I recall walking into my parents room, where it was very dark and the TV was on. I sat on what seemed like a monstrous bed and looked and what they were watching. Images of dust and fire filled the screen and captured my attention as I wondered if we were going out to dinner for my mother's birthday that night. The one image that I hold onto forever is that of a woman, running in the street away from the dust and smoke when it eventually consumes her and the camera man who runs along with her.
That was my September 11, 2001.
10 years later, here we are. Remembering the past. Remembering the fallen. Remembering the Brave. And how so much has changed since then.
America became more strict, more aware. They prosecuted hundreds of terrorists, strengthened the anti-terrorist efforts, and created the USA PATRIOT Act. Some believe that these measures taken were needed and that safety of the country was most important at the time. Others feel that the actions, like the PATRIOT Act, gives the government prodigious powers and forced people to choose between safety and liberty.
President Bush passed the PATRIOT Act just 6 weeks after the attack, so is it possible that it was passed in the heat of the moment? Or was there true thought and care put into this Act?
Right now, we cannot blame others for not seeing the attack ahead of time or what measures--extreme or not--were taken. Instead we must grow with what history has provided us with and most importantly, remember those who have fallen and those who were Brave.
For those who wish to share, I think it would be interesting to hear what you remember from that day, because it has impacted all of our lives since.
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3 comments:
I remember wake up that morning and turning on to the news and the first thing i saw was the second plane flying in to the building but i didn't believe it was real i actually thought I was watching a movie till my parents told me it was real. It was really a scary moment.
Unfortunately, my memory of that day was basically the same however I wasn't completely aware of the attack. Until I could finally comprehend what had happened a few years after, I didn't really understand all of the people that had lost their lives. I think that to any American this event really is something that is personal and it is indescribable the feelings and emotions of what happened that day. In addition, after that there has been controversy over the USA Patriot Act and in my English class junior year I had to do a debate about that exact topic. Many believe that this act is violating many of the civil rights that people have as Americans , but then others believe that for our safety this act is necessary. Until a person has done the research this conflict really depends on yourself and your feelings. Each side gives effective reasons why or why not we should have this policy, but in the end it depends what is most important, your rights or safety. However, I do believe that instead of focusing on that this tenth year, Americans should just focus on the unfortunate events that took place in remembrance of those who lost their lives and for the families that are still in mourning.
I remember going into my parents' room at around 7 in the morning, just as my mother was turning on the TV after my brother told her what he'd heard as his radio alarm went off. I remember my first look at what would become one of our country's most iconic images--the first plane crashing into one of the Twin Towers. I don't recall being taken to school that day, but my memory is full of images of my fellow 2nd graders setting block after block on top of one another like skyscrapers before knocking them over. I grew so restless and frustrated with the lack of information we were given as younger kids and decided to take matters into my own hands and ask to be sent home, which I was. It's strange to think that the idea of the U.S. being threatened was so foreign to me then. I had never even heard the word "terrorism" before that day, though, as my little brother entered elementary school, he and all of his classmates were well aware of terrorism and national security threats. I don't think that that's better, though. Even though my little brother was equipped with knowledge that I didn't have (that America is not invicible), I think 9/11 has taught an entire generation to be afraid rather than proud.
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