airport, I tried to keep working. In the back of my mind I couldn’t help but remember it was 9/11. Eventually I ended up going out side and stood there watching the activity around the airport. I watched one plane leave it’s gate, and taxi toward me. Eventually it taxied past me. Through the windows I could see people in it’s seats, so already engrossed in a paper or book. Others starring out the window. Others otherwise engaged. It taxied past me out to the runway. There it sat revving up it’s engines before beginning to slowly roll forward. I watched as it slowly picked up speed and took off to some unknown destination.

I stood there in wonder as it hit me. Here it was. All these people, no doubt knew what today was. They knew what it meant. Yet they still got on that plane. To hell with some dumb fuck with a towel around his head half a world away. To hell with some unknown hypocrite who feels it’s his destiny to kill innocent people. To hell with what the media says. To hell with all that. Despite everything these ordinary people left their families, and continued to live out there lives by getting on that plane and flying off.

Yup, that about summed it up for me. I shoke my head, smiled, went back inside and got alot of work done.