Not your typical front lawn decor

BaldFriede wrote: I sincerely doubt anybody would question that it would be disgusting if I had a model of Auschwitz or Dachau on my front lawn. And I would not grant anybody the excuse he only wanted to commiserate the people who had been killed in these concentration camps. Then why is it ok to put a model of the twin towers on the front lawn? To commiserate the victims in there? Sorry, but it is above my head why anybody would put such a tasteless thing on his front lawn.

big difference!

the fact that thse towers were upright and not burning shows that it WAS  a patirotic symbol.  the twin towers initially stood for somthing good, and i dont think anything bad is meant by this, even though it may have been tasteless.

however it can't be compared to putting to a model of dachau on your front lawn.  that is a symbol of pure Nazi evil (it would be like having the twin towers WITH the planes and fire).  after 9/11 the symbol of the world trade center was everywhere in america for solidarity, so this is not that weird to see.

(and i think you should put that dachau model up......the germans and eastern europeans have done a very good job of putting their embarrasing nazi past behind them....you should remind them)

Thanks to you Jim, I was worried nobody commented on that beautiful device...

gdub411 wrote: ....not expect the members from the USA not to be angry is beyond me.

That's something I literally don't understand - how the deaths of one's countrymen can be more upsetting than the deaths of anyone else. There must have been people in Canada closer to NYC than people in the US. It doesn't seem at all a rational sort of patriotism I would call myself patriotic, but I don't care about the people in England any more than the people anywhere else. I love my country because it brought me up, and because of its culture and heritage, and I don't think the majority of people today contribute to any of that.

Tony.... shame on you bro... Not funny.

America is NOT the only country being attacked by terrorists. It's not simply, "Hate America." It's clearly about the Westernization of the Middle East. Spain, Russia, France, Germany, U.K. and Israel have ALL had attacks. It's a WORLD issue.  

The Mullahs control over people and their traditional ways were slipping away. Religion IS their government. Women DON'T get to vote. Children DON'T get to read about world history, fictional literature, sports, music and all those things you and I love so much. They see Israel first as having a negative impact. US and Europe are close behind.

Imagine, on a microscopic scale, you have a community that is tightly control, under your power. Another neighborhood sprouts up on the next block, but they have few controls. People are allowed to be free, do as they wish, seem to always have fun, dress very scantily..... you get the picture, Suddenly, your children want to act like them. Your wife wants to have a say in family issues. You complain to the neighbors, but they give you money & say, "be like us." Some of the people in your neighborhood start moving to their neighborhood or inviting THOSE people of for barbecues. So you build a wall to keep your children and wife away. You shut them off from the real world... you grow angry. You want them to stop, to go away.... you attack.

Yeah, it's simplistic, but I really see that as a REAL motivation.

I would like to add to what threefates said.

Although I have my own beliefs about what really happened on 9/11, let me assume for a moment that the "official" story is true: that 19 mostly Saudi terrorists hijacked four planes and flew two of them into the WTC towers, killing about 2,500 people between those in the planes and those in the buildings.

It is interesting to note, as threefates says, that, despite New York City being the primary target of the 9/11 attacks, when military action against Afghanistan, and especially Iraq, were being discussed - even before those actions took place - fully 75% of Manhattanites and over 65% of New Yorkers were against it.  And while we can sort of understand the action in Afghanistan - which was (at least ostensibly) primarily targeted at Al Qaeda - we remain outraged that the 9/11 attacks were used by the Bush Administration to engage in an aggressive, unprovoked, pre-emptive war on Saddam Hussein.

Peace.

Sweetnighter wrote: ... Radical islamic fundamentalists attacked the United States, particular the Trade Towers, because they represented how the US has been totally disregarding the soverignty and culture of middle east nations for decades and decades! ... We've done a number of things to piss them off over the years... ...The American Government is too involved in international affairs, period. Not just that, but Americans see things in such a narrow perspective. Americans saw the Vietnam conflict as a part of the Cold War and the domino theory. It wasn't at all, it was a civil war/war of independence for the Vietnamese! This is the same as whats going on today. Terrorists are not just attacking us because they don't like what we represent, but because they want us the f**k off of their land.

 If this isn't the truth, it is at least very close to the truth!

Hangedman wrote: The thing that gets me about the 9/11 incident is I never heard any american person, media or otherwise, ask WHY it happened. There was no questioning, only people demanding eradication. Killing everyone you suspect could be a threat is ultimately going to change NOTHING. People need to think about why such an atrocity would happen, think why there would be enough people who hate the US so much they would go through with this. Yes its smart to try and tear down the organization that did it that much I agree, but to coexist you need to compromise. (Not with al-qeada, DONT misunderstand me, i mean the rest of the world in general). As for the lawn ornaments, I think its ridiculous and pompous. Like in that persons mind they are challenging someone with those pillars. Probably thinking something along the lines of "Lets see those terrorists knock THESE down." but likely much more racist.

I agree with you on both points!

(I'm glad there are people here who think almost exactly the same things as me, that way I don't have to explain them... )

danbo wrote: Tony.... shame on you bro... Not funny.

The alteration I made to the picture was a view I took about the ridiculous nature of the "garden ornament". A "tasteless" swipe at the lack of "taste" employed by the owner.The image of the Twin Towers is inextricably linked,by history,to the two aeroplanes (and of course much worse)

I did not mean to cause "real offence" and somehow feel that this reaction was unnecessary,if predictable. You dont seriously believe that I applaud or condone the disgraceful events of that day.....do you?

The events of that day were a crime against human beings by human beings-of course the setting is important and crucial as to why these disgusting crimes were perpertrated,but a crime against all of us,nonetheless.This is what you Americans seem to forget-we are in this together,in fact there is no "we" only "us."

I can only speak for myself,but any perceived America bashing on this forum,is just that "perception." The America that we take issue with is more symbolic than real.It is the notion of misuse of power and corporate bullying,that inevitably can be found in all countries.The reality lies with you,the citizens,whose hopes and aspirations are no different than any other forum member from anywhere in the world.When we criticise America it is usually because we have been invited or led to offer opinion.Human nature being human nature, we tend to focus on the negative and the stereotype, often depending on our personalities.
The other day a friend asked me about my daughter,the first thing I replied with was that she has become surly and argumentative-we went on to discuss our children in a quite negative way....

Does that mean that we hate our kids..............????

Sweetnighter wrote: maani wrote: I would like to add to what threefates said. Although I have my own beliefs about what really happened on 9/11, let me assume for a moment that the "official" story is true: that 19 mostly Saudi terrorists hijacked four planes and flew two of them into the WTC towers, killing about 2,500 people between those in the planes and those in the buildings. It is interesting to note, as threefates says, that, despite New York City being the primary target of the 9/11 attacks, when military action against Afghanistan, and especially Iraq, were being discussed - even before those actions took place - fully 75% of Manhattanites and over 65% of New Yorkers were against it.  And while we can sort of understand the action in Afghanistan - which was (at least ostensibly) primarily targeted at Al Qaeda - we remain outraged that the 9/11 attacks were used by the Bush Administration to engage in an aggressive, unprovoked, pre-emptive war on Saddam Hussein. Peace. Well said. There was absolutely no link between Al Qaeda and Hussein. I'm glad Hussein is gone, but now we've opened up a whole new can of worms. Does anybody really think that 9/11 was rigged by the Bush Administration? I think thats a little conspiracy theorist. If Bush had been found out, it would've been... wow, i mean can you imagine? A democratically elected president attacking its own people? I mean, the republican party would have been buried. I don't know... it doesn't make sense on too many levels.

Yet again I agree 100%!