The first thing that I heard today was church bells and I wept, alone, in my car. I did not react this way to Oklahoma City, although a terrible tragedy, because it was civil unrest. It sounds strange, and I can't explain it, but I, and other Americans are not only saddened, but angered by this attack.

If it was a civil action, god help us, because our identity will be torn apart.

If it was an external attack, god help the region that inflicted it. We are an independent and free people born of rebels, pioneers, and malcontents. Our society feeds us Darwinistic ideals from our earliest days, encouraging us to be the best. We are so absorbed with this notion of being the best and the brightest that when something like the WTC bombing occurs, we can't understand it.

As Americans, we see ourselves as the peace keepers of the world and the largest source of humanitarian aid. When we travel, we know that people in foreign countries resent us. They make comments about us being stupid and rude. They make fun of us behind our backs (They never complain about taking our money!). They get angrier, and angrier, and finally attack our civilians on our own soil and cheer in the streets at our death toll. They say that we should keep our noses out of the world's business. A foreign-born friend actually said this to me after the attack, and I almost took her head clean off.

We can't stay out of your business, but I now wish that there was some way that we could. If we could only shut the doors, and give the world the bird. Fend for yourselves. No more aid, no more trade: just your countrymen, fending off the Next Hitlers and Soviet expansions. Good luck to you all.

Every person that I have seen on the street today in America is willing to lock eyes with you. No one really locks eyes here. We are all busy with our own business to notice, nevermind lock eyes. We all are thinking the same thing. We all feel the same way. We are sad and angry, and know that life has somehow changed. We all have changed, and we are all alone, yet united in our sadness. We are also barbaric in our anger. Everyone who has talked about this has mentioned turning the responsible country into a "parking lot".

The Japanese attacked us and the death toll was far lower, and they were all service men. Nuclear weoponry was deemed an appropriate response. What is an appropriate response to this, much larger tragedy?

A friend of mine watched the whole thing from a rooftop in midtown and walked 2 miles home through the rubbble. She is safe. Another friend of mine works in NYC, and I can't get through to him. I'm sorry about this rant, but everyone here is horrbily embroiled in this tragedy.

This could be a turning point in the modern world.

Update: My aforementioned friend was on the 38th floor of the 1st building. He is OK.

-OzzyOsbourne