Many Americans as well myself turned on the morning news and learned of the tragic plane crash that claimed thousands of lives. With officials scrambling to make some sort of sense of what had just happened, I witnessed the second airline carrier crash into the south tower of the World Trade Center.
As I watched the horrifying footage in the mass communications lab, it felt as if time had stood still. Everyone in the room was quiet and a sense of numbness was in the air. I could not describe my emotions.
The first question that popped into my head was “Why would someone target so many innocent people?” When the reality to what had actually happened set in, my sadness and disbelief turned into sheer anger. How could our intelligence agencies allow this to happen? I was literally glued to every major news network on television.
After I calmed down and the impact of what happened made me put a lot of things into perspective. I now realize that we are not immune from terrorist attacks. Everyday we see reports on the news about terrorist attacks in Middle Eastern countries and it doesn’t phase us one bit. Even when the USS Cole was bombed in Yemen, our hearts went out to the victims and their families but we still had the mindset that it’ll never happen to us. These attacks on our nation prove that we do not live in a “glass house” and anyone can tap into our country’s security resources.
After I watched the devastating collapse of the Twin Towers people from all walks of life began to help in the relief efforts. The way Americans pulled together to help the victims of this tragedy was surreal. Civilians began to volunteer in the capacity of doctors, nurses, and rescue workers. People all over the country donated blood to help the victims in Washington D.C. Watching these scenes made me proud to be an American. When we as a country was at its weakest hour, we were able put aside all of our differences and join together to help in the aid of those who were affected by this untimely tragedy.
I know that everyone is thinking that we should instantly declare war on whoever did this to our country. Right now it is speculated that this is the work of terrorist Osama bin Laden, but before we began to send out troops and bomb Afghanistan the American government needs to be 100% sure. In 1995 when the Murrah Federal Building was bombed the first people we accused were Middle Eastern militants. As we all know now it was the work of Timothy McVeigh, the boy next door.
In the mist of this horrific event, this is a wakeup call to all of us. Our generation has never witnessed such an atrocity inflicted on mankind. Many of us may not have known anyone who was in the Pentagon or the World Trade Center but we all share a common bond. The people who died were somebody’s mother, father, sister, or brother. We need to cherish each day we have with our family and friends. We never know the next time we might be involved in a catastrophic event.
Whether you were in your dorm room in Washington Hall, in the computer lab, or sitting in class, this event will forever be a defining moment in our lives. Just as December 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was bombed stands out in the memory of our grandparents, and April 7, 1968, the day Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated stands out in the memory of our parents, September 11, 2001 will forever be etched in the minds of our generation.