At least 200 people jumped from the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and America agreed to look away. A Church that hangs the crucifixion over every altar has no business sanitizing that morning.
I watched the 9/11 remembrances this morning on TV. Nothing compared to this article or the video of The Falling Man. Thank you for sharing both. Anyone who judged those who made that ultimate decision should be ashamed of themselves. Into the loving arms of God, indeed.
I appreciate your writing this piece and your willingness to preserve this aspect of what happened that day. I think this perspective that they didn't truly jump in the sense of attempting suicide is an important one. Having said that, I experience great emotional distress when I see these photos that borders on being triggered by them. I have c-PTSD and am a suicide attempt survivor. I have also struggled with more suicidal thoughts than I can count, including active thoughts where I had a specific plan to end my life. Because of that, I found myself rather startled by the initial image and the one later in the piece. I don't dispute the necessity to hold onto these images and not forget this aspect of the day, but could you perhaps put a content warning for others like me who might experience serious psychological distress from seeing these images?
A few days after Sept 11, 2001, I walked by an in-progress discussion between two very devout Catholics. They were discussing if those who jumped had committed suicide. I remember thinking, (and may have said but the first week after the 9/11 events required many operating changes) leave it with God in His grace and mercy.
Since I read that other essay, "into the arms of God" has always been the way I thought of them. Those poor people falling - and the terrible sound of their landing heard in many documentaries about 9/11 - has always seemed to me (an Australian who watched it live on TV with horror) the most pitiful and tragic of all the victims of that day. What they must have endured, to step out into the air, despite our instinctive fear of falling, as the better choice. I only hope the velocity of the fall gave them merciful oblivion.
I watched the 9/11 remembrances this morning on TV. Nothing compared to this article or the video of The Falling Man. Thank you for sharing both. Anyone who judged those who made that ultimate decision should be ashamed of themselves. Into the loving arms of God, indeed.
I appreciate your writing this piece and your willingness to preserve this aspect of what happened that day. I think this perspective that they didn't truly jump in the sense of attempting suicide is an important one. Having said that, I experience great emotional distress when I see these photos that borders on being triggered by them. I have c-PTSD and am a suicide attempt survivor. I have also struggled with more suicidal thoughts than I can count, including active thoughts where I had a specific plan to end my life. Because of that, I found myself rather startled by the initial image and the one later in the piece. I don't dispute the necessity to hold onto these images and not forget this aspect of the day, but could you perhaps put a content warning for others like me who might experience serious psychological distress from seeing these images?
Beautifully argued. Thank you
A few days after Sept 11, 2001, I walked by an in-progress discussion between two very devout Catholics. They were discussing if those who jumped had committed suicide. I remember thinking, (and may have said but the first week after the 9/11 events required many operating changes) leave it with God in His grace and mercy.
Since I read that other essay, "into the arms of God" has always been the way I thought of them. Those poor people falling - and the terrible sound of their landing heard in many documentaries about 9/11 - has always seemed to me (an Australian who watched it live on TV with horror) the most pitiful and tragic of all the victims of that day. What they must have endured, to step out into the air, despite our instinctive fear of falling, as the better choice. I only hope the velocity of the fall gave them merciful oblivion.
I am weeping. God keep these poor souls in his eternal embrace.
They were murdered by terrorists.
I never thought of them as having committed suicide; I could just never imagine the hellscape they were trying to escape.