Wednesday
Pubs, ladies fashion stores, restaurants, banks, cafes, mobile phone stores, boutiques, gift shops...
If you are looking for the real England, you will not find it in the pages of the Guardian, but rather on the high streets and in the shop windows.
I have just got back from lunch and what I saw on the King's Road in Chelsea, here in London, amazed me. There is no law requiring it, no government departments 'encouraging' it loudly, yet shop after shop are displaying signs saying words to the effects of "At 1:46 pm to day, we will be observing two minutes silence in remembrance of the atrocities on September 11th of last year in the United States." Others are expressing memorial sentiments, still others just displaying small American flags. No doubt these signs will all be gone by this evening, but they are there now.
Some signs are hand written by shop managers, others were clearly printed by a head office... but the signs are there and they come not from above, passed down from the salons of the chattering classes, but from below, from the true heart of England.
There is indeed an Anglosphere and it is very, very real.















Thank You.
Reading those messages accomplished what the news shows on tv didn't - it made me bawl like a baby.
Posted by Anne at September 11, 2002 02:56 PM
Thank you and bless you for your kind thoughts and consideration. Coming from the English people who have bravely faced your own adversity with courage and fortitude, your humble token of respect means a great deal to this American.
May God bless you and keep you safe.
Posted by Ernest Bower at September 11, 2002 03:02 PM
Nice to know that as a nation we have at least one true friend in the world. Thank you, and God bless you all. As you can tell from my last name, my family migrated here a great many years ago, but blood is thick... as they say here in the states.
Posted by Jim Tudor at September 11, 2002 03:23 PM
Great nations are always challenged by those who would destroy strength and freedom. England faced such a challenge in 1939-45, with steadfast resolve and great fighting spirit. It was indeed your finest hour.
As we did then, our two nations now stand together, to fight the bastards who would propogate the destruction of our free nations. They have started a war that we will finish, decisively. We prefer peace, but will ruthlessly exterminate those who choose war.
Remember the fallen, but continue to fight!
Posted by S. Mullen at September 11, 2002 03:57 PM
The Spirit of Churchill is not gone... God bless the people of Great Britain. A more staunch ally does not exist. I'm glad we can call you friend.
Posted by chris at September 11, 2002 04:06 PM
Anything that gets Oasis to be silent for two minutes...
Okay, not a day for bad jokes, but I have to wonder about the name -- would that be a middle eastern restaurant that is observing silence? Pretty gutsy if so.
Posted by Mike G at September 11, 2002 04:07 PM
....and those jerks across the channel want to call you "Europeans." The British and Americans are made of better stuff
Thank you and God bless you
Posted by Jim Hogue at September 11, 2002 04:19 PM
Thank you. Your finest hour during WWII inspired and inspires many who love freedom. This is a fine moment of silence. We all greatly appreciate this.
Posted by William Sulik at September 11, 2002 04:23 PM
One of the great posts of all time.
Thank you.
Posted by Ernest Gudath at September 11, 2002 04:23 PM
I think of myself as an "average American". I found myself deeply touched by this display of friendship and caring.
Posted by Ron Barrett at September 11, 2002 04:24 PM
There are moments when you discover who are your friends.
Posted by Joanne Jacobs at September 11, 2002 04:25 PM
As an American, I can say this. I will never forget the friendship of the British people. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Posted by Todd Kincannon at September 11, 2002 04:25 PM
Thank you so much for this page. To know that we have friends at a time like this makes me cry and makes me thank God that we don't suffer alone.
Posted by Helen at September 11, 2002 04:27 PM
This Anglosphere brother on the other side of the pond thanks and salutes you.
Posted by Dave at September 11, 2002 04:28 PM
May our two great nations forever be linked together in the cause of freedom
Posted by Joe Walker at September 11, 2002 04:30 PM
From the bottom of my heart, many thanks to the British people, some of the greatest friends and allies the United States has in this world.
Posted by David C at September 11, 2002 04:30 PM
Thank you so much for posting this. I have visited England 4 times and love it there. I have tears in my eyes reading all the signs.
Posted by Kay at September 11, 2002 04:31 PM
I want to express my gratitude for the support of the people of Great Britain. Before 9/11 a poem came to me on August 8, 2001.
Somme Valley Tour, 1985
I took a tour of the valley of the Somme
Where so many graveyards lay
Of boys who never came home
While in silent reverence I walked among them
And remembered one lucky Yank who is
not buried Over There.
I noticed that no poppies grew
Between the crosses row on row
As in Flanders fields.
Cold stones mark the soldiers passing
And a fate decided at some disputed barricade.
While between the pages of unread books
Tales of great battles lie,
With nary a mention of Private Thompson, or
Corporal Bill, or the sergeant who went
missing.
I was awed by the sacrifice of so many,
And how easily we forget:
the Tommie, Canuck, Anzac, Jock & Yank,
Inspite of the marker which reads:
Their Name Liveth Forever More.
Norman Kincaide
The lucky Yank was my grandfather, Carl G.
Duncan, wagoner, Company B, 6th
Pennsylvania Engineer Regt. Awarded the
British Military Medal for action on March 28,
1918 during the Second Battle of the Somme.
God Bless the people of Great Britain
Posted by Norman Kincaide at September 11, 2002 04:35 PM
All I can say is thank you to the people of Britain. Anything more would seem pointless to me.
Posted by Bill Dalasio at September 11, 2002 04:37 PM
"Between us there can be no word of giving or taking, nor of reward; for we are brethren... and never has any league of peoples been more blessed, so that neither has ever failed the other, nor shall fail."
--J.R.R. Tolkien
Thank you.
Posted by Michael Drout at September 11, 2002 04:38 PM
It is wonderful to see Great Britain (Great in every sense of the word!) standing proud with us in today's world. I will never forget the friendship that this nation has shown us. Thank you!
Posted by TJ Burns at September 11, 2002 04:38 PM
We appreciate it more than you can imagine. It feels lonely over here sometimes.
Posted by Russ Goble at September 11, 2002 04:40 PM
Thank you, people of England.
Thank you for a show of sympathy that touched me deeply and reminded me, once more, who our true friends are.
God Bless You.
Posted by Misha at September 11, 2002 04:46 PM
My father was with the Army Air Force stationed in England (8th) during WWII. He loved the English and now I know why. God bless you, and may there always be an England.
Posted by Maureen Muncy at September 11, 2002 04:49 PM
Sincere thanks to those in London who are taking time to honor the casualties of September 11, 2001. Let me point out, however, that the events of September 11 were not a "tragedy". That word is reserved for lives lost in massive floods or other acts of God. September 11 was an act of war. And please don't remember "those who died", but rather "those who were murdered". They did not "lose their lives", they were killed by terrorists and America will bring justice to those responsible.
Posted by Dan Hickman- Richmond, Va- USA at September 11, 2002 04:53 PM
I did not think that this day would affect me as much as it has, I suffered as every other American on that day, and ever since, but today, I feel remorse, that I did not do anything. I am far away from Ground Zero, no person that I know perished in these attacks, yet, I feel that as an American, donating money to the Red Cross was almost meaningless, I know I want to do something to make a difference, I just don't know what. I will let life point me it the right direction, I work hard for my goals, but I have also learned not to try to force destiny and to let life take its natural course, believing that The Supreme will assist me in my journey.
Blessing to ALL who suffer around the world.
Posted by Alessio Aguirre at September 11, 2002 04:58 PM
I'll never forget the Buckingham Palace tribute with the coldstream (?) band playing the star spangled banner.
Fuck the french. Fuck Iraq. Fuck the Germans. fuck belgium. fuck the poorer than mississippi swedes. fuck the eu. fuck all appeasers everywhere, and may they join neville chamberlin in hell drinking the blood of innocents drop by fucking drop. fuck the antisemitic europeans with their palestinian chic. fuck arafat. fuck the un. fuck them all.
america, the aussies, and england, shoulder to shoulder. to the last man.
Posted by steve at September 11, 2002 04:59 PM
I can't say exactly why, but of all the acts of kindness following 9/11, the one that touched me the most was your Queen playing our national anthem. It wasn't a flowery speech. I was just a simple act of kindness and reasurrance that we were not alone in our darkest hour. It was also an unmistakable statement to the rest of the world of where you stood in time of need. Thank you from my heart.
"I do not wish to treat friendships daintily, but with the roughest courage. When they are real, they are not glass threads or frost-work, but the solidest thing we know."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Posted by Eric Neumann at September 11, 2002 04:59 PM
Many thanks to our British brethren. The United States truly has no better friend in the world than Britain.
Posted by Robert Prather at September 11, 2002 05:01 PM
Thank you all for your thoughfulness and prayers ! Despite adversity, England has always been a source of inspiration and strength and friendship to us (US), and once again you have shown your courage in standing up with your friends and allies. We will never forget - what happened on 9/11/01, and - your friendship and good wishes ! Bless you all, always !
Posted by Noel Jenkins at September 11, 2002 05:02 PM
Thanks for this, and thanks to those who observed the moment of silence. It is moving and very much appreciated.
Posted by John - NYC at September 11, 2002 05:02 PM
The strength of our country is our people--who have come from all the countries of the world. But what holds us together and makes America a great country is out living, breathing Constitution and our system of Common Law. For that, we owe England.
I think I can speak for all of us when I say, "Thank you England for all you have done for us. There will never be a truer friend than you."
Posted by Peggy O'Neil at September 11, 2002 05:03 PM
I'll never forget how I felt when I heard the Star Spangled Banner being played at Buckingham Palace last year. That's the same feeling I'm getting right now, looking at these simple signs made by people across an ocean, many of whom have probably never set foot on American soil yet still weep in sympathy with us.
America will never forget how you have stood beside us, unflinching. Thank you, England.
Posted by Price Horn at September 11, 2002 05:03 PM
Thank you, England.
And thank you for posting this.
Posted by michele at September 11, 2002 05:04 PM
Thank you UK. We were there for you, you are there for us, no other country has as great a friend as we do.
Long live the Anglosphere!
Posted by Kyle at September 11, 2002 05:05 PM
It's so hard to explain. I live miles to the south of all these tragedies in a quiet little town in South Carolina. I listen over the Internet to a radio station 2,000 miles away in Austin Texas. They have been playing commemorative programming (this is Public Radio -- in some ways like the BBC), first from the news service, then with music.
The news reports have included the reading of the names of those who died at each site. Staggeringly moving. Daniel Schorr, who at age 80+ is one of the real veterans of broadcasting, had a catch in his throat as he reported on the reading at Ground Zero. I heard the widow of the pilot of Flight 93 (the one that the passengers forced to crash in Pennsylvania), and her tears were shared with mine.
And now, here on this site, I see the breadth of the generosity of the British spirit. "There'll be bluebirds over..", "When the Lights Go on Over London", "We never closed" -- those were the legacies of London's experience day after day in WW2. You've paid your dues. You have a right to feel you should be allowed to be passengers during our grief, but that isn't your way. Your way is to reach out with a hand of fellowship and love.
Thank you.
Posted by Dave Birley at September 11, 2002 05:05 PM
As an afterthought, in the present time I happen to be reading a book about American History, the book should say American/Great Britain History, for our nations have been linked together since they were nothing but a dream.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this memorial, God Bless you all.
Posted by Alessio Aguirre at September 11, 2002 05:05 PM
Hello,
Your messages are greatfully and appreciatively recieved. May this find you well and safe.
