9/11/01

Today is the 8th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I'm wondering what all has changed since that time. The patriotism went to such a high peak right afterwards in 2001, but has slowly dwindled down to mild patriotism. It reminds me of the "Easter-Christmas Christians"-the ones who only go to church on the big 2 holidays.

A couple of things that have changed since 9/11/01 has been the great awareness of a potential invasion of the US. People aren't so comfortable anymore. The US isn't as untouchable as it once was thought. There has been much fear instilled within this country. Fear drives people to either run and hide or go crazy and want to overkill the enemy. Since that day, the war has been not only a sign of fighting against terrorism, but the George W. Bush stance that the US won't just sit and take it. The war brought the capture and death of Hussein...that alone was a great victory. The war, though, has been a wake up call to me...I always heard of how when the Vietnam soldiers came home, they were faced with opposition from the very people who they were fighting for. I'm seeing first hand that the soldiers coming home during the current war aren't being faced with much at all. That is grieving to me. It's like no one appreciates or cares what they've done and the personal cost they have endured. People seem content with just going to work, getting their coffee, going out to eat, relaxing at home and maybe watching the news that will only mention how many people had died that day. Why is the death toll of the US soldiers not a huge deal anymore? People have become so consumed in their own world that they only hear a number...they don't see or feel the anguish of each of those number's of families and friends. Is it that Americans has become desensitized to death? Has the value of human life become so low that it doesn't faze us anymore? Not all Americans are so dismissive of the death toll, but many are.

Has 9/11 anniversaries brought any closure to the victim's families or is it just a grim reminder of who caused such an event? Remembering 9/11 is good for the country as a whole...it reminds us of the patriotism we once had and what we should aim to meet again. It reminds of who the enemy is and what they will do to obtain power. It reminds us of all those people who died needlessly and the grief this country felt towards their families. It reminds us of the fact that no where is completely safe and we should always be aware. It reminds us of the importance of American soldiers still fighting in this war. It reminds us that the war is not over and terrorism has not ceased. It reminds us that there is a great potential for another attack...to be ready at all times. It reminds us of the value of everyday life.

In 2006 I went to the World Trade Center...all I saw was a huge pit of dirt. There was no great structure reaching to the sky. There weren't people getting their coffee, parking in the garage, or rushing to make their meeting in time. There was only dirt. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Out of the dust was built a great building, terror came down, and down it went back into dust. The image of people jumping off the higher floors to their death has forever imprinted itself into my mind...not to be ever forgotten. The terror I felt watching both building crashing down, then upon hearing of the Pentagon and the plane crashing into the field was nothing compared to the people in that building. Especially, the people on the other end of the phone listening to their husband of wife saying goodbye because they were certain of their time of death.

These are the times that are the beginning of the end. No one knows exactly when the end will be. But, just like those killed on 9/11/01, when it comes, it is the very end.

So, whether you think the war has or will help the US in the fight against terrorism, take a break from the theories and arguments of whether the US was right or wrong. And give this day to those who deserve it.