CommentsRANTZ & RAVEZ-September 11, 2001 is a day I will never forget. It was in the early morning hours.
I was a newly elected Los Angeles City Councilman on my way to Sacramento to attend the California League of Cities Annual Convention. As I was driving north on I-5, listening to radio news reports and following the breaking story about a plane that had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York.
The preliminary news was sketchy with few details. As I continued north on I-5, the reports continued with more breaking news and additional details. A second plane then crashed into the New York Trade Center. At first, I thought that the crashes were accidents an assumption that was then followed by the reality that the incidents were intentional and deliberate.
As the radio reports continued, I received a phone call from the Los Angeles City Council President Alex Padilla. He was calling all councilmembers back to City Hall; precautions were being taken to protect Los Angeles residents. I made a U-turn and proceeded south on I-5 back to Los Angeles. I then proceeded to the Emergency Command Center and City Hall where I remained for a number of days.
Following this tragedy, we all learned that the attacks had been planned thousands of innocent Americans, including hundreds of First Responders from the New York City Fire and Police Departments. Nearly 3,000 Americans were intentionally murdered by the cowardly acts of the terrorists.
Additional attacks took place at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.
Since 9/11, our lives have been changed forever. The many innocent people who died remain in our hearts as well as so many others who were directly impacted by the attacks.
I am dedicating this RantZ & RaveZ to the innocents who were injured and murdered by the terrorist attacks on America and the American people.
May all the victims rest in peace and may their family members know that we will always keep them in our thoughts and prayers …
(Dennis P. Zine is a former and retired LAPD Supervisor, former and retired 12-year Los Angeles City Councilman and current General Manager at Bell Canyon in Ventura County. Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.)
