Do you remember where you were on the morning of September 11, 2001? When you look back on the event and its aftermath, what do you remember most? Has it changed anything in your life? Your family's life? Has it changed the United States?
As we look at the Bush presidency and the events surrounding 9-11 and our subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, let's take a more personal look at where we were and how we felt that terrible morning and the months that followed. We are in this way always "living" history. Tell your own story as you remember it in your first post by answering the questions above (as guides). In your second post, comment on a classmate's blog. Your commentary might be something one of your peer's sparked in you that you desire to share or you might acknowledge a similarity or difference between you. We are looking to explore this topic in a safe and respectful way and with an intention to build a supportive and academically rich community. Sharing yourself thoughtfully is the first step.
Please remember, and I hope it is obvious, you will never be graded for your opinions on this Blog -- you will simply be given "credit" or "no-credit" for your two engaged and thoughtful posts. Please make sure you reply with your name to each post that you submit.
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As I look back on September 11th, 2001, I remember the exact time and place when I found out about the attack on the twin towers. I woke up a little bit late that morning because I went to bed pretty late the night before. When I woke up, I was rushed into my parents' room where my mom told me to look at the TV. When I looked up I saw what looked almost like a movie, only there were news headlines on the bottom of the screen. In the moment it was hard for me to realize what the huge deal was because I was only going into 3rd grade at the time. Even being slightly clueless, I was still able to understand that something huge, that would forever change our lives, was occuring. A few minutes after that, still pressed to be on-time to school, I rushed out the door and down to my school. School carried on that day pretty much as normal except there was a sort of gloom hanging over the adults' head. Some of the kids were also starting to realize the magnitude of what was going on.
ReplyDeleteI remember most the initial gloom and shock of the people around me because it was such a mystery to me. This effected the lives of every American, some more than others because of connections to the events. I personally didn't know anybody in the attacks on September 11th, but I know many others around me who do. I think this event mainly proved that the United States, even being the worlds superpower and policeman, is still just as vulnerable as many other unstable places around the world. This event has given the United States a real reason to come together and put many of the other political issues aside while we dealt with the task at hand.
-Will Oliver
Looking back on the exact day, I can remember, almost vividly, the details of that morning. I remember hearing my mom on the phone when I woke up to get ready for school that morning. When I had gone to see what the big deal was, my mom was sitting on the couch talking to a friend who had just informed her of the attack in New York. She had her mouth covered, and was in complete shock. As I turned my head to the TV to see what she was so appalled by, I watched as the second airliner was heading directly into the second twin tower. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, it was the most dramatic moment of my life. Later I found out my uncle was on the first plane that crashed into one of the twin towers.
ReplyDeleteAs the chain of phone calls started between parents, mine were told by the school to bring me in that day. As everyone came to school, it was the gloomiest and darkest morning I had ever experienced with another group of people.
Everything changed from that day forth. Literally the next 9 times I had gone to the airport, my brother and I would always be singled out among the rest and searched thoroughly by security (although I don't blame the U.S. for being more cautious of its surroundings).
The U.S. was exposed on September 11th, 2001, even if it was the world's hegemon. The events that took place on that day; whether they were in New York, the Pentagon, or Pennsylvania, scarred America for the rest of time to come. They made the U.S. aware of its vulnerability and ability to be deceived despite its knowledge of the world around us. As a nation, the U.S. needs to nullify the thought processes by which it makes its bad decisions. Since that tragic day eight years ago, America has become less nebulous about its policies towards others and to ourselves, which has made us stronger over the years.
- Noor Fateh, '11
It's weird how our brain works. I really don't remember many detailed events from my personal childhood. But when it comes to a huge catastrophe (that I didn't experience myself) like 9/11, I can recite word-for-word what happened on that morning.
ReplyDeleteIt was a Tuesday morning during the first week of third grade. It was 7:05AM, and I was rushing out the door for carpool. I was watching the Today Show, as I always did, but instead of hearing the prestigious trumpets of the promo, I heard the voiceovers of Katie Couric and Matt Lower behind live video clips of frantic New Yorkers as the Twin Towers fell to the ground. After picking up my carpool, who had no idea of the current events, we arrived at school. Everyone came together around the flagpole for a moment of silence for all of those who lost their lives that day.
