--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Speaking as a New Yorker, I found it…" description: "\"Speaking as a New Yorker, I found it (9/11 event] a shocking and terrifying event, particularly the scale of it. At bottom, it was an implacable desire..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb6/edward-said-6412_bottom_speaking-as-a-new-yorker-i-found-it-9-11_1795010.jpg" --- # Speaking as a New Yorker, I found it (9/11 event\] a… ![“Speaking as a New Yorker, I found it (9/11 event] a shocking and terrifying event, particularly the scale of it. At bottom, it was an implacable desire to do harm to innocent people.” quote by Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb6/edward-said-6412_bottom_speaking-as-a-new-yorker-i-found-it-9-11_1795010.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb6/edward-said-6412_bottom_speaking-as-a-new-yorker-i-found-it-9-11_1795010.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb6/edward-said-6412_bottom_speaking-as-a-new-yorker-i-found-it-9-11_1795010.jpg) > “Speaking as a New Yorker, I found it (9/11 event\] a shocking and terrifying event, particularly the scale of it. At bottom, it was an implacable desire to do harm to innocent people.” [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The event revealed a deep, relentless intent to inflict suffering on civilians, highlighting the horror of large‑scale violence. **In simple terms:** Violence targeted innocent people. Key Takeaway Recognize and confront hatred. Themes violence terrorism humanity Mood somber reflective Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - journalism - public speaking - education - policy making Key Concepts moral philosophy psychology of evil Questions to Reflect On - How do we prevent such cruelty? - What role does media play in shaping perception? A Different Perspective The quote may oversimplify complex geopolitical motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Innocent people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent-people/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [New yorkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-yorkers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Terrifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrifying/) ## Related quotes > [ Speaking as a New Yorker, I found it a shocking and terrifying event \[9/11\], particularly the scale of it. At bottom, it was an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/speaking-as-a-new-yorker-i-found-it-a-shocking-and-terrifying-event-9/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [ Speaking as a New Yorker, I found \[September 11\] a shocking and terrifying event, particularly the scale of it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/speaking-as-a-new-yorker-i-found-september-11-a-shocking-and/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [As wild as I was, when the cops show up, and suddenly you're being handcuffed, it's so deeply shocking and terrifying, the loss of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/as-wild-as-i-was-when-the-cops-show-up-and-suddenly-you-re-being/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [“Trauma is any terrifying event that instantly changes the world as we know it, leaving us helpless and emotionally overwhelmed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-johnson/trauma-is-any-terrifying-event-that-instantly-changes-the-world-as-we/) [Sue Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-johnson/) > [When I first arrived (in New York), it seemed to me the most terrifying city in the world... all those big buildings. I remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-goodman/when-i-first-arrived-in-new-york-it-seemed-to-me-the-most-terrifying/) [Benny Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-goodman/) > [As Muslims it is our duty to condemn the killings and our duty to ensure that those on the fringe do not shame our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iqbal-sacranie/as-muslims-it-is-our-duty-to-condemn-the-killings-and-our-duty-to/) Iqbal Sacranie > [My goal is to maintain the international norm on banning chemical weapons. I want that enforcement to be real. I want it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/my-goal-is-to-maintain-the-international-norm-on-banning-chemical/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We did a campaign here with New York Times. We had a great ad: "Today in America, someone will kill an elephant for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-bergin/we-did-a-campaign-here-with-new-york-times-we-had-a-great-ad-today-in/) [Patrick Bergin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-bergin/) > [You bomb ISIL. You're not trying to bomb innocent people. And that requires intelligence and confidence in our military to be able to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-bomb-isil-you-re-not-trying-to-bomb-innocent-people-and-that/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I'm 17 years old. I'm not a straight-A student or anything. Even so, I figured out how to make an Internet that they can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/i-m-17-years-old-i-m-not-a-straight-a-student-or-anything-even-so-i/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [We're not going to cure terrorism and spread peace and goodwill in the Middle East by killing innocent people, or I'm not even saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-re-not-going-to-cure-terrorism-and-spread-peace-and-goodwill-in/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/there-is-no-flag-large-enough-to-cover-the-shame-of-killing-innocent/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Innocent? Is that supposed to be funny? An obese man... a disgusting man who could barely stand up; a man who if you saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-doe/innocent-is-that-supposed-to-be-funny-an-obese-man-a-disgusting-man/) [John Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-doe/) > [I have clearly said we faced terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering innocent people and we have to stop them and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-clearly-said-we-faced-terrorist-enemies-who-use-islam-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“Miss Ellis?" Mrs. Perterson says. "It's your turn. Introduce Alex to the class" "This is Alejandro Fuentes. When he wasn't hanging out on street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/miss-ellis-mrs-perterson-says-it-s-your-turn-introduce-alex-to-the/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) ## More by Edward Said > [Beginning is not only a kind of action. It is also a frame of mind, a kind of work, an attitude, a consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/beginning-is-not-only-a-kind-of-action-it-is-also-a-frame-of-mind-a/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [It's very hard, for example, to justify the thirty-four-year occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. It's very hard to justify 140 Israeli