Friday, Sep 11: Reflections on September 11

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And there are commemorations throughout the country, throughout Massachusetts today, and even throughout the world today. President Trump delivered remarks at the Pentagon today. That wasn't good enough for some people who complained that he wasn't in New York. You know, whatever. He's been to every one of the locations impacted by the terrorist attacks at one point or another during his tenure as president. And so he delivered some remarks today at the Pentagon. No, we will never forget. And, you know, the usual stuff that we say on on September 11th. And, you know, it's unfortunate that I think a lot of people have forgotten. I'm not going to get into a whole lot on this today. I think September 11th lives in the hearts of all of those who remember it, experienced it, whether it be sitting on your couch, watching it on television or whether it be, you know, at Logan Airport or wherever you were on that day. We all always will remember where we were. If you weren't born then, well, you have a whole different take on 9-11. And if anybody wants to recall where they were that day and how they experienced it, first learned it or how it impacted them, we certainly will be taking your calls on that today at 508-996-0500. So the Trump administration is urging schools to make sure a new generation of students understands what happened on 9-11 and remembers the nearly 3000 people who died that day. Believe it or not, it is not required learning in all states. Not all states require. Some strongly encourage. Some have no rules about it whatsoever. But Education Secretary Linda McMahon issued a guidance yesterday encouraging schools to commemorate September 11th with age-appropriate lessons, moments of silence and opportunities for students to reflect on the attacks and their significance to the nation. And that's a tough nut because, again, kids that weren't born then, it's very difficult for them to reflect on something that they have no firsthand knowledge of. I mean, that would be like asking, you know, a kid today to stand up and recite something about World War II and Pearl Harbor, something that they have no personal connection to. We have to teach them about it. We have to teach them the lessons of it. But so I think it's important that it be in the curriculum. And we shall see. This year, I call on American schools to educate students with moral clarity about the events of that day and its significance for the nation's history. McMahon said the administration's guidance is aimed and parted students who were not yet born when 9-11 happened. She suggested that schools could hold a moment of silence at 8.46 a.m. when the first plane hit the first tower. But I don't know, is a moment of silence even legal anymore? Who knows? Who knows? But it is important and it should be in the curriculum in every school district in this country. Should be in every history book. No excuses. Let's see. J.D. Vance on with Sean Hannity last night, I guess. I didn't see it. You know, I can't even say I watched the football game. I fell asleep in a dead state yesterday. I think it was about 745. If my wife is working, I just like totally fell asleep. And I think I woke up on the couch somewhere around 1 a.m. and went into bed. She was nice. She came home from work. She shut all the lights out and she went to bed. But I stayed on the couch and crawled into bed. I think a little after one. So I didn't see the football game. I didn't see J.D. Vance. And I really wanted to see J.D. Vance last night. I have seen some clips, but on the Republican National Convention in Dallas. And so Vance appeared with Sean Hannity and noted that one of those one of the contrasts between the Republican Party and the Democrats right now is that some Democrats have argued the country deserved 9-11. And you've heard this, right? I've heard it. You've heard it. We've all heard it from some people. Well, we got what we deserved. It was in our foreign policy. I mean, cheating and robbing and stealing from everybody and all this kind of stuff. So I think what the president tried to do tonight was very successfully was really two things. Vance explained. First of all, he got to talk about all the amazing things that we did over the last couple of years. No taxes on tips, no tax on Social Security, no tax on overtime. That stuff all goes away if the Democrats take control. They also did a really good job of identifying just how crazy the Democrats have become. I mean, really just using their own words. Sean, this is not actually that. It's hard to believe the things that they've actually said. So tomorrow, we're commemorating the 25th anniversary of September 11th. The Democrats are running around campaigning with people who say that we deserved 9-11. The people who died on that day actually had it coming. You have Democrats going around and saying that they want to abolish the American way of life. You have Democrats going around saying that they want to seize people's wealth. This is actually not just what Republicans are saying the Democrats believe. This is what the It's scary stuff, he said. And I really do think the contrast is common sense versus crazy, Vance added. Agree with Republicans, disagree with Republicans. We're trying to do what is in the best interest of the people of the United States of America. And Democrats are running on a lot of crazy, crazy stuff, he said. By the way, if you care, the first day of fall is September 22nd. Fall arrives at 5.05 PM that day. I was wondering about that today. I had to look it up when I go back to the office after my walk. September 22nd, it's 11 days from today at 5.05 PM. And I had jotted, I just jotted that down on a piece of paper and it happened to be the story that I just read to you there. But for no particular reason, it was the paper that was handy in front of me while I still had it on my mind. So I figured I'd share it with you. For all of you fall lovers, right? 