It’s been 7 years since 9-11.
I’m not quite sure what to write about it… I remember I was in AP US History when I heard the news from a classmate, and at first I thought she was joking.
Time has moved so quickly, and it’s strange to think that I’ve lived a perfectly normal life even though such momentus events were (are) unfolding in the world and in our country, and in the lives of the soldiers and their families. People fighting, people dying, half a world away. What to do? How to feel?
Young men fight the wars that old men start. This is not a statement on the justice or necessity of war in general, much less this war in particular. History, as always, will be the judge.
No matter what, I think it sad that the world that adults leave their children is one in which war exists, and has always existed in one area or another.
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I was also in AP US History at the time. The class had just started when the principal came on the air. It was a surreal moment as the whole school watched the second plane live on the news. Several girls in my highschool lost relatives, including two who lost fathers. (It was an all girls school) and we could see the smoke across the Long Island Sound for weeks.
Every year on this day I feel the same as I did in 2001 – it hasn’t changed at all. I hope these wars are over soon.
“Young men fight the wars that old men start.” Well said. To that, you could add “Poor people fight the wars for rich people.” War is sickening and devastating and never ending, and all are fought because certain people want control of resources and power. But I digress.
I was a third year in college when 9/11 happened. I was on the west coast at the time and so I heard the news a bit later than other people. Many classes were cancelled that day, but one of my political sciences was still held and we talked about the towers and terrorism the entire class. It was very somber.
I was in AP English when I first heard.
Still makes me sad.
The more soliders I come into contact with, the more respect I have for our American military. I cannot imagine (!) the sacrifice of willingly giving your time, energy, etc and risking your LIFE for a cause that doesn’t necessarily immediately affect your life.
I was thinking a lot about 9/11 this morning and I’ve been surprised and how quiet the world has been about it. I had to scan through five or six talk stations this morning to find anyone saying anything about it. I’ll never forget—I was at traffic court (of all things) and shocked beyond belief when I saw the video.
I hadn’t heard that phrase before (the old men and the young men) but it is very true.
I spent the afternoon consoling a friend via email and phone. She really needed the support. K’s from northern New Jersey, and said that you could smell the burning flesh from her parents’ house for days. She still gets flashbacks to that day.
@ Stephanie: I was also in AP English when it happened.
I remember our teacher had the tv on when I walked in and we all just kind of watched in silence for awhile. It was shocking, but it was faraway, and I had no direct connection to it, so I was able to resume my life fairly quickly…… It must have been so horrible for the people who lived there, or who had family there…… I don’t even want to imagine.
I was only in middle school, heh. I would have never guessed that it would be the reason why, seven years later, I was living in a completely different state and alone because my husband is in Iraq due to the war we just *had* to start. It happened to be 90 days exactly since he’s been in the desert, so it was something of a happy day for us. (Means one month and some odd days to go before he’s home.)
If murder is a crime, what is war?
It is sad that the world adults leave behind for children are full of wars (war on terror, war on drugs, culture wars). But before we know it, we will be the adults passing on a world of war where innocent people are killed then disregarded as “collateral damage”.
I say let’s not accept the notion of “war” as inevitable or a necessary evil.
Let’s not settle for the lesser of two lying candidates who will not keep their promises or election rhetoric. Let’s keep everyone accountable, including ourselves. If you don’t believe in wars, don’t work for a military contractor, don’t support the military industrial complex. Don’t work for a company that gets most of its money from the government (government = taxpayers = you and me). Don’t take my money to build things that kill people.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. – “Be the change you want to see in the world.” -Ghandi