From Commonwealth Club, to a New Jersey Mosque and New Your City 9/11 Anniversary Events

Richard Gage, AIA, founder and CEO of the non-profit Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth (AE911Truth), presented a 40-minute version of the two-hour presentation 9/11: Blueprint for Truth to a sold-out crowd at the prestigious Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on Tuesday, September 8th, which was also live-streamed on AE911Truth's website. This event kicked off a very full week of engagements for the 8th anniversary of 9/11.

John Sutter, a member of the Commonwealth Club and an AE911Truth petition signatory, worked tirelessly behind the scenes to negotiate this strategic and opportune breakthrough. After the event was initially canceled due to its controversy, he worked diligently to restore this event, and after an internal battle at the club, he fortunately prevailed. The standing ovation received after Gage's presentation confirmed his instincts that the event would be well-received.

Founded in 1903, The Commonwealth Club of California has played host to a diverse and distinguished array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Erin Brockovich in 2001. Along the way, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Bill Gates have all given landmark speeches there. Outside the Bay Area, The Club's weekly radio broadcast — the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 — is carried across the nation on public radio stations.

The Commonwealth Club is the oldest speaking club in the United States, and has had such eminent speakers as David Ray Griffin, Christopher Hitchens, Patty Duke, Reza Aslan, P.J. O'Rourke, George Shultz, Madeleine K. Albright, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Meg Whitman and Ted Turner recently, and in years prior, Cecil B. DeMille, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Edward Teller, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Robert F. Kennedy, Benjamin Spock, Katherine Graham, Jesse Jackson, Queen Noor al Hussein of Jordan, Carl Sagan, Desmond Tutu, and Gore Vidal.

The event was preceded by the haunting melodies of internationally acclaimed musician Alan Tower on the huaca, a double-chambered, clay-fired flute. Tower is a 9/11 skeptic who used his exceptional talent to soothe what possibly was an uneasy audience, a little fearful that they were about to be confronted with information that would make them uncomfortable. They could not have anticipated the extent to which their preconceptions were about to be shattered by Gage's solid evidence.

Twenty-one people believed fire alone brought down the buildings, and 41 were unsure. Only two people still believed the fire hypothesis, and 15 remained unsure. While nearly one-third of the audience began the evening skeptical of AE911Truth's conclusion, more than 90% were convinced beyond a doubt that the buildings were brought down by controlled demolition, once they heard and saw even this abbreviated version of the evidence.

This success rate has been consistent in every venue, and in many cases there is a 100% conversion rate. This proves that logic, facts and scientific evidence can win over most skeptics who previously clung to the official story, which was inculcated through the mainstream media moments after the planes hit the towers.

New Jersey Mosque

Several months ago, Ibrahim Naboulsi, an adjunct professor of political science at both Montclair University and Rutgers University, approached AE911Truth with an invitation to speak at the Islamic Society of Monmouth County, NJ. In conjunction with the efforts of Dave Slesinger, a petition signatory and advocate of AE911Truth who has seen the importance of condemning the unwarranted persecution and mass murder of innocent Muslims around the world, several precedent-setting presentations were made to members of a New Jersey mosque.

On Thursday, September 10th, by invitation, 9/11: Blueprint for Truth was presented at the Alaman Mosque in New Jersey to a crowd of nearly 300. This event was open only to members of the mosque.

Mr. Gage prefaced his presentation with these words:

"The holy Quran tells us that 'God guides us to the truth.' My commitment to you tonight is to speak that truth, and to leave you with extremely valuable science-based information. It's the responsibility of us, the non-Muslim American citizens, to take the greater risks and to counter the lies that we've highlighted tonight in the official conspiracy theory surrounding this major catalyzing event that has led to even greater atrocities in the Muslim world. On behalf of non-Muslim Americans, I would like to personally apologize for not having yet accomplished enough toward these ends. Speaking on behalf of the 5,000 members of AE911Truth, we promise to do our very best to bring out the truth. Muslims of the world deserve an apology from the real 9/11 perpetrators, their supporters, and non-Muslims who refuse to even look at this scientific evidence. We wish that it was safer for Muslims to be publicly active, but we understand that this is an unfair request — given the post 9/11 political environment. If together, we are successful, you and your Muslim brothers and sisters around the world will no longer have to continually look over your shoulders."

