Chapter 136: Heroic Reputation

[Chapter 136: Heroic Reputation]

The events of September 17 stirred up massive waves around the world, sparking countless debates. In the U.S., the overwhelming majority voiced criticism. They condemned terrorism, firmly positioning themselves on the moral high ground. This was also America's moment of moral grandeur. As the 'victim,' they launched wars of aggression, facing little pushback from other nations. Before long, the United Nations rolled out its initiatives to combat terrorism.

Amid the collective condemnation of terrorism, the discussions surrounding Ian Carr and Butterfly became the hottest topic of the event.

"I've really started to admire that guy, Ian Carr. His courage is extraordinary."

"Me too, he might be a bit of a madman, but he's a brave and just madman. He saved a plane and even the president."

"Why aren't you guys admiring Philip Leyso? He was on that plane too."

"He was already dying."

"Plus, don't you find it strange? What are the odds that both Philip Leyso and Ian Carr were on the planes?"

"You can't seriously think Ian Carr planned this, right? Come on, he almost died!"

"Don't smear a hero with conspiracy theories; don't you all know the situation back then? The FAA stated that a flight attendant's chances of successfully landing the plane were less than 10%. I don't believe Ian Carr would take such a huge risk."

"Exactly, Ian Carr is a hero, and so is Philip Leyso!"

"I just had a thought: if someone survived American Airlines Flight 11 and just happened to have had contact with Philip Leyso, who had AIDS, would you call that person lucky or unlucky?"

"Damn, don't joke about stuff like that!"

Debates erupted online, with voices clashing. In contrast, the competitive comments from the press carried a sharper edge.

...

The New York Daily News published an opinion: "Ian Carr is a hero, that's undeniable. But we still believe he shouldn't have continued reporting under those circumstances."

USA Today remarked: "According to information from the Los Angeles Times, Philip Leyso seemed to have had previous contact with Mohammed Atta."

The Los Angeles Times responded: "Our publication confirms that Philip Leyso indeed had prior contact with Mohammed Atta, but he was unaware of Atta's plans. We have all the records confirming their acquaintance; it was merely a coincidence."

USA Today countered: "Ian Carr is indeed a hero, but he became the biggest benefactor of this event."

A chorus of criticisms followed: "Are you really trying to use profit to tarnish a hero's name? Do you think we can't see through that?"

Major newspapers felt the powerful impact from Ian Carr and his media group, so their comments were tainted with sarcasm. Yet, this ironically cleared Ian Carr of any blame -- everyone understood it was jealousy from his peers.

...

Compared to the print media, reactions from TV networks varied.

Some tried to cozy up, while others aimed to undermine. Interestingly, each had its own angle.

"This is Infinite Broadcasting. Was Ian Carr's interview with the victims too callous? We are skeptical of how someone who exposes the inner pain of victims can be considered a hero."

Infinite Broadcasting, part of Viacom, had a rocky relationship with Ian, which led to this direct criticism. Unfortunately for them, the public didn't buy it.

"Lame excuse. Who isn't doing this?"

"Besides, it wasn't even Ian Carr conducting the interview; it was reporters under his command."

"Viacom is just sour grapes because passengers from United Airlines Flight 77 only accepted interviews from journalists under Carr Media."

The public directed its ire toward Infinite Broadcasting.

"This is FOX News... Regarding Ian Carr saving United Airlines Flight 77, we believe this matter is beyond doubt. But is this truly just Ian Carr's achievement? Are we overlooking other heroes in the process?"

FOX News, under News Corp, didn't have too much to say about Ian but aimed to dilute his glory just the same.

"This is ABC News, I'm host Georgia Codell... While we're all familiar with Ian Carr's bravery, we're more interested in his personal life. As far as I know, he was with Shawna while he and Scarlett did not break up; I wonder what Scarlett thinks about that."

Well, they shifted the topic squarely onto Ian Carr's personal life.

"This is NBC News, Ian Carr and Philip Leyso were both victims of the September 17 incident and produced a plethora of coverage about it. I want to know if Ian Carr would be willing to share the Pulitzer Prize honor with Philip Leyso."

Nice attempt to divide interests, right? Everyone was concealing their inner thoughts, but it was futile. Ian had already decided to give the Pulitzer to Philip Leyso.

...

Beyond domestic media, global outlets were also covering the events.

"What drives a journalist to remain dutiful despite the threat to their life?"

"In this materialistic era, what we need is this kind of figure with professional faith and a spirit of fierce sacrifice, who can shoulder social responsibility."

While domestically some were criticizing Ian, internationally the mainstream sentiment leaned more towards adulation.

In reality, even if someone had evidence of Ian Carr colluding with Mohammed Atta, it would never see the light of day; the government wouldn't want to embarrass itself. What they needed was a reason to deploy troops, not an internal conspiracy, so it had to be an external attack.

Doubt drifted away like mist, leaving behind only the heroic reputation.

*****

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