25 years after September 11th and how that event forced us to focus on threats from abroad, Americans are now considerably more worried about attacks by domestic extremists than by foreign groups, according to a new Reuters Ipsos poll. 25 years ago, people were very concerned about attacks from abroad. Now, many more people are worried about attacks from domestic extremists, foreign groups than they are from foreign groups. When asked to name the biggest threat to the safety of average Americans, 33% of respondents picked domestic terrorism, while 20% picked foreign terror and 42% pointed to random acts of violence such as mass shootings. The picture was much different a decade ago. Reuters Ipsos poll from mid 2013 showed 21% of Americans view domestic terror as the top threat, less than 28% who pointed to foreign terror and 51% who picked random acts of violence. It's time to dust off the crowns. We have a whole new round of no kings rallies about to begin. I mean, the old hippies, right? With their gray hair and Birkenstocks and Joni Mitchell records, all that kind of good stuff, right? So they're back. October 17th, no kings returns to a dozen Massachusetts cities and towns to encourage people to vote early. So that'll be helpful for those people wanting to vote out Maura Healey too, because it's going to remind people to vote early. Oh yeah, I forgot. I can go vote now against Maura Healey. I don't know. They're no kings people. It's mobilizing in October to encourage people to vote early. The no kings coalition, which includes the ACLU of Massachusetts, indivisible mass coalition and mass 50501 is hosting a coordinated wave of events across the country on October 17 to ensure people are ready to vote on or before election day. A dozen cities in Massachusetts are set to host events among them, Boston, Brookline, Worcester, Falmouth, Watertown, Newton, Bolton, Sherbourne. I'm not sure if I said these. Norfolk, Falmouth, Worcester, Hadley, Northampton and Westfield. What? No route 18 overpass in New Bedford? What? Slackers. For some communities, October 17 is the day to cast a ballot at an early voting site for others. It's the day to submit an absentee ballot request, check voter registration status or create a plan to get to the polls on November 3, according to the coalition's website. We know our right to vote wasn't given. It was won by people who marched, sat in, stood in line for hours in the rain and risked everything so we could stand here today. The description for September 10 vote early kickoff call said, but that's not even accurate. Your vote, your right to vote comes from up above, right? It doesn't come from any man. Your right to be heard and to express yourself comes from God. It doesn't come from any man or woman. You're right. We know our right to vote wasn't given, but they go on erroneously. You say it was won by people who marched and sat in. No, it wasn't. See, here's the thing about these these freaky hippies from the 60s. Life began before you. It's like the abortion crowd. You know that it's not about you. Life happened before you. How about, you know, a couple of There were people who gave their blood on battlefields all across not only Massachusetts, but all across the eastern half of this continent to fight for your right to vote. Didn't happen in the 60s because you marched and you sat in and you sang Kumbaya and listened to Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. That's that's not how you got the right to vote, you dingbats. Our right to vote was won by people who marched, sat in, stood in line for hours in the rain, went for Woodstock and risked everything so we could stand here today while families across the country are struggling to afford groceries, gas, electric bills and the everyday cost of getting by. The movement is encouraging people to vote early as a way to reclaim power from the Our elections are under attack. By who? You mean you mean by the Democrats that won't vote for the SAVE Act? Yeah, I guess so, right? Our elections are under attack. By who? Who's attacking the elections? Name one person who's attacking the election and explain how that's happening. I went to vote on primary election day. I wasn't under attack. I didn't have to wear a flak vest or a flak jacket or a bulletproof vest or a helmet or anything. I wasn't under attack. I voted freely, walked in, got my I voted sticker, made niceties with the poll workers. I didn't feel as though I was under attack or there was any threat, any threat in the air or whatever. Our elections are under attack. Efforts to undermine trust in our elections weaken voter rights. Again, such propaganda bullpuppies. And, you know, people listen to this stuff and they and they're and they just they just absorb it because they're stuck on stupid. Oh, the orange man is president. So our elections are under attack. Efforts to undermine trust in our elections, weakening our voting rights. Well, how? Explain how your right to vote is being threatened and weakened in any way, unless, of course, you're an illegal immigrant or you're not supposed to be voting for one reason or another. Explain how your right to vote is being weakened. You can't because it's not they want to make it harder for people to have their voices heard and occurring across the country. All of this is great propaganda. Doesn't fit on a bumper sticker, but, you know, sounds like a Bruce