Posted by Paul C. Perkins at September 11, 2002 05:06 PM
You know, the media and the international politicians are so intent on making Americans think that Europeans hate us, and making Europeans think they should hate Americans, it is enough to make a grown American cry when he sees warm sentiments such as those on this site. I was raised to believe that the British were America's loyal and steadfast friends. The wars of 1776 and 1812 have long since been buried by the brotherhood forged in WWI and WWII and the Cold War. After 9/11 I was extremely shocked and hurt to read so many hostile comments directed at the USA from abroad, especially the UK. But I have since reached the conclusion that the media of Europe don't know a damn thing about what goes on in the hearts of the average Brit. If the signs in those shop windows, and Tony Blair's willingness to defy his own party and the America-haters in British government, are an accurate indication, then the UK's heart and soul still strongly holds hands with the USA's heart and soul. As an American, I want to thank all UK citizens who stand with us on the anniversary of perhaps our greatest national tragedy.
Posted by Brad R. Torgersen at September 11, 2002 05:07 PM
I believed it of you all along. Thank you, brothers and sisters.
Posted by speedwell at September 11, 2002 05:08 PM
May the good lord bless you and keep you.
May God make his face to shine upon you.
Posted by Parker at September 11, 2002 05:18 PM
After having subjected myself to a particularly odious BBC World News Hour this morning on the way to work, I give my heartfelt thanks for this reminder of the spirit of the real England.
Thank you so much.
Posted by Porphyrogenitus at September 11, 2002 05:19 PM
Thank you, a thousand times, thank you. I've loved Great Britain and its people for many years. My ancestors came from Scotland and England. Tony Blair's stand in the face of criticism and these spontaneous acts by the people have meant more to me than I could say. For what small worth it may mean to you, know that you've touched my heart and I appreciate this support so very, very much.
God bless the people of England.
Posted by Bill Peschel at September 11, 2002 05:20 PM
God save the Queen, God Bless America.
The USA and Great Britain are the only nations with both the means and the will to do what must be done to make the world safer.
Mr. BLair's speech yesterday was a monumental piece of prose. Simple and direct. My 14-year old son immediately grasped precisely what he was saying.
Posted by Dave at September 11, 2002 05:20 PM
In my college's International Politics class, my usually cynical professor always intoned, "The US government does not have 'friends', it has 'interests'".
But then he'd always add: "Except for the British, they are our friends".
How true.
Posted by Jonathan Carter at September 11, 2002 05:20 PM
When this happened I felt like a stupid because of doing anything...
My school friends didn´t care about this attacks and I felt I was the only fucking person in Argentina who did care...
I was very worried about my family in the United States and I couldn´t do anything to know if they were ok...
It is today that I pray for nothing else to happen to that beautiful country and for my family living there to be ok...
Posted by Gastón González Abad at September 11, 2002 05:22 PM
I promised myself I wouldn't get all weepy today, but after reading all those signs and seeing the support of the British, I couldn't help it. I'm proud to call you true friends of America. You're support is VERY much appreciated.
Posted by Chris at September 11, 2002 05:25 PM
What a tribute to the character of the ordinary
Englishman. What a silent slap at the lack of
character of the ordinary English journalist,
many of whom appear to this American to be trying
their best to depict their country as a hollowed-out
cinder.
Obviously, they missed the real story.
Posted by Harry Eagar at September 11, 2002 05:26 PM
IT'S A SAD COMMENTARY ON THE REST OF THE WORLD WHEN IT'S ALWAYS EVIDENT THAT THE ONLY COUNTRIES THAT CAN BE RELIED UPON TO DETER TERORIST NATIONS ARE THE USA AND IT'S ONLY TRUE ALLY, GREAT BRITAIN.
Posted by CHARLES SUMID at September 11, 2002 05:27 PM
My father's division fought with the British in Europe.
He always said that for class and guts the Brits set a standard hard to reach.
Clearly, though, it's worth the effort.
Posted by Richard Aubrey at September 11, 2002 05:29 PM
Thank you for your effort to let us know our friends true felings. It is the people of our two great countries that make them great. Please try to insure that these expressions from both sides of the Atlantic are brought to Tony Blair's attention so that he is strenghtened in his resolve. He needs to know that he reflects his citizens and does his nation proud without regard to the chattering class's misguided views.
As William F. Buckley said "I would rather be governed by the first 100 names in the Boston phone book than the faculty of Harvard". If our leaders will only reflect the character and strength of our citizens the war on terror will be prosecuted to a successful conclusion. I have no doubt that a few days into the attack that must come, the Euroweenies will jump on the bandwagon, but we will remeber those who were there all the way.
Posted by Bob Ellis at September 11, 2002 05:33 PM
THANK YOU, our beloved Britain, from the bottom of our aching hearts.
Posted by Suzanne Ashley at September 11, 2002 05:33 PM
To the English people--
It's been a tough year for all of us. But on behalf of all America, I think I can say this: We have learned who our friends are, and we will never forget it.
God bless all of you.
Posted by Andrew Solovay at September 11, 2002 05:37 PM
To our dear friends in Britain,
Thank you for your show of support and sympathy today. America has never been stronger, and today we realize that our strength, in part, comes from our friends.
Love from NYC,
Paul
Posted by Paul Klenk at September 11, 2002 05:43 PM
Thank you, Britons. This means alot to us here in America.
Posted by Alo Konsen at September 11, 2002 05:44 PM
I got through the post and pictures OK, but then read the Tolkien quote from Michael Drout and absolutely lost it. I'm still crying a little bit, but one quote deserves another:
"Other evils there are that may come .... Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till."
Thank you all for standing with us on this darkest of anniversaries. It means more to me than I know how to say.
Posted by Jay Manifold at September 11, 2002 05:44 PM
I was in Wales 10 years ago for my freind Mark's wedding. His wife to be was born there and wanted to be married there so her grandfather could attend. We were standing on the stairs of the curch in uniform (US Navy). An older gentleman went by on a bicycle, stopped looked at us and came back. He asked if we were US Navy personel. When we said yes he said he wanted to thank us for some US sailors who had saved him form the North Atlantic when his ship was torpedoed in WW II. He said he owed his life to those men. I think we can consider the scales even now. God Bless Great Britian.
Posted by Bill Nixom at September 11, 2002 05:44 PM
Thank God [and I mean that literally] that the British, the real British, are still people of sense and strength. Thanks for showing us the truth.
Posted by Rev. Reed Rocket at September 11, 2002 05:48 PM
"Special relationship", indeed. Good show, England.
Posted by Glen Johnstone at September 11, 2002 05:51 PM
Britain and America have stood shoulder to shoulder on the firing line for a long time now. I am glad we shall march on together at least a little longer. The Euroweenies who would Europeanize Great Britain have thus far failed. Thank God for that. Thank you to the British people and Prime Minister Blair for being friends and allies when it counts.
On to Baghdad.
Posted by Brian Dunn at September 11, 2002 05:52 PM
Reading op-ed after op-ed from rags like the Guardian, the Mirror, and the Independant on a regular basis, I sometimes think Britain is a lost cause. Nice to be reminded, though, that the chattering class doesn't speak for the average Brit. Thank you for this, and thanks to those who put up those signs. It's reassuring to see that the spirit of Winston Churchill is still alive and well in the UK.
Posted by Rene Ferrer at September 11, 2002 05:53 PM
My grandfather, who died before my birth, was born in Belfast, and fought with the British Army (Royal Irish Fusiliers) in WWI before emigrating to the US and becoming a citizen here. Irish by birth though he may have been, my mom said he would often tell her "You can always depend on the Brits". Amen.
Posted by Carol in CA at September 11, 2002 05:56 PM
God Bless the lives and hearts of people like you and keep you safe.
Posted by Trish Burke at September 11, 2002 05:58 PM
Bravo to you all! The US will always stand with the UK. My father was born in Sheffield so I have always had an appreciation of my roots. The ocean may be wide but we are close in spirit. May good fortune be upon you all!
Posted by Jim Sellers at September 11, 2002 05:59 PM
To our friends across the Atlantic in Great Britain: Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Posted by Jay Caruso at September 11, 2002 06:01 PM
It shouldn't suprise us in the US that there are decent people in the UK and around the world.
Thank You
Posted by Miichael Wagner at September 11, 2002 06:02 PM
God, nothing to add but another pathetic drop of gratitude. Thank you, thank you!
Posted by Michelle Dulak at September 11, 2002 06:02 PM
Thank you, Great Britain. It's good to know that our cousins across the Pond are on our side, no matter what the tabloids might say.
Posted by BarCodeKing at September 11, 2002 06:05 PM
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers,
for he who sheds his blood with me shall
be my brother..."
Posted by Bev Durbin at September 11, 2002 06:06 PM
More people in England (not all English people) talking:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsa/n5ctrl/events02/sept11/56/vox/london.ram
Posted by David Steven at September 11, 2002 06:06 PM
God Bless the British. Like any true friends, we may have ourdisagreements, but our two nations care deeply for one another. God bless the Britsh.
Posted by Eric Elnicki at September 11, 2002 06:08 PM
What Michael Drout said. You can't beat Tolkein for a quote on fellowship.
Thank you. It's these small, sincere things that count much more than a meaningless grand gesture ever could.
Posted by David Perron at September 11, 2002 06:10 PM
Thank you, England. Thank you, Perry. You know that we will always be there for you, too, right?
Posted by Bill Quick at September 11, 2002 06:10 PM
yeah, well to be frank that aint really no big surprise to me. the brits and aussies were always the only ones who have ever been worth a rats ass when the shit really hits the fan. semper fi.
Posted by Horus of Hierakonopolis at September 11, 2002 06:11 PM
Thank you, Great Britain, for always standing with us.
Posted by Justin Weiss at September 11, 2002 06:13 PM
When Britain underwent its own hour of peril as it was pelted with bombs from Luftwaffe bombers, the then-Vice President of the United States, Henry Wallace, went to Great Britain, and gave a speech with Prime Minister Churchill in attendance. Vice President Wallace's quote from the Book of Ruth is worth repeating here and now:
Wither thou goest, we go also.
Wither thou lodgest, we lodge as well.
Thy people shall be our people.
Thy God, our God.
Even unto the end.
God Bless America. God Save Queen Elizabeth II.
And thank you for this. In America, we remember our friends.
Posted by Pejman Yousefzadeh at September 11, 2002 06:15 PM
Many of my ancestors were early settlers of America from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Some fought for America and some for Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War.
The sentiments of unity expressed in the 9/11 remembrance posted here touched my soul deeply and in effect re-united my ancestors in one common cause - the cause of freedom and right.
Thank you! God Bless America and God Save the Queen!
Posted by Ted Blanchard at September 11, 2002 06:28 PM
As an American I am proud to call the people of England our true friend, compatriot, and compeer.
This daughter of the South thanks you for your brave stance and kind regard.
Posted by Elaine at September 11, 2002 06:31 PM
Just reading this...............
And also just wanted to say thanks, I know some Canadians that we also saddened by the events that happened 1 year ago today, and it's nice to know that other people care.
God Bless.
Posted by Becky L Roth at September 11, 2002 06:36 PM
I just sent this via email to a good friend who lives outside of London:
"Believe me, we know England is there, with us, joined at the hip. We're not fools. We read the world press everyday, and we know who is with us and who is not. It means a lot to each of us, I promise you.
