Always Remember 9/11

Nine and eleven were just two numbers to me. They never meant anything special. They only meant that it was my cousin's birthday the next day and my brother's birthday in eleven more days. These numbers didn't mean anything to anyone until 9/11/2001, when terrorists bombed the World Trade Center and the Twin Towers collapsed. People with cameras turned towards the attack and recorded what was happening. With this documentary, I truly learned what this event was and understood its impact on others. It was so powerful because the video recorder was in the towers and outside. I was able to see what was truly going on inside, and how the community was reacting outside the towers. We saw the frustration, confusion, and fear in the firefighters' and pedestrians' eyes. I felt as if I was looking through this lense of the camera. It felt as if I was running from the collapsing towers. As if I was digging and searching for bodies. Walking out of the classroom each day, my happiness was not brilliant. Instead, I felt priveleged to be alive, lucky that  I was not in New York. I respected those who put their own life at risk to save others. I was shocked that such an event occured in America, that people have so much hatred to kill thousands of innocent people. This film opened my eyes and helped me understand what truly occured at ground zero and what 9/11 was and why we take the time to remember those that passed, those that survived, and those that became heroes that day.

After reading the articles, I again got another perspective of 9/11. I got a new meaning of what it truly means to be a survivor and a victim. An article stated, "All Americans are peripheral survivors, in that we were all traumatized by the events of that day and had our lives impacted and changed by their fallout." I had never thought of myself as a survivor. I always thought that those at the site were survivors, but after reading this article I do agree to some extent. We were all taken by surprise by the event and impacted in some way, no matter how far we lived from the actual Twin Towers. All of America was affected; security tightened, paranoia was more evident among people, fear replaced the sense of safety, peace turned into slight chaos, saddness replaced the happiness, tears replaced smiles, families tore apart, friends went missing, 9/11 was the mark of a sad day with more to follow. Therefore, we are all considered survivors. Even to this day people are struggling, especially from sicknesses due to the toxins that were exposed. Many families struggle financially to help their loved ones that have been affected by the toxins. They wonder why they were punished for helping the country and risking their own life. People believe it is the rest of America's "moral obligation to provide our 9/11 heroes with all the care they need." We only owe it to them. . .

I was in first grade the day this occured. I was innocent and too young to understand or care. I never really grasped what had happened until recently. I knew what happened that day, but it never occured to me that it did in a way impact me, I just never noticed. I'm not one to rethink entering a plane; I don't question a loud airplane; I don't question the amount of security we have today; I don't discriminate and judge others because they are Muslim, black, Asian, or gay, etc. I feel as if I grew up with this security. I don't remember any change. In a way, it saddens me that I don't remember this day, but at the same time I am glad my parents kept didn't go in depth while explaining. It saddens me to not feel something personal or remember the day because I want to honor those that saved lives,  I want to give my respect and remember. Remembering is what I struggle with. But when I saw the film, I lived through 9/11. It gave me a new and better understanding of what this day was. It opened my eyes to the world. It showed me that I am not always safe. From now on, every year, I will remember this day and  I will pray.