Springsteen song. I maybe I don't know, but not if it's true. But yet yo-yos and ding dongs are going to be hanging off a highway bridges, yelling no kings, no kings, no kings are weakening my right to vote. That's 50501, a civil rights and pro-democracy activist group said in an Instagram about the no kings event. That's why we need to show our collective power and show up at the polls this November. You know, I want everybody to show up at the polls. I don't want anybody staying home from the polls. I wish more people would register and participate. I mean, we had, you know, for all these people who were yelling and screaming and bitching about having the right to vote taken away from them, only 12.4 percent of the electorate turned out in New Bedford's primary. Where were they? Where were they? Was somebody holding them back? Did somebody restrain them? Somebody tied them to the trees at the Klasky Common Park so they couldn't get out and vote? What happened to these people? They're all demanding the right to vote. And some unknown force attacking elections, trying to undermine trust in our elections, weakening our voting rights. Well, why didn't you go and vote? You had a chance to go and vote last Tuesday and you didn't show up. 12.4 percent turnout. I wonder how many members of the Coalition for Social Justice turned out to vote in New Bedford on Tuesday. Tuesday, what was it, September 1st, right? The primary. You think they all turned out to vote? Maybe they had something else to do. Maybe they had to make their tofu salads or something. I'm not quite sure. But 12.4 percent turned out and they're yapping about somebody trying to keep them from voting. I mean, this is hilarious. But people fall for this stuff. They listen to it. Oh, yeah, I heard Marlene Pollack say that our elections are under attack. Oh, oh, they're trying to undermine trust in our elections and weaken voting rights. Get off your chubby ass and go and vote. Nobody's stopping you from voting. We're encouraging you people to vote and you won't do it. But you're too damn stupid to realize that your brain is being molded like silly putty. My God, 508-996-0500. Thanks for hanging on. You're first in WBSM. Hello. I have a suggestion to remember 9-11 and I've always done it since 2001. I dressed in red, white and blue, but also sometimes I dressed all in black. And I think if people saw that, it would jargon their memory. Yeah, I know why you're wearing that, you know, on that particular day. Yeah, I've always done it. In fact, I got a compliment today. I went to a nursing home to visit somebody and one of the nurses said, I like your red, white and blue. Awesome. I turned around, but I couldn't see her. She was coming down some stairs and I didn't I didn't know who was talking to me. It looked like there was no one there. Yeah. And I wasn't going to say thank you unless I knew she was talking to me and she knew why I was wearing it. Well, you know, that's a positive way of expressing your feelings about today and sharing them with other people without having to get into a debate or lecture anybody or anything like that is showing that you love your country and you remember what happened to your country 25 years ago. And maybe you're giving them a gentle reminder because, you know, a lot of people are busy and have a lot of things on their minds and don't always remember maybe it's a passing thought or maybe later in the day, oh, my God, today was September 11th or whatever. So it's a gentle, gentle reminder to people that it is a significant day in our history. And I think that's a good idea. Right. And I I'm a Democrat on on paper, but I vote my own way. It sounds like what they're doing now, the Democrats are getting together and assuming that you don't know that you have a choice. It's like go vote and go vote Democrat. It's they don't say have your choice. Well, you know, I this stuff is such propaganda and it's such rhetoric. And if we had massive numbers of people that were turning out to vote and some saying, hey, they had to close the polls early, I wasn't able to get in. And, you know, something happened or whatever. Then then I say, gee, maybe we ought to listen to these folks again. Twelve point four percent turned out just in our city alone. The turnout was twenty five percent smaller than that in Fall River. And, you know, talking about here in Massachusetts, the the voting was off, especially with Republicans. It was off by a certain amount. So, I mean, it's not like anybody's being prevented to vote. Go out and vote. You can you can vote all day long if you will. You can't vote all day long, but you can vote if you want to on Election Day and plenty of opportunities for you to vote. You can mail in your ballot. You can, you know, drop it in a drop box. You can ask for an early. What do they call them? Absentee ballots. You can vote early in person. You can vote on Election Day. There's so many options for you to vote. So when people are out there yelling, they're trying to, you know, limit our ability to vote and take it away from us. I mean, that's laughable. And yet people fall for that stuff. It has always been low. It was never a high percentage of voting. And I'm talking about in the 50s, 60s. I remember my father always saying it was a certain, you know, a low percentage that would turn out. It always has been. What they're trying to do now is try to increase it so that they can win and say, and it's low now. It was always low. Well, people don't understand the importance of a primary election. And I, throughout my life, I've debated this with people. People will tell me, you know, whether it be callers to my radio show or people that I know in person. It's just the