An Indiana Town Re-thinks Attitudes About NYC

This is a ctrl-c / ctrl-v copy (copy & paste)of a story from the Spetember 15, 2001 New York Times. Hopefully you can see the whole thing in its entirety, pictures and all, here:

http://nytimes.com/2001/09/15/national/15INDI.html [1]

The Times, however, has this ridiculous policy about signing in, and charging for old news. Their fishwrapper, or so it seems, has value. Yes, the Times will sell you yesterday's news. So if you are so-inclined, buy it. If you want to read a cut'n'paste text-only copy, it follows. If this violates some law, rule, ethic, or whatver, I'll delete it. Somehow, though, I imagine the NY Times has better things to do than to sic a lawyer on a not-for-profit blog, trying to show people some good writing from the Times.
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September 15, 2001

A VIEW FROM THE MIDWEST
An Indiana Town Reconsiders New York, and Finds It Soulful and Admirable
By PETER T. KILBORN

Tom Strickland for The New York Times
A Crawfordsville, Ind., car dealership's sign reflects local sentiment.

Interactive Feature: Attack on America

Images of Terror

Terror Attacks on Manhattan

RAWFORDSVILLE, Ind., Sept. 14 ó After some 200 worshippers had cleared from the prayer service in front of the Montgomery County Court House at noon today, some women and children lingered on the steps, clutching flags, wearing red white and blue. They were talking about New York.

Debi Koss, a nurse, used to think of New York as a faceless, godless cinderblock. But she has revised her views. "I've seen a lot of selflessness," Ms. Koss said. "Anytime you see somebody laying down their life for somebody else, that surprises me. Last week, I would have railed at New York. This week, it's hard to do that."
Crawfordsville, population 15,000, is a mixed-economy city, 50 miles west of Indianapolis, with factories and shopping strip malls. Some here have never liked New York City. Late at night, radio preachers still broadcast rants against Manhattan and its sinners.

But most people seem gradually to be discovering the city has a soul. They are impressed by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani's leadership, and by the sacrifices, charity and fortitude of a people they once knew only for their hustling and cussing stereotypes.

"It was the starting point for most of us," said Gene Long, 55, a Vietnam veteran, of the role the attacks played in revising attitudes toward New York. And Glenn Conkright, commander of the town's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1431, said that "It's Crawfordsville that blew up," to describe the connection people in Indiana now felt to New York.

Here, as throughout the heartland, yards, lamp posts and rural mail boxes have bloomed with flags. People are lining up to donate money, food and blood. At the Sun Shine Cafe, diners are filling an old fish tank with dollar bills for disaster relief. A businessman, Tim Brandt, has parked an 18-wheeler in front of the Wal-Mart; he plans to send it in New York, filled with food, flashlights, blankets, baby wipes, latex gloves, shovels and can openers.

"I would view New York as full of tough people," said Mike Enders, 39, an accountant from Cincinnati who was passing through town with his wife and two children after a trip to Yellowstone National Park. "You see their sports fans on TV ó the Bronx cheer. And then you look at the numbers of volunteers who have come out. To see what they're capable of, it's softened my view."

At the offices of The Journal Review, Crawfordsville's newspaper, Ron Dietz, the publisher, said the images only confirmed his admiration for the city. "New York stands for all that's right with this country," he said. "It's big. It's bold. Every nationality. Every creed. Every color. Godless? Look at the cathedrals they've got there. What's happened to New York has happened to all of us."
At Arthur's, a popular eatery on East Main Street, old misgivings seemed to be evaporating. "I've heard a lot of things about New York, so I've never wanted to visit there," said Joe Dougherty, 57, who is confined to a wheelchair. "But seeing how they came together, I want to go."

Jim Rector, a factory worker nursing a cup of coffee, said: "I have a different view now. I see an unbelievable number of people pulling together and pouring their hearts out to help. Before, they appeared to be selfish with their time."
Frank Howard, a retired lawyer who had dinner a few years ago at the Windows of the World restaurant at the top of one of the World Trade Center towers, was effusive in his praise for Mayor Giuliani. "He deserves a world of credit for his leadership," he said. "He has said all the right things and done all the right things."

The attacks hit close to home for some at Arthur's. "I have a son working for J. P. Morgan Chase half a block from the World Trade Center," said Keith Lindow, 72, a retired printing company supervisor. His son, Phillip, "was in the building for about three hours and they evacuated him. He walked home, to 86th Street."

April Songer, a waitress, said her son, Randy Noak, is a computer programmer who was working near the World Trade Center when the first plane hit. He, too, got out.

Ms. Songer, 44, wouldn't want to live there, but she understands New Yorkers. "They've got jobs to do," she said. "They've just got to get them done. They're not rude. They're just in a hurry."

Not everyone agreed. "I think it was a city that was full of sin," said Frances Denman, 43, who had just come out of the noon prayer service.

"What do I think of it now?" she mused. "I see a lot of heartache, a lot of questions. I see people turning to God. When you have nowhere else to turn, you turn to God. I pray that this affects them until Jesus Christ comes back."
Mrs. Denman, wife of a pastor of a church called the Carpenter's Shop, added that she would like to go to New York to volunteer.

On this day, Mrs. Denman's opinion was an exception. Nanette Robins choked up after the memorial service on the steps of the courthouse. She had carried her 13-month-old boy from church to church in Crawfordsville's compact downtown, looking for a prayer service.

"I've never been to New York," Ms. Robins said. "I have no one there. I want to go. There's not a day that goes by that I don't cry."