Forty-seven members in the audience believed in the fire theory at the onset; afterwards, only two. Similarly, 56 started out unsure; afterwards, only two. Fully one-third of the audience, faced with the incontrovertible, logical and compelling evidence — perhaps for the first time — no longer doubt that the twin towers and WTC 7 were demolished in a purposeful, controlled fashion. In total, 99% of the audience by the end was convinced by evidence of controlled demolition.

Imam Reda Shata was very gracious and encouraged his members to generously support the efforts of AE911Truth, and encouraged by the outpouring of support, has arranged for additional speaking engagements later this month at other area mosques in Brooklyn and New Jersey, each of which boast 1500 members.

After the presentation, Mr. Gage reported that audience members came up to him with tears in their eyes, grateful that the unwarranted persecution of Muslims around the world had been revealed, and with fresh hope that this injustice might be at least greatly reduced. It was an emotionally charged, intense experience, unlike any other presentation Mr. Gage has done. He made a second appearance at the Alaman Mosque on Friday, September 11th, in a command repeat presentation to a new audience.

Real Change Conference

Also on September 11th, Gage was a featured speaker at a fundraiser for First Responders hosted by WeAreChange, held at Club Slate in lower Manhattan. This event followed a day of street action (despite the rain) at Ground Zero and a march to Wall Street, the NY Federal Reserve, City Hall, Police Plaza and then Building 7 again for a peaceful candle light vigil with a reading of the names of all the 9/11 first responders who have died, also sponsored by WeAreChange. It was reported that the AE911Truth banner, prominently shown in the street action and march, garnered enormous attention from passersby, with its bold message "Hundreds of Architects & Engineers Demand a Real 9/11 Investigation." Indeed, an Italian architect and a Chilean engineer approached the AE911Truth representative for information on joining the 874 (at last count) architects and engineers calling for a new investigation. Readers are invited to check out this beautiful banner, available in two sizes, at the AE911Truth online store, and consider investing in one of these excellent graphic tools for truth actions. The banners are available at cost, and the artwork is available as a free download.

Another featured speaker at Club Slate was 9/11 victim family member Manny Badillo. Manny is a long-time member of WeAreChangeNYC and proponent of NYC CAN, and in the video of his interviewwith France 24 TV, he knocks one out of the park. He is spot-on in his words and presentation, and he represents the entire 9/11 Truth movement with class and moxie.

Gage remarks, "I've never experienced any other presentation — and I've done over one hundred — with such incredible energy, enthusiasm and patriotic fervor as the event hosted by WeAreChange, and I am convinced this group is becoming a dominant force for real and lasting change in our society."

We Demand Change Conference

Rounding out a hectic but productive and rewarding week of cross-country travel and numerous appearances, Gage was a featured presenter at the We Demand Transparency Conference held at St. Marks Church in the East Village, Manhattan. Other notable presenters included Barry Zwicker, Sander Hicks, Graeme MacQueen, Erik Lawyer of Firefighters for 9/11 Truth, Steve Alten, and Kevin Barrett. Films included Jonathan Elinoff's Core of Corruption. Six people were unsure of the cause of the WTC building destructions prior to Gage's presentation, whereas, only one remained unsure following the presentation. Put another way, 146 of 147 in attendance were convinced at the end the destruction of the twin towers and WTC 7 was caused by purposeful controlled demolition.

Afterwards, Richard Gage was interviewed by Canadian Broadcast Company'sFifth Estate program — Canada's version of 60 Minutes — for what is anticipated to be a fair and balanced presentation of the scientific evidence to a large Canadian audience reaching from Vancouver to Nova Scotia. Unlike the National Geographic debacle in which the producer misled and misrepresented our side, Gage secured written assurances from CBC that free-fall as a concept and fact, evidence of molten metal, an abundance of iron-rich microspheres, unignited red/gray chips of nanothermite found in the WTC dust, and much more would be presented in unedited form.

Next up for AE911Truth is an 11-city road trip to New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Look forward to reports on these events in the next few months. Let's all continue to make a difference in the world by soberly and patiently sharing with others what we know to be true..