Around that time, I felt a sense of serenity. Yes, we were attacked. But I felt that no other country and no other people could overcome the same adversity we did, all uniting as one. The politics of the day was something more than a third grader could comprehend. But, I had a sense of proudness. I felt patriotic. I felt like I was apart of something and apart of a people that could come together and make a difference. We aided each other, allied ourselves, and came together against the enemy.
As a country, we realized we needed to come back to reality. We realized that there are consequences as being a domineering voice in world politics. We needed to focus on our worldly view and making just policies. And, with our new President, hopefully we can change and improve our image and methods for the better.
-Jason M, '11
Period Three
Dr. Rockenbach
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOn the morning of September 11, 2001 I showed up to my carpool’s house to go to school, just as I had done everyday. I was greeted at the door and let in by their very stiff and tense mother, which stood out since she was usually always laid back and welcoming. I went inside their home and noticed that there wasn’t the usual noise and commotion of the three siblings having breakfast and getting ready for school. I kept walking and went through their kitchen and into the den/TV room, where I found everyone sitting quietly on the couches and watching the TV screen with wide-open eyes and mouths. Even the youngest child who was usually very noisy and rowdy was sitting still on the floor. I looked at the screen and saw the live feed from New York of the burning towers of the World Trade Center. At the time I didn’t know the significance or meaning of this event, but I knew something was wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhen I got to school later, our schedule was changed and the principal was going around to all the classrooms talking about what happened and trying to explain just how serious the thing I saw on TV earlier that day was. Though we knew it was bad, I don’t think anyone in my class fully understood the magnitude of the collision of planes into the WTC. I don’t think it was until years later that any of us could look back with matured eyes and see the horrific event for what it truly was.
The events of September 11th have not changed anything in my life because none of my family or friends were directly impacted by the terrorists attacks, but I know we have all grieved for those who have been. The United States has definitely changed because of September 11th. Most obviously, the United States’ view towards people from the Middle East has become more critical. Airports have become more thorough about baggage checking and the security system. This is likely influenced by the scare following the terrorist attacks. In airports there are also the color-coded warnings about how dangerous the skies are looking (terrorist-wise). This seems kind of silly because how can one judge how dangerous airports are looking just by looking at the people in it? And where do the airport and government agents that decide the color every day, week, and month base their judgement of the color off of? These small things show that America wants to once again feel the sense of safety and/or security that the terrorist attacks disintegrated on September 11th, 2001.
-Kirstin Cook '11
Period 3
Dr. Rockenbach
thank you all for getting us started here....I appreciate the depth of your sharing.
ReplyDeleteRockenbach
On the morning of September eleventh, I only remember watching the twin towers falling on the news. It was early in the morning, and all I really remember was how quiet everything was. The nation was in shock. Although I didn't fully understand what was happening at the time, I only remember being overwhelmed by sadness and fear. I felt the horrible grief of seeing thousands of people lose their lives in such a tragic way. I was terrified, because I was selfishly and humanly worried that something like this could happen to someone that i love. I was also confused. I didn't understand why people would do such cruel things to each other, and even now I still don't know why. I am ashamed of the way humans treat each other.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what America was like before September eleventh, because I was too young to remember. But America changed on that tragic day- we are more unified as a country, it's true, but we also have hatred and revenge fresh in our minds. It is a dangerous and explosive time that we are living in, and many more lives, both American and foreign, will be lost because of it.
As I woke up, I walked into my parents room to find both of my parents sitting in bed watching the news, neither of them answering to me, telling me to be quiet. I turned to the TV and saw the second airliner crash into the second twin tower. This was the scariest thing I had ever seen in my life. Later that day, my family got some good news from our cousins, who at the time lived in New York, called to tell us that I had a new little cousin, and that she basically saved my uncle's life, because he was supposed to be on the block of the World Trade Centers that morning, but couldn't because he was at the hospital with his wife giving birth to there new born daughter.
