jdx A photograph tweeted earlier today by the photographer jdx which he captioned “Wish you were here.”Twitter reported that more than 4,000 tweets were sent per second at the beginning and end of President Obama’s speech confirming that Osama bin Laden had been killed by American forces in Pakistan. Here’s a look at some of the local reaction on Twitter.
Immediately after the President’s late-night announcement, East Villager Matt Rosen gave his initial reactions to the speech via Twitter:
@mbrosen: Initial reac: Neat. Great work, SpecialOps. Indeed very, yet rather symbolic? He still have commanding role? STILL LOTS OF WORK TO DO.
He soon followed up his initial tweet with a retweet, adding, “More of this. RT @NYULocal: Man with “I’m Muslim” shirt leading chants at Ground Zero: http://plixi.com/p/97964036
Caitlin Domke, an East Village resident, also took to her Twitter last night to state, “I can hear my neighbor singing the star spangled banner through the walls…The only time I haven’t cursed these paper thin walls.” She later added:
@CaitlinDomke: Gonna attempt sleep. Goodnight new york city, greatest city in the world.
Meanwhile, East Village local photographer, Margot Wood, also responded to the news, tweeting “I wonder if New Yorkers will be celebrating in the streets right now. Go USA!!!!” She soon added, “To the streets to celebrate and photograph!!! Who’s with me!?!?”
But not all locals agreed that it was a time that called for celebrating in the streets. East Villager Fred Benenson took to his Twitter to express his discontent with the way New Yorkers were celebrating.
@mecredis: This. RT @brainpicker: 9/11 survivor: I just can’t find it in me to be glad one more person is dead, even if it is Osama bin Laden. http://j.mp/jRsbkv
@mecredis: I’m going to sleep. Honestly confused and slightly upset by the jubilation. End it.
However, amidst all of the his brief reflections, Mr. Benenson also shared a very compelling tweet with his followers — one that took 10 years to publish.
@mecredis: September 12th 2001 I walked around and took photos. I had just moved to NYC. Feels like a good time to publish them: http://t.co/gwy2NQB
Mr. Benenson was not the only one to use Twitter to reflect on the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Many used social media to recall and reflect the 9/11 attacks. One of the most powerful tweets came from Jim MacMillan, an independent multimedia journalist and NYU journalism professor.
@JimMacMillan: I shot this near dawn on September 12th. I’m feeling it again tonight. http://bit.ly/ijIcXo #restinpeace #goodnight
Here’s the image that Mr. MacMillan tweeted:
Philadelphia Daily News photo by Jim MacMillan Sept. 12, 2001.In an e-mail message to The Local, Mr. MacMillan reflects on his reaction to last night’s news and his struggle with post traumatic stress disorder after 9/11.
“I remember I rushed from my home in Philadelphia to the city on Sept. 11, 2001. This photo was taken a day after. I was surprised to have had a really confusing emotional reaction regarding last night’s news. I developed PTSD after 9/11 and have thought it was pretty well treated — but you can always have a bad day. In the years since, I have studied psychological trauma with the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, and later taught a course on the trauma for journalism students at Temple University in Philly. I just want everybody to know that their reactions may be normal, but also that help is available if symptoms persist and disrupt their lives.
Finally, jdx, an East Village photographer and community contributor to The Local, is known for his ability to capture the aesthetic wonder of the East Village. But early this morning, jdx echoed the sentiments of the hundreds that gathered at Ground Zero late last night with a single tweet.
@xjdx: Photo: wish you were here. http://bit.ly/jdx911 #binladen #wtc #eastvillage #nyc #911 #photography
Join the conversation: How did you react to last night’s news? Did you take to Twitter to express your reactions? Did we miss any compelling tweets? Let us know in the comments.
