A Discussion About 911?

Question

I realize and do remember that day of September 11, 2001 that something happened that changed the world.....changed America (or so I thought). It's a sad date to remember, and to know how many lives were lost and what this has caused, but my quesiton is...what happened? Did everyone forget? Instead of just pretending for a year or so that everyone was helpful to one another and this nation became one----why didn't we keep it that way? Why didn't it make us closer? Why are people getting progressively sicker as each day goes by? I know the answers to that, but that part of history didn't change us----we are doomed to repeat it....
What do you think? The state of society as a whole isn't just based on the government and political parties---it is based on YOU and ME. We can make a difference, but so many choose not to!

Answer 1

You're right, it's not just the government and politicians who are responsible for the state of our society, and yes, it is possible for us to treat each other better, but the thing is, we have many social institutions that pressure us into behaving callously.

Any sort of change in these institutions will, most likely, come from "grassroots" movements (though it'd be nice if we had leadership that attempted to address social problems too). That means that we need to learn to discuss controversial topics politely, and intelligently, and do what we can, when we can, to act more honestly, tolerantly and helpfully, and behave in a less greedy, competitive and hostile manner.

I'm afraid our governments, businesses, religions, and academics are moving in the opposite direction. We're going to have to learn to re-connect with each other despite the pressures they put on us to do otherwise.

Answer 2

911 I'm sure is something that I'll never forget. It seems so far away, but of course so much of today's politics traces back to 911.

It was an incredible thing. I remember, I was in school at the time. By the end of the day, it seemed like half of the kids had been picked up. It certainly felt like something was wrong...no TVs and all that the school told us was that something was wrong...but not what it was. I got home, normally my dad would be just about to leave and nobody else would be home...but as I walked in the door, I kept walking through the house til I found him...and to my suprise my whole family watching the TV...then...I turned my head towards the TV and saw a picture of the pentagon in flames...and when I asked what had happened...nobody knew...then the screen switched between what, in the shock, seemed like an endless slideshow of our country in flames. At the time they still didn't really know...and nobody knew if it was over.

Here in the United States we generally live distant from the world. In the past hundred years we had only one attack...Pearl Harbor. We aren't used to the war being taken home. People hear about relief missions in countries that they can't even spot of a map and it remains that way. So this incident challenged the idea that nestled here between Mexico and Canada over the seas from the rest of the world that we are safe. It created this new scare that these ordinary people living in the country are planning and waiting. It was enough to inspire fear in the majority of the country. An enemy which until it strikes, is invisible.

Not only was it news that anybody in the country felt affected them personally...but especially for me (I live in CT, at a distance where many people commute to NY for their job) it seemed as though everybody that I knew had a story or was waiting for their family or friends to return. It was an incredible sense of unity. I remember benifit concerts coming out overnight. Flags everywhere. It was the only time that we stopped class and had an open class discussion on our feelings and experiences. Although it seemed that everywhere we looked there were flags and candles with people of all circumstances side by side doing their best to help any way that they could, we must remember that, as expected there were a number of anti-muslim hate crimes commited.

As for the loss of this unity, I think that we were one until the Afganistan war. At that point the few "no war" people broke away, saying that we went too far and many had some doubts. Even after that, many people saw it as fighting back at those who did this to us, we were still rather close and strong. Then I feel that the Iraq war, which is incredibly controversial drove us farthest apart. Following that the presidental elections that followed brought back our memory of the 2000 elections and opened the government to criticism...we ended up losing ground and are probably breaking records in our lack of unity.

Answer 3

Over the last ten or twenty years, Americans have been increasingly focused on career and money, at the expense of family and religion. Without an emphasis on family and religion, people lose sight of what 9-11 was about - killing innocent people by means of a holy war. People are so focused on money and paying the bills that they forget what happens around them. 9-11 is old news to them. Not to mention that the war we are fighting today is 10,000 miles away - making it someone else's problem to many people. How easy we forget. Americans seem to care more about themselves than their culture.

We need to do more to remember 9-11, and remind Americans what we are fighting for. It's a tough battle with all the negative press, but it can be done - write letters to the editor, put up signs / bumper stickers, and get involved in your local school board, where you can suggest having school children plant a tree or something along those lines, in memory of 9-11.

Answer 4

I was too young to understand what had happened at the time. ( I was in the third grade, in a classroom when the first plane struck, which was 8:47 I believe).Now, its beginning to come together to me now. Thinking about the death toll and the countless number of people who lost their loved ones is simply too much for me. I agree with your statement. We really can make a difference. It's just that everyone has now decided to go on an pretend that nothing happened. When United 93 came out, I felt obliged to see it. They let all of my friends and myself in to the theater despite the fact that the movie was R-rated. The movie really made me think. We should all see the new movie coming out, I just fell like I have to for the sake of my country. It will remind us of the devastation at Ground Zero. America will not be stopped by terrorism. United We Stand!

Answer 5

part of it is so many political groups using the events of 9/11 as leverage - Bush using it to gain more control over liberties, a lot of Dems using it as proof of Bush's incompetence. Politicians are using this event as a political tool, and people are growing numb to the feeling they felt immediately after - that we, all of us, were a group that needed to band together.
Instead, because of all the politics, bickering, and paranoia, the country is more divided than ever.

Answer 6

What would Neo say? It's all part of the machine of the matrix uno. It's all part of a major conspiracy that's bigger than all of us. All things great and small, with God all things are possible and God is all things uno. Christians and other religions are anxious for the "New World". And others talk about "The New World -Order". Enjoy what you still have for now........ Democracy.

Answer 7

I think no one really cares anymore. Whats done with is done with. Btw the new Sept 11 movie is coming out this fall, maybe the public will realize then.

Answer 8

You said it yourself, many chose not to. Most people don't give a **** about anyone else but themselves, if your tiring to make a difference, the key is not to change society by the individuals themselves, but as society as a whole.

Answer 9

No one forgot and people are still helpful, but we can't spend the rest of our lives as though it was something that happened yesterday. People have to move on.

Answer 10

society is based on mistrust and conspiracy theories that everyone is out to get everyone else and the government are behind it. Many people don't even know their neighbour's names!