ReplyDeleteMy school had called telling everyone that it was safest to be at school that day because of the location of the school, but I lived two blocks away, so I stayed at home with my whole family for the entire day. Ever since that day, rules in airports have changed, because the U.S. has become much more cautious of weapons getting into the airports.
The U.S. was the world's hegemon, but September 11th, 2001, showed that even the most powerful country in the world can be vulnerable. Over the past eight years, the U.S. has become much more aware of their policies with ourselves and other countries. Since 2001, the U.S. has become a much stronger country.
-Max Heltzer, '11
I can fairly clearly remember september 11th. I remember waking up a little on the late side like usual for school that morning but the one thing that was different was that my mom wasn't calling me from the kitchen. I remember looking at the clock in my bedroom and wondering why she wasn't calling me. I hurried downstairs to find my mom and dad watching the TV and looking very stunned. I asked them what happened and they just pointed to the screen. I saw the live footage of the towers after they had been hit. At my age I did not realize the magnitude of the situation because to me, foreign affairs were as important as the soles of my shoes.
ReplyDeleteLooking back on that event now, I realize how much my life has changed. My life hasn't been changed directly like some other people who have lost family members and friends in the tragedy of 9/11 but my life had changed in the way that i realize that everybody and everything is vulnerable in some way. I used to think that events like 9/11 were never possible in any country let alone mine. It showed me what real universal loss was at an earlier age than i think i was prepared for.
-Michael Williams
p.3
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I remember walking into my living room to my mother crying and the television on. There were already images and videos being broadcasted on TV, even moments after it had occurred. I was still sent to school, but I was only one of 24 out of 68 to come. Since so many people were missing, we really did no work in our classes that day. Plus all of the teachers did not seem to be focused, their minds were somewhere else. When I got home, my mom tried to explain what had happened. The Twin Towers in New York, which I had no idea of what they were, had been suicide bombed by two terrorists. I didn’t know how to feel at all. That was the first time I had actually heard the word terrorist, or even heard about a real bombing, I was only 8. I wasn’t even told about the plane in the Pentagon, or United 93. I remember after about a year I finally realized this was an enormous deal, because that’s all our president focused on anymore. At least that’s what it seemed like.
ReplyDeleteIt has not changed anything in my life, and after learning much more about the attacks I am not biased towards Middle Eastern people like some Americans are. It has changed the United States hugely, though. We have now been in a war with Iraq for 8 years, and we are not on good terms with the Middle East, excluding Saudi Arabia. Many soldiers have died from being sent over to Iraq. We know that there is no reason to even be in Iraq, and yet the removing of troops process is extensive and complicated, so we cannot just take them out. Americans have become paranoid of terrorist attacks and some even racist towards Middle Easterns. But overall, 9/11 made Americans more united.
-Julia Wald
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe morning of September 11, 2001 will always remain with me. I remember most walking down my long hallway toward the kitchen hearing the tv on. My family has never once had the tv on in the morning. Already i knew something was different about the day. Before i could even turn the corner to see the tv, my mom ran at me crying, kleenex in hand, and hugged me for a good 5 minutes straight. Being thoroughly confused, i asked her what had happened which is when i first saw the horrific image that will forever be ingrained in my head. The infamous video, played a few hundred times that morning, will never leave me. I was too young to know previously what the Twin Towers were, but i understood that they were a depiction of America, just like the statue of liberty or the golden gate bridge. That moment was a defining one in my life. Although i still had many years of my childhood left, that was the first time i understood that there are people in the world who are inherently evil. Never before in my blissfully ignorant childhood would i have even dreamt of a kind of person who would imagine, nonetheless carryout such an atrocity. Although i did not have any family member or friend lost on 9/11, i am still scared of my father flying on business trips. That day he was scheduled for a flight to Boston that morning (was cancelled for obvious reasons). The flight was to go to his new firms headquarters which he had just joined the day before. Had my dad joined a few days before, his flight would have been before 9/11 and the return trip could have very well been American Airlines 11 from Boston to LAX, in the plane that hit the north tower. I thanked my lucky stars that day and there isnt a business trip that goes by when i dont remember that day. Not only a defining moment in my life, but 9/11 changed the entire United States. Not only did it unite a country previously split by the election of an illegitimate president, but changed the nation as a whole. This was the first major attack on US soil since the bombing of Pearl Harbor. We had a newfound sense of vengeance for the attack. Although it has been years since the attack, the American people still feel that we need to avenge our fallen citizens in some way or another.