primary election. I don't have time to go vote today. The primary election allows you, the citizens, to decide who is going to be on the final ballot. And then, you know, you hear people on Election Day and you say you're going to go vote. It's the same old people. I don't like either one of the candidates. Well, you know, maybe if you'd gone out on primary Election Day, you might have helped to select somebody that you like better and put them on the ballot in general Election Day. So people always have lots of excuses, lots of complaining, lots of whining, lots of moaning and sobbing and everything else. But they got to participate in the process. Otherwise, they shouldn't complain about it. One more thing. Last year, when they you drove by the mall, there was groups out there. Yeah. And they were pro, I guess, no kings. But then there was the other side that was a block up or half a block up that were for anti. And so I drove by and I was with my boyfriend and I beat. But I got so confused because I thought I beat at the high king one. But I voted for the pro king one with my beat. And I drove by later because my boyfriend said, you just vote. You just beat for them. I said, well, I was so confused. You got them all excited. They got they were happy as I did my errands. I came back and we're on the other side of Route six. I rolled down my window and I yelled, I take my beat back. And they probably remembered it, too. So thanks for your call. I got to hold you for a break. But I think that's a great idea about dressing in red, white and blue or black or whatever it is that you are feeling today. And share that with people and reminding folks. I think that's a wonderful thing you did. Thank you. Thank you. 508-996-0500 is the number. I got to get a break in and we're going to come right back after this. Stay tuned. Save on summer favorites at Raley's Bel Air and Nob Hill. Enjoy weekly sales on fresh peak season produce and exceptional meats and seafood and discover a wide variety of fantastic flavors to go from our deli and bakery. Savings made simple only at Raley's Bel Air and Nob Hill. This portion of programming on WBSM is brought to you by these hot dogs in New Bedford, where you can get two hot dogs, chips and a soda for just six bucks. Back to Barry Richard on WBSM. Call 508-996-0500. All righty. Welcome back to the program. 1244 on a Friday afternoon. It is the 25th anniversary of September 11th or 9-11, as we call it. And this morning, Tim got an interesting call from a gentleman who actually witnessed the events unfold in New York City. And if you missed the call this morning, some folks get up a little bit later or some just obviously are not tuned in all day long. Just want to share that call with you for just a couple of moments. So give a listen on this September 11th and see what you think of this. Hi, you're on the air. Hey, how are you? Good. How you doing? Good. So I just wanted to share a memory from 9-11. I was working at 3 World Financial Center right across the street from the World Trade Center. And the first plane went into the building and it felt just like when the parking garage, excuse me, a parking garage bombing happened about seven years earlier. So you were there in 93 too? Yep. And it was a clear blue sky like today. I don't know why I'm crying. I just, sorry about that. No, no, totally understandable. And everybody on the training floor was kind of told that there was a plane that had veered off track and radar, et cetera. And that just made no sense. And I was sitting in my office and looking at what was happening. And the second plane went into the building and everybody ended up scattering. And because there were a couple of planes missing, a few of us stayed back because we thought the World Financial Center would probably be the next target. But we eventually decided we'd leave. And people were outside, gathered by the hundreds, watching people jump out of the building. And my assistant at the time was kind of in shock. And I was holding her head, walking up the highway there away from the buildings. And watching, turning back and watching people fall out of the sky and hitting the pavement. And there is no worse sound than a human being hitting a pavement. And I just, I'm heartbroken that people would politicize this day because we lost a lot of Americans. And people that woke up that day, that beautiful day, not knowing what was gonna happen, lost their lives in a horrific way. And remarkably, it was the first day in 15 years that I didn't drive to work. Because I was out the night before the Giants at a Monday night football game, if you can remember. And I was at a bar with some clients watching the game. And so I actually took a cab home. I had the last cab. I commandeered a cab after I walked my assistant about 20 blocks up to the city. And that's when the first building started to come down. And I commandeered a cab from a woman and told her I don't care where she's going, I'll pay for a cab. And she was remarkably just going about two more blocks. And before the police piled off the West Side Highway, I was literally the last cab driving up the West Side Highway by myself in the F-16s flying overhead. And it was just a horrific day. So sorry to be upset. I don't know how you could tell that story and not be. People need to remember what happened that day and not be callous. Remember, we're all Americans. And we're all citizens of this great country. No matter what your views are, you better remember that we're all in this country. I really appreciate you keeping it real. Well, I thank you for sharing with us. I know that wasn't easy, but you're right. People do need to hear that and they do need to remember that. God bless you. You as well, sir. Thank you so much. All right. Random call to Tim Weisberg's program this morning here on WBSN. You just never know who is going to be on the end of that phone when you push the button in. And obviously a very emotional gentleman, a local gentleman with a remarkable tale to tell there. And I'm so glad that he shared it with us because it is so important, his message there. We've got a break. 