Tell everyone over there we said this: Thank You."
Posted by Paul A'Barge at September 11, 2002 06:37 PM
super sweet, thanks so much for taking these pictures and thanks to our friends in the UK
Posted by tony at September 11, 2002 06:37 PM
I watched a soccer game on TV yesterday, Arsenal vs Manchester City, played in London. The 40,000 in attendance and all the players and officials held a minute of silence, and I mean total and noble silence. I know it is being repeated in many, many places, and that there are many, many who care deeply for the losses suffered in the US. God Bless the last best place on earth.
Posted by Paul Snaith at September 11, 2002 06:37 PM
I agree, but Thank You almost seems to be missing something. But, I will say "THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
to you all.
Posted by Becky L Roth at September 11, 2002 06:39 PM
Thank you for your immensely touching tribute to the victims - we in the USA are fully aware of how many British citizens were murdered that day and have not forgotten them
Posted by Edward Ryan at September 11, 2002 06:41 PM
If the attacks had happened to any other country in the world our sword would be theirs.
Sad that so few can say the same to us.
Thank you.
Posted by Mick at September 11, 2002 06:41 PM
"The identity of purpose and persistence of resolve prevailing throughout the English-speaking word will, more than any other single fact, determine the way of life which will be open to the generations to come and perhaps to the centuries which follow our own."
--Winston Churchill, January 9, 1941
Still true.
God save the Queen and God bless America.
Posted by Alex Bensky at September 11, 2002 06:42 PM
Thank's to all our friends in Britain for your wonderful support.
Posted by Mike Lutz at September 11, 2002 06:44 PM
Thank you for your condolences. I too have been deeply hurt by what I have read in the European press. I hope that the people of Britain do not feel the way the media portrays them. I do, however, not know what to make of a recent poll that showed that a majority of Brits put the blame for 9/11 on the victims, among other troubling things.
All I can say is thank you for your sympathies but America needs friends that show solidarity with the living, not just sympathy for the dead. I hope the British people can be that friend. Thank you.
Posted by Antoinette at September 11, 2002 06:46 PM
At this time when so many think the proper response to 9/11 is to parade fluff, happiness and "understanding," it is right that the British guide the way to a proper recognition of the events of this sad day. We will never forget, and those who know why this was done will never let their anger wane.
As did the Jews regarding Auswitch, we should also do: the images and villians of this day should be held forever before us lest we forget, and lest we let our anger mull to the point of complacency and acquiesence.
Posted by Dwight at September 11, 2002 06:49 PM
Thank you. What an obviously heartfelt expression of empathy and sympathy. Thank you for posting those pictures. Now, stop making me cry.
Posted by Caitlin at September 11, 2002 06:49 PM
Once again The British People have proven that they know who are the thier Real Allies. I was born in London to an American Mother and a British Father. My Father lived thru the Blitz and my Grandmother worked as Nurse all teh while my Grandfather served in the Royal Navy. We moved to the USA in the late 70's. My life is that of an American and my understanding of being an American and the Love of a Free People and an Open Society is in no doubt due to my being First an "Englishman".
Posted by Russ at September 11, 2002 06:53 PM
Thank you Great Britian and all the other countries that have stood by our side through this terrible act. Our soil was where the attack took place, but it was an attack on all the countries represented in the "World" Trade Center.
I write this short poem to remember...
Last year we were attacked as one
Others were sent to shed blood on themselves
By yet a man who can only hide
For he is a coward, not a leader
For he is a manipulator, not a honorable man
For he is a failure, not a victor
From that day forth we stand tall together
Something he had tried to knock down
For those who have given their lives
They never knew how important they really are
Not to just their families, but to all around the world
That day will never go unnoticed
A heavy sigh, a cry, a moment of silence
You will always be in our hearts and prayers
God Bless Us
Who ever your God may be...
Posted by Ellen of the "United States" at September 11, 2002 06:56 PM
Never let it be said that our two great countries shall not stand as one - in the darkest of nights and the deepest of lows, we shall hang together against the forces of evil and fight until the last free man is standing in defense of our two great nations and the last drop of blood has run from his dying veins. Together we must repel those that would question our resolve by attacking our shores quickly, forcefully and without fear of bloodshed to guarantee our freedom and to send a message to the world that individual liberty is the ultimate goal of a civilized world and to lose it is a fate worse than death. We must never forget our forefathers in both countries who made significant contributions to the freedom of the individual that we all enjoy today - separated by distance - but together in spirit and desire for the pursuit of liberty and individual happiness. We cannot forget the sacrifices that were made in order for us and our future generations to live peacefully free - we must always stand together - two nations with one voice - and loudly proclaim...
OUR FREEDOM WILL NOT BE TAKEN FROM US!
God bless the survivors & their lost ones.
Posted by Indy! at September 11, 2002 06:58 PM
Thank you, Britain - as always, our enduring ally
Posted by Steve in Fort Worth, Tx at September 11, 2002 06:59 PM
A year after the wanton death and destruction inflicted in the name of Allah, the photos depicting the memorial moments of silence from the grass roots of the U.K., offset the photos taken last year in other countries depicting the celebration of the blow struck against the United States of America!
The U. K. does not forget the outcome of the appeasement of Hitler; it almost engulfed them - as it engulfed many European countries - which evidently have forgotten.
Appeasement is submission.
Once again, the U.S.A. and the U.K, together, will defend our freedom and sovereignty from tyrannical aggression - thereby also insuring the appeasers' freedom.
Posted by Linda Willingham at September 11, 2002 07:03 PM
Words can't express.
Thank you for standing with us.
Posted by Isaac Clemens at September 11, 2002 07:05 PM
Evidence of the great heart of a great people. Thank you.
Posted by Quana at September 11, 2002 07:11 PM
Thank you! America has no truer friend in this world. I have been reminded of this too many times to count throughout the past year. From the large and instantaneous outpouring of emotion to the playing of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the changing of the guard to Tony Blair's steadfast support I and many others have been left forever grateful. When I rant about "those spineless Europeans" I never have the English in mind. I want to say also that the UK will never have to doubt our friendship we will always be there in your hour of need.
Posted by Ralph at September 11, 2002 07:14 PM
Thank you for this. For some of us in the United States, the obsessive media coverage just seems to overshadow the real purpose of remembering this anniversary. I know that it has made me want to turn off my radio, shut off my TV and crawl under a rock to avoid it, just so I can remember in silence all the things we lost and all the things we learned.
You've shown me that not everyone has forgotten what this is really about. I appreciate that more than I can say.
Thank you.
Posted by Cari at September 11, 2002 07:21 PM
Words fail. The people of Great Britain never do. Thank you from a grateful nation. May God bless America and may God save the Queen.
Posted by Chris Grier at September 11, 2002 07:21 PM
Thank you, to all of you in the U.K., for your support and assistance through the years.
The "special relationship" that we Americans enjoy with you, as well as the partnerships and alliances that we share with other former foes like Germany, Japan, Italy, Russia, Mexico, Spain, and others, proves that reconciliation, friendship, and interdependence can grow from the bloody, horrible experiences of war.
No one wants war, least of all Americans. Although not always peaceful, we are always peace-loving. We always hope that dialogue, negotiation, and diplomacy will peacefully resolve conflict.
Unfortunately, there are those in the world, tyrants like Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussein, and Osama bin Laden, who do not share these cultural values, who view inaction with contempt and appeasement as a license for further aggression and violence.
Although we may pretentiously consider ourselves more "sophisticated" and "enlightened" than they are, we are often forced to communicate with them in the only language they understand and respect, power and violence, when diplomacy fails. To do otherwise reflects a condescending and presumptuous effort on our part to impose our Western values and ideals on their culture.
"Peace at any cost" ultimately comes at too high a price. Most often, countless lives and resources are saved when a smaller conflict is "nipped in the bud" before it becomes a larger conflagration, dealt with decisively and completely by the world community.
The challenge we face today is balancing our idealism with realism. We must all strive to make the world into the idealistic place we'd like to see, where peaceful conflict resolution is the norm, while protecting ourselves in the reality that still exists in the world.
Please remember that in the weeks and months ahead, as we are criticized for being "unilateralist".
Posted by Frank Collins at September 11, 2002 07:22 PM
This gesture has served to strengthen and reaffirm my opinion of our English allies....our friends....our brothers.
Posted by Mike Tidwell at September 11, 2002 07:23 PM
This is indeed the real Britain I experienced when I lived in London for a time. And the real America thanks you for it.
Posted by The Dodd at September 11, 2002 07:26 PM
Tony Blair talks about America and the "special relationship". That is pure non-sense; it is the British people who are special to America and Americans.
Posted by Jim at September 11, 2002 07:27 PM
You simply made me bawl out - such simple acts of commen men collected together are more moving than anything shown on TV. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Posted by Mike (US) at September 11, 2002 07:27 PM
England has a heart that words find hard to express. She tells us plenty by her actions. Immeasurable gratitude to our friend and ally for the support they give us today and every day. We have not forotten that you too lost many loved ones a year ago today.
God Bless England....God Bless America....
Posted by Connie in Texas at September 11, 2002 07:28 PM
We here in the USA thank everyone for standing by us in these past 12 months, especially those of you from England. There has not been any country as supportive to us as England has been. Thank you.
Posted by Steve at September 11, 2002 07:31 PM
"Blest be the tie that binds our hearts...." The thoughfulness of the people of Britain has not gone unnoticed here in America. Many thanks for your support. God Bless your country and may our friendship continue to flourish.
Posted by Constance at September 11, 2002 07:33 PM
God bless the Mother Country, and God bless Tony Blair for standing firmly with us.
Posted by Craig in San Jose, CA at September 11, 2002 07:35 PM
One year ago, we learned that moral relativism is no longer a luxury we can afford.
Unfortunately, many of our most prominent voices (on both sides of the Atlantic), cannot seem to perceive this from their perches of privelege. They see no significant difference between a life stolen and the one who steals it.
This outpouring of compassion and respect shows that those of us who must "work for a living" have far more perceptual clarity and wisdom than our alleged intellectual "betters" in the chattering classes.
Thank you all! God save your Queen, preserve your PM, and bless America.
Posted by Rich Casebolt at September 11, 2002 07:42 PM
As an American, I appreciate the show of support by what seem to be perfectly decent Britons. As a Jew, however, I'm still not certain I want to take back my vow never to visit England. I have heard far too many reports of anti-Semitism there, and though I am not particularly religious, I disdain to visit lands in which I cannot wear a Star of David pendant without having to take shit for it. I will relax thoroughly when Tony Blair castigates the idiotarians of the U.K. for their Judenhass and their anti-Zionism as well as for their anti-Americanism.
Posted by Reginleif the Valkyrie at September 11, 2002 07:47 PM
I have friends in Britain, France, Denmark, Japan, Taiwan and other countries -- person-to-person. But America has a friend in Britain -- nation-to-nation. I was moved by the playing of the Star Spangled Banner at Buckingham palace a year ago, and I am moved again today reading these simple words of support.
Thank you, one and all.
Posted by Dale at September 11, 2002 07:50 PM
Throughout history, there have been those that harbor darkness within them, who would gladly murder others because of differences of religion, ethnicity, personal views and so on.
I was in New York visiting on September 10th, and I remember seeing the WTC for the last time that morning. I also happen to live near the Pentagon. That morning was one of horror, shock and disbelief to me.