ReplyDelete-David Kinrich
I vividly remember not knowing if I would go to school or not on the morning of September 11, 2001. This was especially peculiar because my dad would never in a million years let me skip school, so I knew the reason had to be important. I was getting into the car leaving my house with my sister and our carpool. My dad walked out with us to talk to our carpool's father and said that a plane might be headed for Los Angeles. I remember not really being scared though. It might be because by the time I was sent off to school, it had been confirmed that no plane was headed our way. Or maybe because the whole idea seemed entirely too absract and far fetched that I didn't think it could ever affect me. The consequences of that day were quite the opposite though. Few showed up to school, and I believe that in third grade we weren't given too much information about the actual situation at school. When I got home and for weeks after, all that was shown on the news was clip after clip of the twin towers coming down. Also in the subsequent weeks there were ceremonies reading off the names of those who were lost and/or deceased that unfortunately seemed interminable.
ReplyDeleteBruce Springsteen came out with an album commemorating those who gave their lives for our country on that day. Every year on September 11th, my mom plays that whole album. I often think it's a tad superfluous, but in reality those people are what we should be remembering about September 11th. We shouldn't focus on how much we hate the people who did it and our ploys of revenge, but rather how our country united because it was necessary. A year or so after 9/11, I visited New York, and I remember my mom commenting on how genuinely kind the New Yorkers had become because of this event. It has affected each and every one of us, not only those who lived in New York or knew someone who died. This tragedy happened to our country, and so we were all hurt and went through this all together. It truly was a devastating experience.
-Haley Lucitt
The week before 9/11, I had gone to washington d.c. to visit my cousins with my sister and the day we got back was the 9th of September. All I remember on the day of September 11, 2001 is I was in elementary school and school hadn’t begun yet so I was sleeping. My mom came into my room and woke me up and said you need to get up and understand what’s going on right now. She turned on the tv and the first thing I saw was a plane crash into a huge building. That was where my uncle worked. Fortunately, he wasn’t going to go to work that week because he was out of town. My mom told me it had something to do with terrorists but I had absolutely no clue what was going on. The next day I looked at the newspaper and I saw a familiar face that was in the section that had died. It was a flight attendant that helped us in our trip to Washington d.c because my sister and I were minors so we needed someone to help us out. We were really shocked that such a horrific thing could happen to innocent people. A couple of days later I went to school and we were prompted on safety situations, evacuations, and all these protective things. From that day on 9/11 changed the world greatly. Airports were out of control with their security, people were bitter and meaner, and that freedom we had before 9/11 became greatly restricted.
ReplyDeletemakeyashakeit = esther lee
ReplyDeleteFirst, my alarm goes off. After doing nothing but beep for 5 minutes, my mom comes and gets me out of bed. That’s how it always was. That was the routine, and the fact that my mom did not come and wake me up that morning was the first indication that the morning of September 11th, 2001 was not going to be a normal morning. Most people write that the first thing that told them what was happening was the television screen, replaying over and over the horrific images of the Twin Towers collapsing. For me, it was the phone call. My mother and father normally talk on the phone every morning because he goes into work early. That is why I was not surprised to see my mother hunched over the phone in the kitchen. Instead of talking to my dad about who was going to go to the grocery store after work, she was on the phone with her law-firm Latham & Watkins, close to tears, but closer to screaming with her back turned towards me. Just like the plane from Boston had hit the first Twin Tower, the impact of the face of my mother as she turned around to look at my sister and me hit me with almost the same amount of force.
ReplyDeleteI read once that if you didn’t know someone on a plane that crashed into the buildings, and instead you were just sitting on your couch watching it happen through a 30 by 20 inch televsision screen, you were not impacted by it. I had no family on the plane. No family was even supposed to be on a plane that day. But to say that watching the “Falling Man” descend to his death didn’t shake me to my core is untrue. My mother works in the Library Tower (the tallest building west of Chicago) and for a long time many people thought that her building was the next target. So it is true that I was almost 4,000 miles away sitting on a couch watching it happen, but that does not mean that it did not impact my life.