508-996-0500 is our phone number. We're going to come right back after this. Mom, can you tell me a story? Sure. Once upon a time, a mom needed a new car. Was she brave? She was tired, mostly. But she went to carvana.com and found a great car at a great price. No secret treasure map required. Did she have to fight a dragon? Nope. She bought it 100% online from her bed, actually. Was it scary? Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be. Did the car have a sunroof? It did, actually. Okay, good story. Car buying you'll want to tell stories about. Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply. As a veteran of the United States military, I can finally get the opportunity to enjoy special events like a date with my wife or going out together with my family and friends. Things that we couldn't afford thanks to VetTix. Every empty seat at a concert, a game, motorsports, or a play is a missed opportunity to say thanks to a veteran and service member. We can help. We can give our veterans a special event where they too can create their own cherished memories. Find out how by visiting www.VetTix.org. That's W-W-W-V-E-T-T-I-X.org. Find out how you can make a difference in a veteran's life. Broadcasting live from the Carefree Homes studios, this is WBSM. Carefree Homes. Your home improvement experts. Roofing, siding, windows, and more. Get a free quote at carefreehomescompany.com. Carefree Homes. Trusted local family. All righty, welcome back into the program on this Friday afternoon. 508-996-0500 is our phone number. Tim Dunn joins us from the Boston Herald right after the 1 o'clock news. Going to gab with Tim for just a little bit and then we'll get back to talking to you, get your calls on this September 11th. A lot of things going on right in the throes of a gubernatorial race here in Massachusetts. Mike Minogue yesterday putting out there what I suppose is going to be page one of his blueprint plan for going forward, what he plans to do and so on and so forth as governor. Wasn't a very detailed plan but it did put some interesting items out there for discussion. We spoke a little bit about it yesterday with Sean Oliver and got a few more details about what the team is looking to do. We are very, very close to mail-in ballots being sent out in Massachusetts. I gotta tell you folks, whatever side it is that you're thinking about at this point, hold on to those ballots. Personally, I put mine in the shredder. I hate to vote that early in advance because you never know what's going to happen, what we're going to find out, what developments are going to occur and it's awful. You'd hate like hell to send in a mail-in ballot and then realize later you made a mistake. So you want to hang on and go and vote in person on election day or even if you go in person early voting, that's still a little bit closer to election day and that way you just have a clearer idea in your head about what you think you want to do. Hey listen, don't miss a big old sale going on at my friend Bill Bechon's. Bechon armaments right now say big on top tier firearms from trusted names like Staccato, Sig P365s, Smith & Wesson, MCX Spears, AR-10s and AK style rifles. Whether upgrading a collection or purchasing for the first time, this is the perfect opportunity to score unbeatable deals on quality, performance and reliability. Visit bechonarmamentcorp.com or thebechongroup.com to learn more or stop in today. Bechon armaments where quality, performance and value come standard and don't forget great chance to get some early Christmas shopping done. You'll be happy you did. It'll be all wrapped and under the tree. You know, it makes gun safety lessons, you know, a nice gift certificate for something like that or a gift certificate for Bechon armaments in general. Nice, nice, nice, nice stocking stuffers. So lots of stuff like that. You got to start thinking about these things, you know, time of year is quickly approaching, right? When you go and see Bill at Bechon armament, Bill, by the way, working very hard to help with the repeal, ballot question nine and repeal of chapter 135. You got to vote no if you want to repeal it. Don't vote yes because they're trying to confuse you. You want to vote no and Bill's a big part of that with the Civil Rights Coalition right here in Massachusetts. All right, we've got news coming up and I'm sure ABC will have a complete rundown of all of the events happening around the country with 9-11 and so on and so forth. And then Tim's going to join us after the after the news. Got some stuff to talk about, too, with state police scandals. Going to get into that a little bit with Tim. We've got a rundown of the ICE arrests in New England for the month of August. You know, amazing stuff. Well, Moore Healy runs around and says that, you know, ICE is an unprofessional rogue organization. You should see some of the people that they've taken off the streets while Moore Healy and the Democrats are trying. Queen Carvania stood haloed by the morning sun. An army hung on her every word. My champions, I have sold my chariot on Carvana to a lovely SUV, an inexplicably queenly offer. They're even coming to the castle to collect it. Tonight we feast! An offer you can feast on. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pick up fees may apply.