To the people of Great Britain, and all others who have stood by us as we mourned and buried our dead, I would like to extend my thanks to you and gratitude that you have all resigned yourselves to resist the dark in men's hearts along with so many others. God bless us all.
Posted by Lyle J. at September 11, 2002 07:52 PM
Blessings be on the wonderful people of Great Britain, the normal folks. It means a lot to know that you are with us, friends.
Posted by Z at September 11, 2002 07:55 PM
As President Bush said himself, America has no truer friend than Great Britain. Thank you.
Posted by Emily at September 11, 2002 07:57 PM
There is no feeling better, when in a tight spot, than knowing that someone has your back. Thank you to the people of England, Austrailia, and New Zealand.
Posted by David Paglia at September 11, 2002 07:58 PM
Thank you for your kindness in our hour of pain. No matter what happens, or how our nations change, we originated from you and England is our Mother and you are our Brothers!
Posted by Sandra at September 11, 2002 07:58 PM
Someone once defined "friendship" as 'someone standing by you when they have nothing to gain and something to lose by so doing.' For more than a century, the people of America and Britain have been there for each other when they were needed. The few minor differences between us are more than compensated by the unswerving support our two nations have given each other over the years.
Thank you for being there for us, friends.
Posted by Roy Jaruk at September 11, 2002 08:05 PM
I never knew anyone from Britain.
Now I do.
Thank you.
Posted by Donella at September 11, 2002 08:06 PM
response to reginleif: i too am jewish - a refugee from nazi germany - but i distinquish between individuals who are antisemites and those who are not. even during the nazi period there were some germans who were not antisemites.
i take the londoners who had commemorative signs in their store windows to be decent human beings who were reaching out to jewish victims as well as to all the other victims of 911, and i thank them from the bottom of my heart, as a jew, as an american, and as a human being.
inge
Posted by inge at September 11, 2002 08:08 PM
Wow....
Yeah, that's all I can come up with at the moment.
Posted by Andi at September 11, 2002 08:18 PM
I was thinking of writing "An American thanks you."
No, no. That plays up our differences. So....
One man thanks everyone else who lives free.
James
Posted by James R. Rummel at September 11, 2002 08:21 PM
Thank you.
May the bond between this great nation and our valiant English allies be unbroken.
Posted by Jay Reding at September 11, 2002 08:34 PM
From a deeply grateful Amercan,
Thank God for the British people and their courageous leader, Prime Minister Blair.
Posted by Derrick Watts at September 11, 2002 08:40 PM
I am an American living in American and I have a British boss. I must say, you guys know how to treat a friend. Thanks for all your support.
Posted by Mike Taylor at September 11, 2002 08:46 PM
Such a simple thing so greatly appreciated. Thank you
Posted by Ron Campbell at September 11, 2002 08:50 PM
The average Brit and the average American, while very different on the surface, share the fundamental notions of democratic life. It is comforting to see our simularities displayed, rather than our differences exploited. We knew you would be there. And you know we will be there, too.
Posted by Paul Newcomer at September 11, 2002 08:52 PM
Gods save the Queen & Gods bless America. Once again it's the US, UK, & Australia (And Canada, once they get rid of Jean Quis..., er Chretien) alone against the night. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Posted by CYbrludite at September 11, 2002 08:59 PM
Great. Just what our already egotistic nation needs: One more sympathic third party to coddle our martyrdom. Say it with me, "We *are* the center of the Universe, We *are* the center of the Universe......"
Posted by cynic at September 11, 2002 08:59 PM
We may have our differences but when it comes down to it, we know who will be next to us. Thank you to our British cousins.
Posted by Frank in PA at September 11, 2002 09:00 PM
Being so close in so many ways to the events of 9/11/01, I wish to thank all who have participated in remembrances of those lives that were taken so harshly. Not just American lives were lost, but British, and other parts of the world.
I take great comfort in something Dr. Billy Graham said at last year's national memorial service, "don't cry for them, they don't even want to come back". Somehow my tears dried up right there, I realized that yes, they don't. We have to go forward and help each other.
Always remember to be kind to each other as you, the English people have done for us Americans. Thank you
Posted by yagsy at September 11, 2002 09:06 PM
Thank you so much for including the victims, their families and the United States in your prayers today. This hideous act by the terrorists has affected the whole world in some way. It rallied the American people and reminded us that we are "One" despite our diversity. Good will always prevail over evil in the end. United We Stand!! God Bless!!!
Posted by Jennifer Byrd, Nashville, TN at September 11, 2002 09:06 PM
And I told myself I wasn't going to get emotional today ...
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers ... "
Thank you.
God save the Queen.
God bless America
Posted by Lex Alexander at September 11, 2002 09:17 PM
Churchill said it best:
“You ask, What is our policy? I will say; ‘It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us: to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.’ You ask, What is our aim? I can answer with one word: Victory—victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.”
God bless the UK.
Posted by Wray Johnson at September 11, 2002 09:23 PM
A true friend will always show their colors in your time of need!!!
Posted by Domenick at September 11, 2002 09:47 PM
This means so very much to me as an American to see the true character of our brothers and sisters in England. May people with such good and caring hearts never disappear from the Earth, lest we become a society of cold cynics.
Posted by Chase at September 11, 2002 09:48 PM
Thank you. You give a deeper meaning to the Marine Corps motto "Semper Fidelis". May the U.S. and UK be "always faithful" to each other.
Posted by U.S. Marine at September 11, 2002 10:00 PM
I cannot tell you what a relief it is to know that the media elite in England no more reflect the mood of the English people than the media here in America do. I have known for some time that, despite all of the talk of appeasement and delay that issues from the media and the universities, the vast majority of us here in America are ready to fight, and to defeat the forces that have brought war to us. Thanks to your post, I now believe that the steadfast English people feel the same way.
If the light of civilization and freedom are carried forth to future generations, and not be extinguished in the darkness of barbarism, it will be solely due to the courage and determination of the US and our cousins in England, who have stood by us in so many battles.
May both our countries persevere, and prevail. Thank you so much for your loyalty and friendship.
Posted by Kevin Law at September 11, 2002 10:02 PM
Just minutes after the 2nd plane hit, I had a call from one of my English cousins. She was on her mobile phone from a Marks and Spencers store in Manchester, where they had immediately announced what was going on here in New York. Her reaction, and those of the people around her, were no different than if they had been in Chicago or L.A. or Atlanta. As the shopkeepers' observances today show, the special relationship continues unabated. Long may it endure.
Posted by BARRY IN NYC at September 11, 2002 10:08 PM
Mere words cannot express the appreciation of the American people.
Thank you brothers and sisters of England.
Posted by Brian at September 11, 2002 10:12 PM
Thank you Great Britain. We've got your back in case you ever need it.
Never forget. Never surrender. Never appease.
Posted by Peter at September 11, 2002 10:17 PM
Thank you, England. May the bonds of civilization, paid for in untold years of common devotion and the blood of citizens, never be sundered.
Posted by Sutherland Ellwood at September 11, 2002 10:18 PM
Your eloquent post and the moving pictures that accompanied it should elicit gratitude from all of us on the left side of the Atlantic.
In me at least they also inspired a pang of regret. A little over four years ago, before terrorism began to be taken seriously as a menace to civilization, Islamist fanatics seeking to murder American diplomats killed over 200 Kenyans along with a few of our own people. While our government acted properly in the aftermath of that atrocity there was not among Americans generally the solidarity with those murdered then that the English friends of America are displaying now. All practical considerations aside I wish there had been, out of recognition for the pain of a terrible loss.
Posted by Joseph Britt at September 11, 2002 10:23 PM
Thank you very much. Sometime reading the European news paper makes me wonder if Europe is really our friend, but this is comforting... Once again on behalf of all Americans, Thank you!
Posted by Kyle at September 11, 2002 10:38 PM
I recall my grandfather's stories about WWII and the decency of the English people. This proves it to me. God Save the Queen. God Bless America.
Posted by Ray in Tennessee at September 11, 2002 10:38 PM
In our darkest moments, I thought about the strength, resolve, and quiet determination of the British during the worst days of World War II. You -- your fathers, mothers, grandparents -- have shown us the way.
Thank you.
Posted by Ken -- NYC at September 11, 2002 10:44 PM
This is a balm to my wounded heart. I still grieve for my blasted cities and our brave fallen heros but knowing we have friends around the world brings a light of hope into our country.
May England, the birthplace of the flame of freedom, shine brightly into a glorious future - hand in hand with America.
We will never forget.
Posted by Kris Murray at September 11, 2002 10:50 PM
Thanks for showing the rest of America what I already suspected - that Europeans don't really hate us. We have just come to believe it because that's what the European media has been telling us.
Posted by Doug Purdie at September 11, 2002 10:53 PM
Thank you. I'm no Blanche Dubois, but I find myself moved to tears by the kindness of strangers across the Atlantic.
Posted by Ellen at September 11, 2002 10:55 PM
You remembered us,
We will never forget you.
Posted by K.A. Hughes RA at September 11, 2002 10:57 PM
Thank you so much for bringing it home to us that we have friends abroad who haven't forgotten what happened. Although people around the world were disgusted a year ago, it seems many people have so quickly forgotton their outrage. I'm so glad to know that the English are not among these people.
Posted by Lori at September 11, 2002 11:06 PM
"From this day to the ending of the world.../We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;/ For he to-day that sheds his blood with me /Shall be my brother..."
Many thanks for the kind thoughts and the support for what must be done from ordinary Britons.
Please accept our prayers for the many British subjects who also were murdered by terrorists last year.
God Save the Queen.
God Bless America.
Posted by G. Thomas Fitzpatrick at September 11, 2002 11:09 PM
Thank you for your rememberence. As a Yank, it's makes me very proud that I married an Englishwoman.
Posted by Tom Agar at September 11, 2002 11:12 PM
We in America thank you for all of your gracious thoughts and statements in commemoration of the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
We continue to move on, day by day.
Posted by Shere Everett at September 11, 2002 11:16 PM
Nobody does decency with the grace of you British. Many thanks from Seattle
Posted by George at September 11, 2002 11:28 PM
This loving gesture, demonstrated by so many kindred spirits, is a special grace today. Thanks, and blessings upon you.
Posted by Kathryn at September 11, 2002 11:29 PM
Interestingly enough Pimlico where I live was very subdued today. There was limited traffic, limited cars and limited human traffic. I was out with a friend at a pub this evening near Victoria and that too was quiet. Like the days after 9/11 there was a dignified and subdued nature about how people conducted their business and pleasure. Londoners, I believe, still say to themselves: there but by the grace of god go we.
Posted by Andrew Ian Dodge at September 11, 2002 11:30 PM
The body of water that separates our countries was made a little smaller. Thanks.
Posted by Keith T at September 11, 2002 11:31 PM
I offended someone from Canada today. I told her I considered Canadians and people from England as Americans. That came out all wrong. I didn't mean they didn't have their own country. I meant that Americans tend to love Canadians and the British as our own countrymen.
It's nice to see that you all feel the same way about us. Sending our love to you, our allies!
Posted by BeerMary at September 11, 2002 11:32 PM
A multitude of gratitude, England. You are our only stalwart friend in Europe, that rare beacon of rationality in a sea of precarious passivity.
Posted by Todd S. at September 11, 2002 11:38 PM
Thank you and God Bless you.
We will not forget your grace or your generosity of spirit.