The United States was also impacted. Our country was not willing to admit we were just as vulnerable to an attack as any other country, even though we thought we were the world’s most powerful force. Hopefully our newly elected president Barrack Obama can help the United States continue to heal and help us find a path to communicating with the countries that seem to hate us so much.
Liz Kelly
Period 3
When I first heard about the events of 9/11 i was being driven to school. My dad, who lived in New York for 15 years, was listening to a broadcast about it, while I sat in the passengers seat frantically trying to change the radio station to "Radio Disney." I honestly don't recall if I understood what had happened. I remember that as soon as I arrived at school that day, the whole school gathered out in the parking lot, the students, the teachers, and the faculty. Our headmaster informed us of the events that transpired and that school was cancelled and that we could all go home. I don't really remember what he said, but I do remember it as a unifying experience for our school community. I went home after that to see footage of the planes crashing in the world trade center. I couldn't quite grasp what was going on. It was almost surreal. Luckily, no one in my family or anyone close to me was harmed. My Grandpa was even staying in New York at the time, only a few miles away from the world trade center, but he was fine. He said that he saw the smoke and debris everywhere. It was astonishing to me at that time how cruel some human beings could be, how heartless, and how we did nothing to stop them. One good thing that came from 9/11 was the nationwide sense of pride in the United States of America. Because the destruction wasn't just felt in New York, It was felt all of the Country... and the World. It felt as if they attacked every single American that day.
ReplyDeleteJustin Bretter
I would like to comment about something esther said, 'Airports were out of control with their security, people were bitter and meaner, and that freedom we had before 9/11 became greatly restricted."
ReplyDeleteWhile I think that airport security sucks, It's a necessary evil. I'll gladly be inconvenienced for a few minutes at the Airport having to take my shoes off and unpack my carry ons happily knowing that our country doing everything it thinks is necessary to keep us safe from another attack.
I can relate to David's comment personally because my dad has always done a lot of travelling for business as well. He's always in the air and it's hard to have a peaceful feeling when I know the possibilities of what could go wrong. My dad has never seemed too scared of his necessity to fly, probably because he absolutely has to do it. Going into it scared would only leave a greater feeling of unease within the family. We become more confident in our ability to fight terrorism with each day that goes by without an attack, but it is nearly impossible to think we are in control of the situation, even now.
ReplyDelete" the United States, even being the worlds superpower and policeman, is still just as vulnerable as many other unstable places around the world. "
ReplyDeleteAdding onto what Will said, I agree that 9/11 was a kind of twisted reality check to show that the U.S. isn't an invincible country. It is unfortunate that this is what happened to make America re-think our position in the world, and how literally over night, or over the course of a day, our country can go from prosperous and secure to unstable and scared. A more recent example of this is how the economy went from good to horrible just last year. Even though we may consider ourselves the "policeman of the world," these events show that although we are a great power, we can still fall.
-Kirstin Cook
Period 3
I would like to comment on Will's comment regarding how we were so young when it happened. I completely remember a sense of not knowing exactly what was going on but a definite gloom hanging over all the adults that did, just as Will did. As third graders we were so unaware of how dire the situation was at that moment, but looking back it has defined all of our lives in a dramatic way.
ReplyDeleteI thought about what Justin said about the freedom we had before 9/11. I don't see it so much as a freedom that we lost, I see it as a lesson we learned. If we lost anything it would almost be our ignorance in a way. Our government had clear intel about the possible attack and they did nothing about it. People in our country never knew how vulnerable we in fact were and have always been and that was reflected by the irresponsibility of our government. Obviously I do not approve of 9/11 or anything like that but i think it was a real wake up call for our defense's and to the American people themselves.
