WTC Voices

As the fifth anniversary of the tragedy at the World Trade Center approaches, America's fascination with profiteering from tragedy kicks into high gear.

A movie has hit the cinema, a television movie was aired, and I understand a documentary is close to release.

News organizations also get in on the booty by dramatizing all they can get their hands on.

AP presents this little tidbit today:

The voices of firefighters who came to rescue people from the burning World Trade Center hold clues about what happened after jetliners struck the towers on Sept. 11, 2001 -- but until now, many went unheard.

I did not know we needed clues to know what happened. We know what happened.

It's pretty clear what happened. I needn't repeat it, because everyone know what happened.

AP wants us to read on voraciously in hopes that we will read details of " . . . [t]he calls . . . made by people trapped in the twin towers."

Of course, AP gives us a taste:

The city planned to play the remainder of the call -- with only the operator's voice -- of Melissa Doi, who spent more than 20 minutes on the phone with a 911 operator from the 83rd floor of the south tower before she was killed. . . . "I'm going to die, aren't I?" Doi asked the dispatcher. "Please God, it's so hot. I'm burning up."

AP goes on to besmirch Ms. Doi's memory by pandering to the government's absurd trial against a crazy man:

Excerpts of Doi's side of the conversation were played for jurors in April at Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui's trial.

New Yorkers were not played the tapes of a horror that happened in their front yard, but citizens forced to pass judgment on a mentally ill American whose vainglory failed to bring him his wanted death, were played the tapes in a court case that never should have taken place.

It hurts me that those killed at the World Trade Center are not left in peace.

Release the tapes, but find a method to do it which is not rooted in our morally-bankrupt media's need to make money from tragedy.

Those killed on September 11, 2001, should not be exploited by Time-Warner (CNN), News Corporation and Disney, they should be honored.

Put the tapes in libraries or other government-owned spaces, not on Fox News.