Posted by Kieran Lyons at September 11, 2002 11:49 PM
Damn.... it is very telling.
God Save the Queen
God Bless America
Posted by Well Fed Conservative at September 12, 2002 12:00 AM
Mr Churchill says it best (again):
"We shall go forward together. The road upward is strong. There are upon our journey dark and dangerous valleys through which we have to make and fight our way. But it is sure and certain that if we persevere, and we shall persevere, we shall come through these dark and dangerous valleys into a sunlight broader and more genial and more lasting than mankind has ever known."
Thank you for standing with us; we shall never forget. God Bless Great Britain!
Posted by Keith at September 12, 2002 12:02 AM
we americans owe the british a great debt. they alone have been a true friend in our time of need. we must never forget, and we must be ready to stand at their side should the situation ever be reversed.
Posted by kevin miller at September 12, 2002 12:11 AM
As a proud Englishman, I would like to express my thanks for publishing this web page. The 'liberal' fascists in the British media give us all a bad name. Clearly, they are not representative of the views of the majority of people in the UK. I'm glad to see our real feelings towards our 'cousins' across the pond given publicity. My thoughts are with you on this sad day. God Bless America.
Posted by Colin Ray at September 12, 2002 12:13 AM
Thank you, Britons. We are finding out who our true friends are.
Posted by Donna V. at September 12, 2002 12:15 AM
We pattern our system of laws and our idea of justice after the British.
We adopted many practices of common democracy that the British helped develop.
We learned to be ferocious and noble at the same time from the British.
And today we see that we learned our basic humanity and joy in our neighbor from the British, and a large part of the good in the American character comes from our British friends.
May no two words greater than "thank you" carry the weight of the emotions on a nation this day.
Posted by Christopher Ward at September 12, 2002 12:27 AM
We Yanks know who our real friends are. We have always known, but it is nice to be reminded. Thank you and may there always be an England!
Posted by Craig Shipley at September 12, 2002 12:33 AM
I watched the moment of silence in New York on TV this morning with great sadness and sorrow, but with dry eyes. There have been so many tears in the last year, I seemed to have none left. Not so, for seeing these signs and reading these messages I wept hot tears again, but tears not of pain or sadness, but of gratitude and fierce pride in the friendship of our two countries. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Posted by Steve Teeter at September 12, 2002 12:39 AM
It's always nice to know that many Britons are on our side - from the Midlands to Newcastle to London to Glasgow to Cardiff - we appreciate their "spot on" support!
Posted by Brian Colby at September 12, 2002 12:56 AM
When the next version of Oxford Dictionary is released. I hope the entry for Allies reads very simply
Allies: See United Kingdom
Mahalo and Aloha
Posted by Clif Purkiser at September 12, 2002 01:08 AM
For all Americans that receive BBC America, please turn it on. There is a replay of last year's "Last night of the Proms"
I loved the Proms when I lived in England. It was a unashamedly patriotic outpouring of the Britons. Last year, the Brits dedicated to us, the U.S.
We will never have nor need better friends that the British, God bless Britain
Posted by Jim Hogue at September 12, 2002 01:09 AM
Thank you.
Thank you again.
And again. And again. And again...
Posted by E. Nough at September 12, 2002 01:27 AM
Thankfully the spirit of Winston Churchill and not Neville Chamberlain still prevails among us, the common people. Thank you for remembering us.
Posted by Ed Poinsett at September 12, 2002 01:29 AM
Thank you.
For your rememberance of our loss.
For your steadfastness in our cause.
God Bless Britain and God Bless the British people.
Posted by Todd at September 12, 2002 01:30 AM
Thank you!!! England and the US are certainly brothers, to me anyway, and as an American I must give you thanks for caring about something that happened an ocean away. It means a lot to me, and to my fellow countrymen.
Posted by rfduck at September 12, 2002 01:33 AM
Land of Hope And Glory
Mother of The Free
How shall we extol thee
Who are born of thee?
Thank you all from those
For whom the bell tolled
For those whose voices
Are stilled yet cry out
Thank you, Britain
Thank you, United Kingdom
Posted by Bob Trumble at September 12, 2002 01:49 AM
I believe Mr. Churchill would be very proud of you today. Thank you, U.K. Thank you, Australia. Thank you, New Zealand. The distance across the Atlantic is far smaller than the distance across the Channel.
Posted by Gary Kitts at September 12, 2002 02:17 AM
was sent here from another site....thanks i cried as well
Posted by elsam at September 12, 2002 02:24 AM
No words can express my gratitude after seeing this. However humble it sounds . . . thank you.
Posted by Joe at September 12, 2002 02:27 AM
Good work, de Havilland. I may have to locate another charming hippopotamus picture for you, in meager recompense.
Posted by Charles at September 12, 2002 02:35 AM
"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to stand idly by." - Winston Churchill
"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival." - Sir Winston Churchill
Posted by Michael Glazer at September 12, 2002 02:39 AM
God Bless the UK!
Let the SAS know that last one to Baghdad buys the beer!
Posted by Eric at September 12, 2002 02:42 AM
I can't add any more than others have. Thank you for posting this.
Posted by Ken Summers at September 12, 2002 02:51 AM
I am an American who happened to be in London when the attacks of 9/11 happened. I was waiting for a connecting flight from Germany, where I live, to New York, where I was going to visit. As a result of the attacks, I was stuck in London for several days. I was touched by the supportive and sympathetic reaction to the events which I observed while I was there. Since returning to Germany, I've encountered a very different tone of reaction emanating from all over Europe, including England, one which has disgusted and enraged me. Your posting reminded of that initial reaction which I valued so much, and which I'd nearly forgotten about since returning to this benighted continent. Thank you for that.
Posted by Daniel Glickman at September 12, 2002 02:58 AM
God Bless the U.K. and God Bless America!
May we never forget our debts of gratitude to each other as we teach the rest of the world about true loyalty, patriotism, and the price of freedom. "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Posted by Ed Robinson at September 12, 2002 03:07 AM
As a child, I thought of Great Britain as a lot like Hawaii - separated from my land by just a stripe of pale blue on the map. It means more than I can say to see that I was right after all. The breadth of the Atlantic is irrelevant, the depths of the sea are but a puddle. No barrier can ever divide the American spirit from that of our greatest friend and staunchest ally.
God save the Queen and God bless America. May He watch over us all.
Posted by Meaghan Skelly at September 12, 2002 03:14 AM
I don't think we as an American people will ever fully grasp the concern and out pouring of prayers you have offered us.
Our media keeps us so wrapped up in terrible images of 9/11. If only they would show more images of countries around the world sharing in our grief we would see we are truly a world united.
Thank you.
Posted by Jaime at September 12, 2002 03:18 AM
Thank You.
I am truly touched.
God Bless America, God save the Queen.
Posted by Jason Johnson at September 12, 2002 03:25 AM
Isn't it interesting.
Less than 200 years ago, the US fought it's last war against Britian. Now, all I can say is thank you, and God Bless.
Is it too much to hope for that 200 years from now the Islamic world is as ardent a supporter?
Probably, the answer is yes. 200 years from now there will likely only be an Islamic world or the US.
We aren't the ones who made that decision.
It isn't too late...
Posted by Iron Fist at September 12, 2002 03:40 AM
Our towers have been turned to burial mounds.
Those whose parents sau the skies rain death send words of comfort and friendship.
Such kindness cannot be forgotten.
Posted by Kirk Robinson at September 12, 2002 03:42 AM
The folk of England remind us again that we are not alone. Many of us have kin that came from British shores, and have always felt connection with our ancestors; you have not let us down.
Sleep well tonight. Dream of the future. Know that for as long as America and England exist, the world will see freedom revealed.
The sincerest “gracias…” from those of us out here in “cowboy country.”
Strength and honor.
Posted by Eric Hales at September 12, 2002 04:00 AM
Thank you, citizens of the UK.
I can only wonder, though, what Thomas Jefferson or Thomas Paine would say if he saw our two countries as allies.
They'd probably be thrilled -- and not horribly surprised. This is what freedom and democracy are about.
Posted by Sarah at September 12, 2002 04:03 AM
Another thank you to the people of London, England, and all of the UK from a greatful American...
A Remembrance
In 1988, the high school band from my hometown, Berwick, Pennsylvania, in conjunction with celebrating the bicentennial of our town, visited our namesake city Berwick-Upon-Tweed. The generosity extended to us was extraordinary -- more than my seventeen-year-old self could possibly appreciate. The families of Berwick housed and fed about eighty American teenagers for over a week -- and those of us on our side of the pond know how much American teenagers can eat...
We paid our English/Scottish hosts the best that we could. Our band played a full concert, but the best surprise came from our smaller jazz ensemble. The jazz band played their full set to a warm and appreciative audience, but held the true firepower for the encore -- Glenn Miller's "In The Mood." I was well aware that this would cause some fond remembrances from our hosts, but after the first few notes, the audience (numbering in the few hundred) let out an absolute roar at the sight and sound of American teenagers replaying the music that entwined our peoples together during England's Finest Hour.
I can't describe you how proud I was to be an American that evening. I can't describe how thankful I am for the warm wishes and compassion of the British people. Your prime minister offers us a "blood price." With great sadness, we will accept it.
'As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free...'
Posted by Todd Gunther at September 12, 2002 04:09 AM
I just stumbled across this site 15 minutes ago. About 14.5 minutes ago I started crying. I haven't cried today (or this day last year) about any of this, but these kind words, removed from politics, journalism, and economics have moved me more than anything I have seen yet about 9/11/01. I really appreciate what these British people (whether English, Irish, Scottish, or Welsh) have said. It is clearly from the heart, and it went stright into mine.
Posted by David Quick at September 12, 2002 04:15 AM
Believe me - its not so cut and dry in the UK as you might think. There are people here who are against the US, and people here who support you. There are people in France who are with the US, and people who are against it. Same in Israel. Same in Afghanistan. Don't tar a whole bunch of people with the same brush. That's the sort of thinking that got people against you in the first place.
Evolve ideas.
Posted by Cleatus at September 12, 2002 04:18 AM
Thank you for standing by us for the past year. I've felt this year that America's back was up against the wall but it wasn't any wall. It was Great Britain helping prop us up.
Posted by CT at September 12, 2002 04:20 AM
One for all. All for one.
Three cheers for the people
of GREAT Britain. From.......
Anytown, USA
Home of the Free
Home of the Brave
Posted by Yasmin Nehru at September 12, 2002 04:20 AM
I am not eloquent, so if I may borrow words from one of your own:
This was a most unsordid act.
If you're ever in the Grand Canyon State, I'll buy you one.
Thank you. We owe you -- again.
Posted by Gary Renaud at September 12, 2002 04:20 AM
An anecdote of the English:
These expressions of remembrance remind me of the year or so I spend at Edinburgh University in the late 80's. I arrived up there in a July; instantly had loads of Scot friends. There were English mixed in as well; but more as people traveling in the same group, rather than bosum, bleary, have-a-whisky pals. Friendly, and always present, but a bit distant.
Some of the American students in this crew were only there for half a year, though I was to stay. When the English kids caught wind of this, some of them thought I was taking off as well, & were -- suddenly -- terribly sorry, and really sad, because they didn't realize I was leaving so early, etc., & expressed warm and genuine affection for me. One (particularly cute) girl even cried a little. I was a little bit surprised -- when I explained that I wasn't one of the ones leaving, they were delighted, & for the remainder of my stay the English kids were as warm & friendly as they became when they mistakenly thought I was leaving.