ReplyDelete-Michael Williams
I don't recall much about 9/11, but I do remember waking up and my mom didn't make breakfast as she usually did. I walked downstairs to my kitchen where I actually saw the whole thing happening on TV. I was pretty shocked that something like that could happen to our country which seemed so secure. I don't remember being sad or angry, but I was totally shocked; it felt surreal. Along with most of my grade, I didn't go to school that day. I surely didn't have a problem with going to school but my parents thought I should stay home and see what was happening while it happened. Being so young, I couldn't really comprehend the magnitude of the attacks, although I most definitely knew that they were detrimental to our country's security and status at that time. My parents both told me that a moment that they clearly remember in their lives is the assassination of JFK and for me, 9/11 will probably be that moment that sticks out in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Justin's response to Esther's comment in that while airport security is a real pain, it is completely necessary and after 9/11 I realize exactly why we have it. I used to think when I was a kid, "Why do we need to do all this stuff," and after the attacks it became clear to me. If I have to throw my bottle of water away before I get on a plane or take off my shoes, at least I go through it knowing that airport security is truly doing its job.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Will's comment, it's interesting that even at such a young age and without a full understanding of the intensity of the event, that you could tell it would impact our lives for years to come. I was exactly the opposite if I remember correctly. I didn't think that much of it minus the initial fear. But on that morning before going to school I had no idea of the gravity of the situation. I also agree that it must have been a wake up call for us, the "world's policeman" to realize we were just as vulnerable as any other country.
ReplyDeleteHaley Lucitt
Period 3
It was the morning of September 11th when I heard a loud boom coming from downstairs while still sleeping, I got out of bed scared and ran downstairs to see what had happened. The first thing I saw was the TV turned to channel 7 news showing two towers, that had never seemed to be of importance to me, filled with smoke around them. At the time I was a third grader and couldn't fully grasp what had just happened, not knowing what a bombing looked like I thought it was just a fire that could be taken care of. Later, I came to realize the truth of the event. I really don't remember the specifics like what color socks I was wearing that day but I remember vividly the reoccuring picture of the plane crashing into the twin towers. Later that day at school we had not done anything but sat in as circle talking about the incident that had just happened. The teacher had to be careful of what she says, making sure what she said was appropriate for third graders. As I grew up the situation started to make more and more sense to me.
ReplyDeleteThe 9/11 attacks had immediate and overwhelming effects upon the American people. The situation has made Americans become more patriotic and the population became more like true Americans, coming together to help and heal one another acting as if the attack wasn't just on New York but on all Americans throughout the country. For example many police officers and rescue workers elsewhere in the country took leaves of absence to travel to New York City to assist in the process of recovering bodies from the twisted remnants of the Twin Towers.
I agree with Julia's comment that although she is not bias against the Middle Eastern people other Americans are. Many people when they see a person that looks suspicious the first thing that comes in their mind is what if they are a terrorist. Like when I was at the international airport two months ago, the security was tighter especially on the Middle Eastern people who looked suspicious. A couple middle eastern men on my flight were pulled and had to be checked thoroughly before being let onto the flight. Many Americans now assume that a majority of Muslims could be terrorists. Before 9/11 this mentality was rarely seen.
ReplyDeleteI will never forget the horrified looks on my parents’ faces as I walked into their room the morning of September 11, 2009. Having sensed an odd quite in the house I awoke to find the forever-staining images of two planes crashing into the Twin Towers, an image that will eternally be embedded in my mind. As I saw my father comforting my weeping mother I couldn’t help but ask what I was witnessing and where exactly it was occurring. I will never be as shocked as I was when I heard that it was in New York that this had all occurred. It was one thing to even think of these incredulous events taking place and another to witness them before my eyes. Having attended a Muslim school in Pasadena at the time I immediately knew that I was not going to leave the house that day. The next morning however I could not believe what had happened to our campus; remnants of egg throwings were present on the façade of the school, windows of the office were shattered, all kinds of signs of vandalism all across the jungle gym. From that point forward, as if the perpetually running images of the attack had not done it enough, I was fully aware of the existence of a genuinely sadistic and evil people that would like nothing more than to destroy the freedom of our great country.
