Don Ahlberg - Anoka, Minnesota

I don't have a lot of time right now, but briefly; I was in a feed mill in St. Marys, Ontario on the 11th I found out about the crisis when I called my secretary here in Minnesota - about 10 min. after the 1st plane hit. No one, at that point was sure about what was going on. She went to check something for me and when she called back, she reported seeing the 2nd plane hit.

A couple of things stick. The concern with getting home evolved quickly as border crossing points closed then backed up for hours. Buses and Trains were booked full almost instantaneously. I did manage to get back Friday, but only by risking getting stuck in Detroit. I made it through only because of the delay there (we were very late from London, Ont.) due to lack of available crews for the allowed flights.

A second point that struck me; The CBC radio coverage was quite complete and the Canadian Govt. of course made every offer of help etc. A huge memorial crowd assembled in the Capital on Wed (I believe, or Thursday) to show their concern for the losses in NY. As I was driving to the airport to attempt to go home, a CBC "talk show" host and his guest were discussing this and the general relationship of the US and Can. One made the point that all this outpouring of concern would go unreported in the US - ie Canada was "taken for granted". I did not search exhaustively, but my impression was that he was right as the reports of news from other countries came in over the next week.

I don't know how much I've changed. I'm always afraid that crisis will change the country. We always struggle to meet our own standards, of course, but I fear more the lowering of standards of individual rights. These kinds of things offer too attractive an opportunity for those who feel that personal freedom is an impediment to good government.

Don Ahlberg
Anoka, MN