Being a retired firefighter, I watched with much interest our PBS station’s program as to why the World Trade Center building collapsed on Sept. 11. I tried to watch without the emotional issues clouding practicality. I think the program did an excellent job describing how and why the building collapsed.
The one thing that struck an emotional cord with me was the part of the program showing all the twisted and melted metal being shipped to Japan to be recycled. Something in my heart said these were not just pieces of fallen buildings but were pieces of America.
It hurt to know that the people who built and occupied those buildings touched all those things.
It saddens me that America is so dependent on foreign countries. I felt that that steel should have stayed in America and been recycled here, even if we had to pay a little more. Being a Baby Boomer, I can remember when this country could do anything and everything better than anyone else in the world and was dependent on no one.