I found this totally endearing & some sort of insight into English character.
Anyway, thanks. Y'all are swell.
TN
Posted by Thomas Nicholson at September 12, 2002 04:26 AM
We hear so much today about things like the Support Osama demonstration recently as well as the OP/ED pages of the Guardian and the Independent, yet things like this seldome get the coverage they deserve.
I think this is because we know in our heart of hearts that things like this really aren't news.
This really means more than you can know.
Thank you so much.
Posted by Ken Talton at September 12, 2002 04:30 AM
We the people of the United States have received so much from England:
- Her exquisite, powerful language.
- The wisdom of her great political philosophers.
- The example of her law and constitution.
- Her friendship and steadfastness through the trials of the last hundred years.
And now this.
Thank you.
Posted by Fred Butzen at September 12, 2002 04:38 AM
So long as the people of England are capable of such magnificent gestures the Special Relationship will endure.
Posted by oj at September 12, 2002 04:41 AM
I am deeply touched and so glad to see that the Special Relationship that the USA has with the UK is more than o.k. after all.
Thanks very much indeed for posting this!
Posted by Jennie Taliaferro at September 12, 2002 04:42 AM
After reading this article, and looking at this picture from my beloved hometown, I feel much better and prouder as a European.
God bless the USA and those who fight with her for the world's common good.
Vilmos
Posted by Vilmos Soti at September 12, 2002 04:52 AM
Dear Mum,
I realize that things haven't always been the best between us. We had that spot of trouble, 200 years ago, but I think that you realize now that I had to go my own way.
Everything I know, I learned from you. Sometimes I become frustrated with you, because you seem to forget the very lessons you taught me. I do things my own way, a better way, I believe. Still, I have nothing but the utmost respect for you. They say we dont fall far from the tree, and I think that's clear.
Someone told me about the signs that the neighbors were putting up. I'm touched beyond words.
After the trouble last year, it seemed like everyone was on our side. Now though, I'm not so sure. I'm the only one with a horse in this race, but somehow, everone thinks they should be the jockey.
It goes without saying, that if you need anything, just call. I'll come running.
love,
America
Posted by Patrick at September 12, 2002 04:54 AM
Thank you Britain, and thank you Samizdata. This is wonderful.
Posted by T.L. James at September 12, 2002 05:00 AM
Thank you, Britons, for reminding us again who our real friends and allies are. One day, you will have an hour of crisis. We will be there with you.
I'm crying too hard to go on.
Posted by Stephen St. Onge at September 12, 2002 05:16 AM
God saves the Queen and the People of Great Britain.
Posted by Dan Ngo at September 12, 2002 05:23 AM
God bless the Brits!
The world should know by now that when the British and the Americans resolve to bleed together on the field of battle tyrants die and history changes for the good.
Posted by Carl Fant at September 12, 2002 05:25 AM
It has been some time since we here in America felt that so many of us, owed so much,.. to so few. Thank you everyone in England for your touching sentiment on this day of loss and tragedy. May God bless and keep you all safe.
Sean Spoonts, Florida
PS God Save the Queen...
Posted by Sean Spoonts at September 12, 2002 05:29 AM
There is no other country in the world I would prefer to have at my side in a tough battle. Limeys rule!!!
Posted by Frank Johnson at September 12, 2002 05:44 AM
Thank you, Britain, for your kindness. You've always set the standard in courage, fortitude, and class, for your former subjects.
Posted by Shaun Schuyler at September 12, 2002 05:47 AM
America has no better friends than the people of the British Isles. Thank you.
Posted by Jason Rush at September 12, 2002 05:48 AM
Thank you for this post. And greatest of gratitude to the people of Britain.
God bless you all.
Posted by Jay at September 12, 2002 05:49 AM
Things like this can still give me goosebumps and a shiver of pride. God Bless England, and thank you.
Posted by John DeTombe at September 12, 2002 05:54 AM
i was jolted awake by a friend and told to switch on my tele...it was 5 min. after the first plane hit...i spent the entire day glued to my set,i saw everybit of it and it seemed so surreal.the next 24 hours were horrendous...our president was not in washington(i understand why) and to my view we suffered from a lack of leadership(i understand why)...thru the turmoil,confusion,panic one lone voice boomed out in loud tones and calming words.that voice belonged to TONY BLAIR.the prime minister of your country showing "our" leaders what true leadership was...i will never forget Mr.Blair.i will never forget his tone and i will never forget your country.god bless you all and god save the world...
Posted by kyle at September 12, 2002 06:00 AM
Seeing these simple, heartfelt gestures has made me truly believe that a greater good will come of all this. Thank you.
Posted by Mark at September 12, 2002 06:42 AM
Your outpouring of support and affection have moved our nation. Therefor, please accept, as a small token of our gratitude and esteem, the gift of the State of Arkansas, along with any present and former subjects, factories, armories, roadways, timberland, mines, financial institutions and most especially politicians and their wives, past and present.
I would in all seriousness like to thank you British, one and all. Shortly after the last attack on America, Winston Churchill wrote:
"To have the United States at our side was to me the greatest joy. Now at this very moment I knew the United States was in the war, up to the neck and in to the death. So we had won after all!...Hitler's fate was sealed. Mussolini's fate was sealed. As for the Japanese, they would be ground to powder"
Many of us here in America felt the same way after hearing your courageous and stalwart Prime Minister say he was willing to pay a 'Blood Price' to stand by America in the dirty but necessary work ahead. Give us England and Australia, and we few, we happy few, can free this world.
Posted by Proteus at September 12, 2002 06:51 AM
Aloha kakayaka, aloha nui loa.
May God keep and protect us all, from those of us in the Pacific, to our most akamai of friends across the Atlantic.
Posted by Greg at September 12, 2002 07:00 AM
Thank you, Britain, You touched me deeply and I cried – first time today. You are the true friends. And we will never forget.
Posted by Katherine in San Francisco at September 12, 2002 07:13 AM
Thank you all for your kindness - I truly hope that, as the saying goes, "There will always be an England."
Posted by Donna Hathaway at September 12, 2002 07:21 AM
In spite of some Americans' support for IRA terrorism in your own land and in spite of America not doing right by you in those times, you are there for us in our time of need.
God bless Great Britain and may she always be great.
Posted by Alonzo Font at September 12, 2002 07:30 AM
This site brought tears to my eyes, tears rolling down my checks as I read on.
The signs from one minuet to two minuets of silence touched me deeply,
Truly it has been a gift from the Creator On this sad day, and who said America was only "One Nation"
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Posted by Christina Hilburn at September 12, 2002 07:41 AM
Thank you for passing this on. The U.S. media is Johnny-on-the-Spot when it comes to reporting how hated we are, but somehow, items like this fall through the cracks. I'm glad to know that at least some people outside the U.S. is not celebrating 9/11.
Posted by MrBill at September 12, 2002 07:58 AM
Your kindness and sympathy are deeply touching. Thank you.
The game's afoot!
Follow your spirit; and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry! England and Saint George!'
Posted by Kathy Phillips at September 12, 2002 08:11 AM
The only thing necessary for happiness is freedom
The only thing necessary for freedom is courage
Thucydides
G-d Bless the Queen
G-d Bless the good people of England
Thank You
David A. Fauman
Posted by David A. Fauman at September 12, 2002 09:02 AM
I have watched in dismay over the past year as it has become increasingly clear that the only support we could expect from Europe would come from Britain. After seeing your post, this no longer worries me. I am deeply honored by the friendship and respect of the British people. Where ever you go, we will be at your side.
God Save the Queen
Posted by Michael Cowell at September 12, 2002 10:34 AM
"The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel."
-- William Shakespeare
Thank you, British cousins, for your decency and solidarity and for a friendship that has stood the tests of time.
God bless America, God save the Queen, rule Brittania, and long live the Anglosphere.
Posted by Gregory Sager, Chicago at September 12, 2002 11:11 AM
With twenty-five years in show business behind me, it would have been unnatural of me to ignore the high production gloss that TEEVEE brought to the fest, yesterday. And it really got in my way.
This display, however, made me recall something of which I hadn't thought in months: last year, I did not weep for New York for the first time until I saw footage of Brits playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. That was what broke me open.
Thanx for reminding me of that.
Posted by Billy Beck at September 12, 2002 11:18 AM
There is little I can add except this from a contemporary of Churchill:
Some indeed still hold to the now obvious delusion that we of this United States can safely permit the United States to become a lone island in a world dominated by the philosophy of force. Such an island my be the dream of those who still talk and vote as isolationists. Such an island represents to me and to the overwhelming majority of Americans today a helpless nightmare, the helpless nightmare of a people lodged in prison, handcuffed, hungry, and fed through the bars by the contemptuous, unpitying masters of other continents....
...Let us not hesitate - all of us - to proclaim certain truths. Overwhelmingly we as a nation - and this applies to all the other American nations - are convinced that military and naval victory for the gods of force and hate would endanger the institutions of democracy in the Western World, and that equally therefore, the whole of our sympathies lies with those nations that are giving their life blood in combat against these forces...
Roosevelt - June 1940 as quoted in "the Duel" by John Lukacs p118 paperback edition:
Posted by M. Simon at September 12, 2002 11:36 AM
Thank you.
How fitting from your nation of shopkeepers to this one.
Posted by Ray Eckhart at September 12, 2002 12:01 PM
I avoided TV & radio yesterday - the numbing and dumbing of reality by these professional packagers of reality is usually bearable but not yet, not while their cocoons of verbiage and misleading characterizations ("tragedy"!!!! "closure"!!!!) seek to soften and round-off and ameliorate and deal with and achieve inner peace so that we do not ACT as we must against those who have declared themselves our blood enemies.
Anyway, your posting of the notices choked me up - authentic friendship, demonstrated out of loyalty without hope of gain, always does.
Posted by Dave from GR at September 12, 2002 12:24 PM
From Runnymede to today, Britain - and we of Britain's glorious legacy - have been the beacon of libety and justice to the world. Ever have there been haters of this legacy, and today is no exception. No matter. Who else but a son of Britain could say it better:
"If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more...
"Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us....
"From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."
Henry V, IV:3
Posted by Jeffersonian at September 12, 2002 12:29 PM
When we try to instruct our children on how to face adversity, we always get back to the example of London in the Blitz. We know who you are. Thanks.
Posted by Jonathan at September 12, 2002 12:51 PM
I love my Brits! To the Tippings in Liverpool to the Mathers in Birmingham and to all in my ancestrial home, I say thank you for caring. You are always with us as we are always with you. God bless.
Posted by Gordon Smith at September 12, 2002 12:54 PM
I'd be interested to know how many businesses in the rest of Europe also took part in this type of thing. I suspect the number will be a lot higher than you think. Just because people don't agree with the form of the US response to the attacks, it doesn't mean we lack sympathy, or think they were unimportant. I don't mean to dis anyone here, but we shoudl be trying to get away from this anglosphere business, and engage with the world; people aren't as nationally different as you think!
Posted by A_t at September 12, 2002 01:12 PM
please know how much it means to us Americans that we have other people outside the U.S.A. who are as much in grief as we are and know we have your support. Thank you.
Posted by peggy at September 12, 2002 01:44 PM
Thanks to our friends across the sea and God Bless Tony Blair!!