ReplyDeleteBeing a Muslim living in America from that day forth has been both difficult and testing. I always find myself defending the fact that what that specific cult of people had done consisted of absolutely no Islamic values. Although I am not one to judge or hate if there is any one group of people that bears a well rooted vehemence towards Osama Bin-Laden and his followers it is that of the American Muslim society. Not only did these acts stain our religion but it also was an attack on our country. From this perspective I view these events as the single most evil act to have ever been committed during my lifetime up to this point.
In a agreement with both Justin and Maguire, airport security definitely changed from the past and when I say that I mean it in the best way possible. Sure removing your shoes and having your bags checked is always a hassle but when that tiny little gesture can save the hundreds of people on a plane I see that the pros highly outweigh the cons. However in response to Esther, I don't see these precautionary measures as a restriction of our freedom, but rather a protection of them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sahar's comment to Julia's post. I was traveling with my cousin, who is 8, over the summer and we were waiting for our plane to board. He leaned over and asked me if it was "mean" to be scared of the man next to us. He had darker skin, he was wearing a floor-length black silk robe with a large turban and necklace. Yes, of course I wanted to say that it was "mean", or racist, or judgemental, or all of the above, but what was the most surprising part was that he, as a child, shared the biased opinions that many Americans have right now. I understand that people may be a little more apprehensive about flying and airport security in general now, but the fact that someone who was an infant when the attacks happened has this opinion is scary. We should not keep these biases, we won't move anywhere from it. We won't gain anything from judging someone by their looks and acting differently around them. Maybe he had heard these opinions from his parents, or maybe from the media, but the important thing is that we cannot keep these judgments alive through the next generation, our country will not improve or heal from it, and it will probably just set us back even more.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your sharing. It moved me very much.
ReplyDeleteI remember that day like it was yesterday – the sadness, the unimaginable grief – I was sure that something had been lost forever. I’m less sure of that now. Many of us have become hardened as a result of 9-11 -- callous towards “others.” I think that’s partly true for me because out of everything that happened that day what I remember most is the softness. People were kind, quiet, gentle, forgiving – opened in a new way.
I remember driving home from school and a woman rear ended me on the road. I simply said “let’s move on – don’t worry about it – it was an accident.” I never got her insurance information and I still have that dent in my car. It is my reminder to myself of how it is possible to be in the world. That was the spirit I felt that day. I will never forget it.
I still remember the people jumping from the buildings and the intense sadness I felt – horror really – I felt like I was both an observer to and a participant in one of the most challenging days of my life. I struggled to make it real and even when I did I doubted what reality meant now after something like this.
Today I can still cry when I see images from that morning. Sadly I still look at planes suspiciously when I think they might be flying low. Overall, I miss the quality of togetherness I experienced – the quiet on the streets, the candles and the people gathering in lawns and outside buildings to share stories, comfort one another – it reminded me in a simple way how we can be in community. I like to imagine that we don’t require tragedy to feel connected.
Rockenbach
The morning of September 11th was pretty much a normal morning for me, I got up and pulled together all the things I needed for school. Then I remember my mom calling me telling me to “hurry, come look!”. When I walked in her room I saw her watching the TV so I turned around to see what was going on, on the TV I saw the replay of a plane going into the side of a building. The first thing I thought was simply “wow” and after a couple of minutes it turned into, “why would a plane go into a building?”. After watching the news for a couple minutes, my mom told me that I wouldn’t be going to school that day and all my previous questions were forgotten.
ReplyDeleteEventually my original question was answered, and I came to realize just how much that one event would change things. Over the years I would hear my parents complaining about gas prices and how it was getting ridiculously expensive, and I learned that this was due to the new war in Iraq. Other than learning this information what happened on September 11th didn’t really affect me. Honestly, how was something that didn’t happen to me or to someone I knew supposed to affect me when I was 8 years old. Of course I felt bad for the people who were affected by the event, but other than that and what my parents were complaining about, I wasn’t very concerned.
I agree with David on the fact that even though that day did not really affect us in the moment, especially if we weren't personally affected by the event, it definitely has left a mark on us as a country. Now we have, hopefully, learned from how our ignorance of certain issues can lead to tradgedies such as 9/11 and how terrible things that happen to other countries can also happen to us.
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