REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11th AND MORE...

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11th and More...

Below is a copy of an email that I received this morning from a friend I grew up with when I lived in southern Kansas. Sorry about the format. It has been sent around a lot, and I could not figure out how to clean it up. Anyway, it inspired me to write a reply. My reply is after the original message.

Larry L. Miller
4 August 2006

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SINCE POSTING THIS EMAIL I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE STORY, LIKE SO MANY. IS A HOAX. HOWEVER, I ASSURE YOU THAT WHAT I HAVE ADDED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TOPEKA, KANSAS AREA AS WELL AS THE OTHER INFORMATION I HAVE WRITTEN IS NOT A HOAX.

Larry L. Miller
10 September 2006

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Sent: Wednesday, August 2, 2006 2:28:17 PM
Subject: Budweiser story TRUE

> >It also reminds us how many of our food and gas marts are run by
> Arabs.
> >
> >
> >>
> >>Body: A Budweiser story (not a joke) Theres no such thing as
> >>hopeless if you believe!
> >>
> >>The Budweiser Story (not a joke) This is TRUE!
> >>How Budweiser handled those who laughed at those who died on the
> >>11th of September, 2001...
> >>Thought you might like to know what happened in a little town north
> >>of Bakersfield, California.
> >>After you finish reading this, please forward this story on to
> >>others so that our nation and people around the world will know
> >>about those who laughed when they found out about the tragic events
> >>in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon.
> >>On September 11th, a Budweiser employee was making a delivery to a
> >>convenience store in a California town named McFarland. He knew of
> >>the tragedy that had occurred in New York when he entered the
> >>business to find the two Arabs, who owned the business, whooping and
> >>hollering to show their approval and support of this treacherous
> >>attack. The Budweiser employee went to his truck, called his boss
> >>and told him of the very upsetting event! He didn't feel he could be
> >>in that store with those horrible people. His boss asked him, "Do
> >>you think you could go in there long enough to pull every Budweiser
> >>product and item our beverage company sells there? We'll never
> >>deliver to them again." The employee walked in, proceeded to pull
> >>every single product his beverage company provided and left with an
> >>incredible grin on his face. He told them never to bother to call
> >>for a delivery again. Budweiser happens to be the beer of choice for
> >>that community. Just letting you know how Kern County handled this
> >>situation.
> >>And Now The Rest Of The Story:
> >>It seems that the Bud driver and the Pepsi man are neighbors. Bud
> >>called Pepsi and told him. Pepsi called his boss who told him to
> >>pull all Pepsi products as well!!! That would include Frito Lay,
> >>etc. Furthermore, word spread and all vendors followed suit! At last
> >>report, the store was closed indefinitely. Good old American
> >>Passive-Aggressive Whoopin!
> >>Pass this along, America needs to know that we're all working
> >>together!
> >>If you can read this... Thank a teacher... If you are reading it in
> >>English....THANK A SOLDIER!!! God Bless America !!
> >>



My reply below...





Ann,

Thanks for sharing. A great story that could not have been handled any better!

I will never forget that September day. I spent most of it in my science classroom at Northern Hills Junior High with the TV on and with high school freshman. Many were in tears and others in shock. Our school principal, assistant principal, school counselor, and all other staff members as well as a few parents spent the day attempting to comfort the nearly 450 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students at the school while trying to keep somewhat composed themselves.

Driving home that afternoon (I live about 18 miles south of the school, Northern Hills, where I teach on the other side of the county and I drove through Topeka, including the downtown area, from north to south on my way home) and seeing soldiers with automatic weapons around the State Capitol reminded me of the evening news from other countries. There were lines of cars at every gas station and some stations had signs out stating "NO GAS" since they had already sold out. One station not too far from the downtown area started selling gas for about $5.00 per gallon! The California Budweiser story reminds me a little of that station and its owner. In the end, with the help of state officials the station had to give back money to anyone that said they bought gas that day at inflated prices. It also paid a fine. I do not believe it is still owned by the same people. By the way the owner was not Arab! One convenience store located a few miles from where I live and owned by an Arab family flies an American flag everyday and let everyone know they are proud to be in America. They were doing this long before September 11. I can assure you they were not cheering! However, because of September 11 a lot of people will no longer go to their store. I think we all need to be very careful when we talk about any group. I believe it is individuals and small radical cults of very like-minded individuals that will stop at nothing to get their ways or ideas noticed that we must fear most. I remember Oklahoma City too! Not everyone we must fear lives or came to the United States from an Arab country or any other country outside the United States.

When I got home I will never forget the quiet! Suzanne and I live rather close to an air base and airport, so there is usually air traffic. NOTHING! No local traffic and no jet trails in the sky from jets leaving Kansas City to the west coast. There were military vehicles and other security vehicles traveling by our house at times all evening and into the night. That was a little strange since we do not live on a main road. One stopped about 200 yards from our house and shined a search light over our property near our creek. I attempted to find out what the person was looking for along the creek (he was in an airport security car), but when I drove up behind the car he sped away. I called our local sheriff's office and was only told they were aware of what was going on and it was not a problem. They would not tell me anything else. I can only guess. Everyone was on edge.

Now that you have got me writing, I would like to say that I remember that day in November when President Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas too! I leaned about that while in a science classroom in South Haven. I was a freshman student then rather than a teacher teaching freshman students that afternoon! I remember a lot about what was said that day at school including what one older student said in the hall between classes. He let everyone know that he was glad that a Catholic was no longer President! I also remember what a farmer that lived rather close to my parents said that weekend. He told my dad and I that he was happy that the Catholics were stopped from taking over the United States!

Someday the people of our World must say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" in regard to the continued killing if our World is to survive. We must accept or at least tolerate others and their ways of life to survive. Yes, we must at times defend ourselves, but what is going on around the World at this point in time is much more than just defending ones self! The human species could handle things on a much less violent scale. Just look how Budweiser and Pepsi handled it in California.

Well, I just finished my morning Pepsi and I believe I will have a nice cold Bud with my lunch in honor of some very special people.

Larry L. Miller
Wakarusa, Kansas