settlements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/it-s-very-hard-for-example-to-justify-the-thirty-four-year-occupation/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [ \[9/11\] was bloody-minded destruction for no other reason than to do it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/9-11-was-bloody-minded-destruction-for-no-other-reason-than-to-do-it/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Look at situations as contingent, not as inevitable, look at them as the result of a series of historical choices made by men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/look-at-situations-as-contingent-not-as-inevitable-look-at-them-as/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [I was one of the first people in the Palestinian world, in the late 1970s, to say that there is no military option, either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/i-was-one-of-the-first-people-in-the-palestinian-world-in-the-late/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Take a young man from Gaza living in the most horrendous conditions - most of it imposed by Israel - who straps dynamite around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/take-a-young-man-from-gaza-living-in-the-most-horrendous-conditions/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [ \[One task of intellectuals is\] to break down the stereotypes and reductive categories that are . . . limiting to human thought and communication. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/one-task-of-intellectuals-is-to-break-down-the-stereotypes-and/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [I have never known what is Arabic or English, or which one was really mine beyond any doubt. What I do know, however, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/i-have-never-known-what-is-arabic-or-english-or-which-one-was-really/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Every single empire in its official discourse has said that it is not like all the others, that its circumstances are special, that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/every-single-empire-in-its-official-discourse-has-said-that-it-is-not/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [ The just response to this terrible event \[9/11\] should be to go immediately to the world community, the United Nations. The rule of international… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/the-just-response-to-this-terrible-event-9-11-should-be-to-go/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Since when does a militarily occupied people have the responsibility for a peace movement?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/since-when-does-a-militarily-occupied-people-have-the-responsibility/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Refuse to allow yourself to become a vegetable that simply absorbs information, pre-packaged, pre-ideologized , because no message.. is anything but an ideological package…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/refuse-to-allow-yourself-to-become-a-vegetable-that-simply-absorbs/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [No cause, no God, no abstract idea can justify the mass slaughter of innocents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/no-cause-no-god-no-abstract-idea-can-justify-the-mass-slaughter-of/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [What we must eliminate are systems of representation that carry with them the authority which has become repressive because it doesn't permit or make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/what-we-must-eliminate-are-systems-of-representation-that-carry-with/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Part of the main plan of imperialism... is that we will give you your history, we will write it for you, we will re-order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/part-of-the-main-plan-of-imperialism-is-that-we-will-give-you-your/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) [Explore all 97 Edward Said quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) ## More Bottom quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Filmmaking, like sex, isn't a polite enterprise. It involves a lot of mess and the bottom line is, if somebody ain't screaming, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/filmmaking-like-sex-isn-t-a-polite-enterprise-it-involves-a-lot-of/) [James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I plead with my Moonlight fans to give this show a chance if they let me give it a chance. I can’t do Moonlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-o-loughlin/i-plead-with-my-moonlight-fans-to-give-this-show-a-chance-if-they-let/) [Alex O'Loughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-o-loughlin/) > [Well, the bottom line is that I'm extremely pleased with 'The Stupids.' I'm pleased that it's coming out, and it should look good. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/well-the-bottom-line-is-that-i-m-extremely-pleased-with-the-stupids-i/) [John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/) > [Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/search-for-the-seed-of-good-in-every-adversity-master-that-principle/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When I hit bottom, I can attack the problem and get to where I want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/when-i-hit-bottom-i-can-attack-the-problem-and-get-to-where-i-want-to/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [If I had lost the popular vote but won the electoral college and in my first day as president the intelligence community came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-i-had-lost-the-popular-vote-but-won-the-electoral-college-and-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The bottom line, in the professional level, no matter where you go, there's going to be competition. That's what it is. At the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-tolzien/the-bottom-line-in-the-professional-level-no-matter-where-you-go/) [Scott Tolzien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-tolzien/) > [Life is a climb and it's a struggle getting to the top but the drop to the bottom can be quick and so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/life-is-a-climb-and-it-s-a-struggle-getting-to-the-top-but-the-drop/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/one-thing-you-learned-as-a-cubs-fan-when-you-bought-you-ticket-you/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) > [The political satirist usually votes against their own interests, but the bottom line is that it doesn't really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-winstead/the-political-satirist-usually-votes-against-their-own-interests-but/) [Lizz Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-winstead/) Browse all 2,558 Bottom quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Speaking as a New Yorker, I found it (9/11 event] a shocking and terrifying event, particularly the scale of it. 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