It is amazing how raw and exposed I feel every anniversary of the tragedy, and every time I hear or read someone's personal account of that day. I was thousands of miles away, and yet my experience was so immediate and visceral that I have a hard time separating my feelings. I happened to have turned on the news that morning and was watching as the initial reports came in. I knew almost immediately that it was bigger than they indicated. As I was watching, the second plane hit the second Tower, and I realized this was an attack.

I did not go into work, or at least not for hours, and I made sure all my military gear was in order, as I assumed I'd be called up. (The actual call didn't come for months, although many of my compatriots were called within days - mostly for airport security and forensic details.). I didn't know for weeks that I'd lost three friendly acquaintances in the attack, two in NY and one at the Pentagon. That made it very personal.

It's been 14 years, yet it still has an emotional impact. The other thing that provokes a visceral response for me is anyone raising a conspiracy claim that the government was involved. I am usually pretty calm, but that one pushes my buttons, and I have to temper my response. (Okay, and one other thing: anyone claiming political advantage from the tragedy.)

A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.

Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich