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Porsche
Club of America
By Dave
Weber, GT3Cup@PorscheNet.com
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 What
does one write about in a time like this? I usually start the process of
writing my column by thinking about automotive related topics that I've
stumbled across during the past month. I consider covering my own experiences,
or look for something to rail against. This month my usual approach seems
irrelevant in light of the tragic events in New York and Washington DC.
In an instant our lives were changed in so many ways. For many who lost loved ones the events were especially tragic. Phil Rosenzweig, an NER member, was lost on American Airlines flight 11. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his wife Lauren, and their children in this difficult time. Suddenly we find ourselves uncomfortable with the prospect of travel, with finding ourselves in large gatherings, with working in prominent buildings, and with our own security. We're confronted with the likelihood of further conflicts and terrorism that will take even more lives. Who among us would have thought we'd see newspaper headlines that used the word "WAR". I'm sure many of you spent countless hours, as did I, glued to the television set watching the horrifying images and hearing the heart rendering stories of loss or heroism. From the first moment of disbelief that it was happening to the most recent minutes, I find myself trying to digest what has happened, to understand the terrorist's motivation, and to anticipate how it all will be resolved. I've read column after column of stories and analysis, and stared at the graphic pictures. I was particularly affected by the story of the Chaplin for the New York Fire Department who was killed by flying debris while tending to an injured fireman. Other fireman removed the Chaplin from the scene and carried him back to the firehouse. Another heart rendering story involved a man who escaped one of the towers, only to subsequently learn that his sister and niece were on the plane that struck his building. The stories of the policemen and firemen that were lost trying to rescue people in the towers are especially heart rendering. How they found the courage to enter those buildings to save others is beyond my comprehension. Through all this, I've developed a much greater level of respect for their profession and their dedication. We really do take too many things for granted. Our strong economy suddenly looks fragile, weakened by a small group of fanatical terrorists. The ripple effects of a cut back in business and personal travel will damage severely the travel and entertainment industry, slow aircraft manufacturing and sales, bring to a halt the need for airport expansions, slow the construction industry, and on and on. I regularly supply information about my company and our performance to a representative of the Boston Federal Reserve. Normally she calls once a quarter to get an update. Yesterday I received a call from my contact, calling earlier than normal, because the Fed's governors are concerned about what has and may happen as a result of the terrorism attacks. They obviously are scrambling to put in place actions to minimize the potential for a dramatic and widespread economic slowdown. We desire to see a settling of accounts. Unfortunately the time that will take will be much longer than any of us are prepared to accept. I want to see the terrorists wiped out quickly. But where are they? How can we destroy them without making more enemies in the process? Will our allies and our own citizens hang in there for the time it will take to smoke out and eradicate the slime? Will we lose our desire for retribution if our military incurs losses? The cleanup in New York and at the Pentagon will take a lot of time and money. The building will be repaired or rebuilt. Our lives will return to an altered normalcy. We'll get used to the new security precautions at airports, buildings, sports arenas, and public gatherings. We'll start traveling again, maybe driving more, or taking the train. We'll have lost some of our cherished freedoms. And we'll be a bit more distrustful of strangers for a while. Our nature is to get on with things, so much of these changes will fade from our consciousness, probably sooner rather than latter. Unfortunately the images of terrorism will be with us much longer. |
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