Posted by Pat at September 12, 2002 01:49 PM
"It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone - which no honest man gives up but with life itself." --- The Declaration of Arbroath, 1320.
Thank you.
Posted by Jamie Presnell at September 12, 2002 02:41 PM
Thanks for this and thanks to England. It's good to know someone out there is still with us.
Posted by Kel at September 12, 2002 02:43 PM
I'm from Belfast, Northern Ireland and I've just returned from a visit to France and the Normandy Beaches, in particular Omaha Beach. America made a huge sacrifice on D-Day and beyond to help liberate Europe from Fascism. Britain's comradeship with America was founded on those beaches. Tyranny and terrorism should never be appeased.
Posted by William Sharpe at September 12, 2002 02:59 PM
I watched all the 9/11 coverage and was moved, but this post has made me weep with gratitude. Thank you, our brothers and sisters in Britain. No truer friend and ally ever existed.
Posted by Jon at September 12, 2002 03:07 PM
We have remembered. We thank Great Britain and all true friends for standing by us.
Now Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of war!
FASTER PLEASE!
Posted by A at September 12, 2002 03:10 PM
I've always thought of Britain as a nation with people of intense national pride and class. This site simply proves me right. I know that you as a nation also lost some of your own last year yet your focus was on us during our time of rememberence and honoring of those that lost their lives. Thank you, as those before me have said, those words at times do not seem enough, almost too simple to express what is felt. Yet today, I think they fit just right! Thank You!!
God Bless England, God Bless America
Ever in Texas....the pints are on me!!
Posted by Stacy in Dallas, TX at September 12, 2002 03:27 PM
The only thing that made me weep after the attack was the British playing of our national anthem at Buckingham Palace. My next vacation will be on your beautiful isle. VICTORY.
Hail Britannia!
Posted by Alan in Chicago at September 12, 2002 03:37 PM
Hopefully the sentiments in these signs reflect the true feelings of Britons. Listening to the BBC WorldNews or reading editorials from British papers makes me wonder what happened to the brave people who stood up to and defeated the Nazis. May Britian always resist being subsumed into a united Europe.
Posted by Hank Buchanan at September 12, 2002 03:43 PM
wow.
i am speechless, perhaps love might heal after all.
thank you
Posted by racheal at September 12, 2002 04:13 PM
A heartfelt thank you to all of you from all of us, and God Bless.
Posted by Stephanie at September 12, 2002 04:22 PM
Thanks Brits....prayer is where it's at! Even here in the States we need to remember to pray for protection from evil.......but if and when it strikes or raises its ugly head, pray for strength and resolve to overcome.
Posted by rosemary at September 12, 2002 04:27 PM
Thank you. More than words can bear, thank you.
Posted by Christopher Badeaux at September 12, 2002 04:50 PM
The sentiments expressed by the posting of the notices is incredible. Both in the spontaneity and in the unity it showed us. The following quote is from John O'Sullivan in the National Review Online of September 8, 2001:
"When questioned, the demonstrators, some immigrants but some born in Britain, deny that any disloyalty to Queen and country is involved. For they do not regard themselves as British Muslims but merely as Muslims living in Britain. Their allegiance is to Islam, they say, not to an infidel government that is illegitimate and destined one day to be replaced by an Islamic regime based on traditional Sharia law."
http://www.nationalreview.com/jos/jos110801.shtml
When I read stuff like this, I get concerned that the cultural heritage and the history of your great country is in danger of being squashed. Then I see this spontaneous outpouring of empathy and sympathy and I have hope, again, that you and we can be a place of refuge and hope without actually going belly-up and being destroyed by those we take in.
Posted by H. Belisle, Fairfax, Virginia at September 12, 2002 05:24 PM
Error in previous post: the quote was from November 8, 2001, not September 8, 2001
Posted by H. Belisle at September 12, 2002 05:29 PM
Perry, that was a wonderful thing to do, to show our good friends in the USA how most ordinary Britons feel about those terrible events 12 months ago.
God bless America and God Bless Britain.
Posted by Tpm at September 12, 2002 05:31 PM
The day of the attack I was so comforted by seeing PM Blair unequivocably supporting the U.S. when we felt we hadn't a friend in the world. A year later I am deeply comforted and inspired again by the British people. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Posted by Cynthia at September 12, 2002 05:37 PM
I was okay yesterday, didn't watch too much TV and didn't tear up too much. But seeing these pictures today had me crying my eyes out.
Thank you friends. I've always been an Anglophile and it's good to see that faith justified :)
And I do not forget that there were Britons murdered as well.
Posted by Pam Jernigan at September 12, 2002 05:55 PM
If I may quote from a wonderful old hymn by Bernard of Cluny, 4th stanza of Jerusalem the Golden
It came to me as I read these, not completely apropos, but ....
Oh, sweet and blessed country,
The home of God’s elect!
Oh, sweet and blessed country
That eager hearts expect!
In mercy, Jesus, bring us
To that dear land of rest!
You are, with God the Father
And Spirit, everblest.
Posted by bill hedrick at September 12, 2002 06:19 PM
What an amazing sight to see.
I've been lucky enough to visit the UK twice, and there are more visits in my future. What a wonderful country.
Thank you all.
Posted by Keith at September 12, 2002 06:55 PM
Shortly after the attack on the World Trade Center, President Bush said that America has no truer friend than Great Britain. Now I know that this is not only true of the British nation but of the British people. I'd like you to know that there's at least one American who is eternally grateful for the friendship of the United Kingdom.
Posted by Jonathan Edelstein at September 12, 2002 06:58 PM
Thank you so very much for posting this not so small tribute. After a year we have been left feeling that our friends across the pond have forgotten and some blaming us for what happened. The posters on the World Views board of The Great Debate on bbc.com had left many American posters feeling our long friendship had been lost. People can discuss and critisize American politics as they feel need. We don't have a problem with that. No one criticizes our government more than we do. What we can't stand is trivializing the horrible, truly horrible deaths of so many.
Thank you, thank you, for this page. You can not imagine how touched Americans truly are by the compassion shown here.
Diane Delahunty
Dallas, Texas
Posted by Diane Delahunty at September 12, 2002 06:58 PM
I'm English, and have tears running down my cheeks.
Don't believe all you see on the BBC...
We will win. They have already lost. The only variable is the magnitude of their defeat; total, abject or annihilation.
Posted by Tony at September 12, 2002 07:06 PM
I am so happy to see that the British people are not quite the anti-americans that a few radical posters on various internet message boards have led me to believe were the norm on your island.
God bless you and may we find a quick end to the current problems facing all the people of the world.
Posted by Jon Dunavant at September 12, 2002 07:37 PM
"Fuck the french. Fuck Iraq. Fuck the Germans. fuck belgium. fuck the poorer than mississippi swedes. fuck the eu. fuck all appeasers everywhere, and may they join neville chamberlin in hell drinking the blood of innocents drop by fucking drop. fuck the antisemitic europeans with their palestinian chic. fuck arafat. fuck the un. fuck them all.
"
thanks, steve, for marring a moving post and even more moving set of comments with the very same brand of intolerance and aggression that motivated the attackers this time last year. i interpreted the silence, observed in many places across the world, not just in the us and uk, as a time to remember the people who died last year, and those who will die as a result - a plea for peace, not a spur to make vile, bigoted comments like that.
Posted by jack at September 12, 2002 08:38 PM
Thank you so much for posting this. And thank you England for standing beside us.
Posted by Christine at September 12, 2002 08:57 PM
The most moving rememberance I saw on 9/11/02 was in England, at (I think) St. Paul's Cathedral, with 3000 white rose petals dropped from the "whispering balcony." Truly a moving and hauntingly beautiful tribute.
Thank you for your silence, for your support, and for your petals. It meant a lot to all of us, even thoughs who didn't know about it.
Posted by Eric at September 12, 2002 10:20 PM
As a proud American of British ancestory thanks. Here in South Carolina we know that family sticks together. We also believe that pulling for the Brits is pulling for home team. Again, thank you and may God bless you.
Posted by Dave at September 13, 2002 12:01 AM
Thanks. God Bless England, her Queen, her people. Our country's good fortune has been great in so many ways, but none more so than in our legacy of freedom from English culture and law. To that one must surely add that mystic, unbreakable bond tempered by blood and the enduring kinship reflected in those wonderful notices you displayed.
Posted by larry dempsey at September 13, 2002 01:15 AM
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother."
Never forgive, never forget.
Posted by edwardVT at September 13, 2002 01:59 AM
These pictures are so mundane, yet so deeply moving. Thank you.
Posted by Matt Hill at September 13, 2002 03:35 AM
The defining moment came for me when Her Majesty was seen to sing The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Unprecedented but sagacious, for the future of Britain does not lie with an exhausted Europe but in your relations with us and the rest of the Anglosphere. Britons never shall be slaves. And to those who remarked on US support for the IRA, please count the number of Irish names in this post thanking Britain. Heartfelt thanks.
Posted by ossian at September 13, 2002 06:17 AM
With many grateful tears streaming down my face, I must tell you, Thank you Britain! God Bless you all!
Posted by Ally at September 13, 2002 01:49 PM
England and America sheltered 2 Jewish refugees from Hilter, who later met and married and raised 2 Jewish children in Dallas, TX.
My mother and her mother got out of Vienna in 1939. They came to England on work visas and spent WWII working as domestics for rich English people. They were in London during the Blitz and later in Cheltenham. My grandmother stayed there till her death in the 1960s.
My mother got a job with the American army after the war and met my father in Stuttgart. Born and raised in Berlin, he had been able to get out of Europe with his family in 1936 and admitted to the States. He joined the US Army after gaining his citizenship but by the time he went through basic training the war was over, so he got a civilian job with the Army, which sent him to Germany as part of the Occupation forces. Later he returned to the States with his new bride, my mom.
Am Yisrael Chai. God Bless America and Great Britain.
Posted by Yehudit at September 13, 2002 03:50 PM
We love you all and we'll always be here for you. God bless you.
Posted by A British Citizen. at September 13, 2002 04:33 PM
Yeah, here is Newcastle I saw many shops with similar signs in the windows, so it is not like it was just in London. But people, please, stop the tears for gawdsake. Yes, the US and UK need to stick together at a time like this, and I am real glad I am not the only person in Britain to think so... so support Bush and Blair when they blow shits like Saddam and misogynist wackos like the Taliban to hell, but don't let that blind us all to the threats to our freedom at home.
Posted by Molly at September 13, 2002 05:07 PM
Thank you, U.K., for your support. Let us join the battle together, these thoughts in mind (my apologies if I've misquoted):
Richmond and Victory
God and St. George
From a different context, but stirring nonetheless.
Posted by Van at September 14, 2002 06:55 PM
Thank you, U.K., for your support. Let us join the battle together, these thoughts in mind (my apologies if I've misquoted):
Richmond and Victory
God and St. George
From a different context, but stirring nonetheless.
Posted by Van at September 14, 2002 06:55 PM
Woodrow Wilson called Britain "home". We've always known what he means. This is a deep and unbreakable friendship.
Posted by Jim at September 14, 2002 10:18 PM
How gratifying to realize that the real PEOPLE of Britain (not the politicians, though I will say that Blair is an exception) have decidedly the correct slant on things. As endless as the coverage was on September 11, it was nevertheless necessary - the events of a year ago should NEVER be trivialized as a "disaster" - they were an act of war and should be regarded, and remembered, as such. THANK YOU.
Posted by Mary Hyslop at September 14, 2002 10:54 PM
Need I say It? Thank you, Brits. I knew Britain was with us when I saw a photo, posted last year in The Sun, of the firemen raising our flag at Ground Zero. The caption said simply, "True Grit." It let me know in no uncertain terms that Tony Blair and the UK would back us to the hilt. Thanks again Brits.
Posted by Charles Mitchell at September 15, 2002 01:28 AM
Thank you " Real England".
Thank you for standing with us in our sorrow of Sept. 11.
Thank you for being our brothers and sisters in the family of freedom.
Thank you for providing the heritage that gave us our committment to liberty and justice for all, from Runnymede to Churchill.
Thank you standing alone against the monsters of Nazi Germany, when others gave way to appeasement and depair.
Thank you for standing beside us in the Cold War.
Thank you for your courage in standing with us now when others choose appeasement and political correctness.
Thank you for courage, resolve and family.
Posted by Sam Zimmerman at September 15, 2002 02:57 AM
Lexington green, where our Massachusetts farmers fought the redcoats, isn't far from where I grew up. And my Irish ancestors who came to America with nothing but the shirts on their backs might choke a little at some of these comments. But history has moved on, and the bonds between our countries only grow stronger, and more and more obvious and important: our wonderful English language, the liberty and democracy we inherited from England, our shared spirit of openness and enterprise -- and perhaps most importantly, a century of hard and costly struggle, side by side with your country, against aggression and tyranny.
These quiet displays of affection and unity in the shop-windows of London tell us what is truly in the hearts of our friends across the Atlantic. Thank you. We will never forget.
God bless America, God bless Britain, and His blessings also on our friends in Australia, New Zealand and Canada and wherever else the best of our shared ideals are sincerely held. Long live the Anglosphere!
Posted by ChicagoLawyer at September 15, 2002 05:56 AM
Not saying you agree or disagree with what I posted on my web journal/blog in reaction to your post. I guess I appreciated it from a different perspective - although I say that without reading all comments so it means nothing until I do.
Yes, it's five days afterward - but there are so many blogs and so little time.
Monday, September 16th, 2002
1:38 pm - When does America go silent...
... Not a condemning statement, just an obervation brought by this british site Samizdata.net[I linked here]. For those who don't click there it is a long gallery of small pictures of British store signs telling patrons they will be observing a minute of silence at 1:46 on Sept. 11. And many other countries took some time out of their day to officially recognize the event in some way.
Ask yourself, if you are an American, why? Why would they bother? Forgive me for forgetting and correct me (I may correct myself first), but I can remember no moments of silence in America for ANY other nations; only tragedies on American soil and those involving Americans. [maybe at the 1972 Munich games]
That is, of course, more than appropriate.
Now I do recognize that corporate policy does not a nation make, however, these companies must try not to offend their customers so one can assume they are in some way reflecting the general population.
And can I say - 350-odd comments is the most I have ever seen on any other blog.
Temple Stark
Posted by Temple Stark at September 16, 2002 09:54 PM
Sorry for taking up two posts. I don't often correct myself - because I usually take more time to think before I type or write.
But in my post on my Web site and here I forget one distinction. America would not as a whole [or 5 percent] stand in silence for other country's tragedies. But that does not mean they would not and do not respond. In many outpourings of genuine feeling, food, medicine and similar items by the ton they do exhibit empathy and unity.
Temple
Posted by Temple Stark at September 16, 2002 10:18 PM
It warms the heart and spirit to see that our great countries are not as far off as we might think. God Bless America, God Bless the Queen.
Posted by Patrick Villanueva at September 17, 2002 07:11 AM
As a former British subject who is now an American citizen, I am very proud, and thank you for your support on September 11th.
Posted by Linda Margolin at September 17, 2002 02:46 PM
May God Bless the United Kingdom, and doubly bless her fair folk.
This Colonial Thanks you.
p.s. Sorry about the tea.
Posted by Wind Rider at September 18, 2002 02:45 AM
What a lot of blind noble rubbish. The only things shared by your 2 nations is support for a common nation that has caused your suffering in the US and God willing cause suffering in UK soon. Free Palestine and welcome to Iraq, this time it will be different
Posted by shamim at September 19, 2002 08:47 PM
I am British. I observed the silence, as will I again on 11/11. The common ground between our nations encompasses more than mere language. We are cut from the same cloth. As John Donne said,
"No man is an island, entire unto himself/ Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee."
We are but a tiny island nation. Our time as the dominant power has been and gone, now we stand with you, our successor, to guard our legacy. But though small, history has shown that Britain, indeed all English speaking nations, is never better, never greater than when surrounded by darkness.
But let's not rush to war, in the words of Sir Paul McCartney, "Let it be". The answer will come, it always does. And when it does, we will be there to receive it, together.
Posted by Stuart at September 19, 2002 11:59 PM
Twas a bad day was September 11th aye, we shall forever remember
Aussies, Brits, Americans, Canadians
Remembering from Scotland
Posted by Real Highlander at October 20, 2002 03:19 AM
yes i to felt for the americans for what happend at the twin towers. but lets face it the brits have been been bomd by the irish terroist for a great many years but not much shock over the pond just the odd collection in a pub listing to a sad 'ole song.
Posted by tez at December 27, 2002 10:38 AM
As an American who lost an Uncle (Lt. Andrew Desperito of the FDNY), and a huge British Football fan I want to thank you for this tribute. I always tell everyone that America has a true friend in Britain and I know the feeling is mutual now. I will never forget September 11 and nor will I forget the outpour of support from your great nation. Feel free to contact me if you want to chat about it! Together America and Britain are tops! I love my land and respect yours. I hope to visit you in 2004. Especially those of you in Old Trafford!!!!!
God Bless America and Britain
Nick
Posted by Nick Laveglia at December 27, 2002 03:23 PM
shoulder to shoulder : Soldier with soldier. The evil will not win. Hello America love from Great Britain
ian
Posted by ian nash at January 10, 2003 11:05 AM
I'm British, born in 1970. Ancestors of mine went to USA centuries ago to several states.
I grew up in a lovely English village near London. During the War, the US Army Airforce flew from a newly built airfield in the village. It's just overgrown ruins now, but I remember them.
I'm grateful to them, and I want you Americans to know that regardless of what you may read, lots of us - most of us - are on your side. We're a bit reserved sometimes, but it doesn't mean we don't have feelings, and mine were greatly moved, not so much by the photos as by your posts. I also noticed what 'funny' names many of you have, and it reminds me how many nations have gone into the building of America. I wish some of the other nations would remember this.
Please know you can count on this Brit as a firm friend till the day I die. Doesn't mean we won't quarrel, but I love you, 'kid' brothers and sisters. You're family.
God Bless your country. God bless OUR family.
Robert.
Posted by Robert Stanfield at January 23, 2003 05:03 PM
I am sick to the back teeth of the 'Its only about oil, Saddams a gentle man' brigade that marched through London recently. I propose that someone should organise a 'PRO-WAR' march and then the real British people can make their thoughts heard. 1million people out of 58million - what is that crap figure? Get back to sitting on your pompus arses and reading your shite Guardian papers. Support the Iraq people who WANT Saddam eliminated for the sake of the world.
Posted by Mark Coker at February 19, 2003 04:17 PM
OK America, don't cry, don't fret anymore. We're all here! The Brits are here, apart from a minority of harmless nutters, most of 'em, erm, sheesh..
communists, naked fat women, Archbishops ... (Hint, they're like cockroaches, everybody's got a few.)
Oh c'mon now. We all know who our enemy is.
Posted by Monty at March 1, 2003 10:18 PM
for any american correspondents: If I were you I should not pay overly much attention to the bile of such publications as the Guardian, Independent and the New Statesman. The liberal-left in Great Britain are a truly loathsome breed of people - admirers and apologists of dictators the world over. They would back the devil himself all the way if Bush declared war on Hell.
Whilst British opinion is indeed deeply divided on the need to go into Iraq, (and these doubts are worth having and airing) this in no sense justifies the vindictive downright poisonous and undoubtedly shameful invective of British 'liberals' who speak very much for themselves in denouncing America and all that it has ever stood for.
Posted by luke daxon at March 4, 2003 07:30 PM
A big hey! to our American friends. I'm not all that articulate, so I'll let another poet do the talking for me...
"When the horror passing speech
Hunted us along,
Each laid hold on each, and each
Found the other strong..."
Never doubt the British. We can be encouraged to forget many things of our heritage, but our loyalty to our friends is one thing that we won't let go of.
Truer allies never were. Much love from the UK.
God bless.
Posted by Alice at March 19, 2003 04:52 PM
From Churchill's history of WW2 (written in the late 1940s):
"It has been proved that pestilences may break out in the Old World which carry their destructive ravages into the New World...Duty and prudence alike command...that the germ-centres of hatred and revenge should be constantly and vigilantly surveyed and treated in good time...Still I avow my hope and faith, sure and inviolate, that in the days to come the British and American peoples will for their own safety and for the good of all walk together side by side in majesty, in justice, and in peace."
God knows we could use that guy today. But don't listen to our Stalinist left wing press. The best-selling newspaper in England is easily the 'Sun' - check it out at www.thesun.co.uk and read the editorials. The voice of the people, indeed.
peace
from an Englishman
Posted by Edd at March 22, 2003 12:12 AM
There is nothing more beautiful than the English countryside. There is nothing more solid than the English spirit. At its core is the word "honor."
When a Briton says "friend" he means it. We Americans, whether we admit it publicly or not, always look to England as a son looks to his father for advice, or the all-important nod of approval. We don't always take that advice, but we always look for the nod.
There is something very real about our relationship. I don't think a similar one exists between any other two countries in the world. I hope we Americans never do anything to breach that friendship. I am quite sure we will not forget you standing with us. We will be there, rock solid, for you, as well, in your time of need. No question about it. You can count on it.
Thank you Britons, for teaching us, for your steadfastness, for your honesty in telling us when we are wrong, and most of all for your friendship. It's incredibly important to America and Americans, and we will never forget it.
There will always be an England ... thank God.
Posted by Mark J at March 28, 2003 03:11 PM
I am a Brit, I think this site is great, it really does show the feeling of the average Brit.
Although, sometimes watching our News, I sometimes think I live in another country.
USA, we will always stand with you!
Posted by simon at June 2, 2003 09:58 AM
Thank you for this page. I found the messages very reassuring and comforting.
Posted by Jessica at August 13, 2003 11:49 PM
What a shame that I only just tonight discovered this wonderful page. My tear ducts have really gotten a workout, and I wish there were sufficient words to express not only my own gratitude, but the gratitude of Real Americans everywhere.
The alliance between America and Britain is sacred. The two Great Nations of the West have the ability to stand alone against the rest of the world if need be. May that alliance endure forever.
Susan,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Posted by Susan at August 14, 2003 02:14 AM
im sorry this happened to you nobode deserves this the ahve to be f***en killed of something might happen again
thabk you and may God Bless us All
Posted by sam at September 15, 2003 10:24 PM
This column of friendship between the English and the Americans has left me in tears, indeed, much as those who offered their written thanks. If only global journalism truly reflected the opinions of their readers we might see more sanity in the world.
My boundless thanks to the moral generosity of the British citizenry.
Posted by ron spana at September 28, 2003 08:08 PM





