What & How did 911 Affect You?

Question

Hi, I don't live in the USA, But I would just like to say that I am very sorry for what happened on Sep 11. I would just like to know what and how it affected you as a person. I do ask this question and don't mean any disrespect.

Answer 1

It shook my world.

If the day before, you'd run the scenario by me as a "what if?", I would have told you that absolutely no way would an attack of that magnitude ever occur on U.S. soil.

I realize now how arrogantly safe I used to feel; I now no longer feel that my U.S. citizenship protects me. If anything, I now feel that I have a big red bulls-eye painted on my forehead.

Someone in here mentioned the phone calls from the towers and the plane and how the messages were all about loving goodbyes ... how true ... and how the very thought of those calls still breaks my heart.

Am I scared? Yes, yes I'm scared.

I'm scared out of my mind that if we continue to address "combating terrorism" in the manner that we have, we will bring yet more of it on. I'm scared that if we continue to react emotionally, hot-headedly and stubbornly - rather than with cool heads and rational thought - we'll be giving the terrorists more fodder with which to fuel their hatred.

Yesterday I heard that 150,000+ Iraqis have been killed thus far. Somewhere else I read that the number is actually 650,000. Personally, I don't know which or if either number is correct. I'm sure the terrorists don't either ... but I'll bet you every last cent I own that they will use these figures to drum up hatred and recruits.

I don't for one moment believe that we did anything to initiate the terrorist's attacks ... but I do worry that with each day that passes, we play right into their hands. These are clearly madmen on a mission ... in their minds, killing us gains them a seat at Allah's table. So the more reasons we give them to hate us, the better for them: " Allah make way, more are coming! "

Am I for a " cut & run stategy " ? No ... we're way too far in now. But we'd best start realizing that we are not fighting like-minded people; we'd best stop tossing apples at oranges and get a real handle on the mindset of our enemy ... until we do, we not only have no hope of ending this mess, we risk having it come back at us tenfold.

How did 9/11 affect me? It gave me all of the thoughts that wrote this response to your question.

Answer 2

I do not mean any disrespect by this answer. I am an Aussie so in many ways, 9/11 has not have that much of an impact on me.

One way that it did make a difference is that leading up to 9/11 I was in a job that I hated, going to work nearly made me sick. I was up late one night and, watching live news, I saw the planes crash into the twin towers. I realised that life was too short and typed out by resignation and quit the vey next day.

It also made me more determined not to stress about the small things. All the phone calls made by people of the planes and trapped in the towers were not messages of hate and worry but messages of love.

Answer 3

9-11 has had no effect on me what-so-ever. I feel sorry for the families of the people murdered that day, and I think we had to respond in a forceful way, but other than spending an extra 10 minutes in line when I go to the airport, nothing has changed. I feel sorry for the Muslims out there that are tarred with the terror brush, but I can't say that they have done anything to avoid it, either. Mosques preaching hate September 11th of 2000 are one thing, mosques spouting hate now, well they show how little most muslims value their relationship with the west. Islamic fundmentalists have pushed the issue, the majority have allowed it to happen, and they are going to reap what they have sown.

Answer 4

I agree with the person who brought up the point, "where are you really safe? -the answer is nowhere"

it is absolutely true.

ever since 9-11 i have been more scared of flying planes. i am always on high alert whenever i go to the airports, and ride on planes.

it has also shaken my faith. i am still having a hard time with it to this day.. i was atheist for a while and now i think im transitioning little by little to agnostic.

this especially freaks me out when i fly because it just reinstates that no higher power is watching over that plane- my life is COMPLETELY in the hands of two strangers i dont even know.

kind of like getting in a safer type of car with two strangers,... i guess saying that that car was a cab would make this analogy more legit, haha.

Answer 5

On hearing about plane #1 I thought it was an accident...because a B52 had hit the Empire State Bldg in the 1950's. On the 2nd one I knew immediately it was terrorists gone bananas. I thought of the Pearl Harbor attack and knew our culture would change that day. I also thought of Londoners who had to endure the bombing raids of WWII. I worked at a military base and we set up a TV in the lobby and from that moment on we were on the move right up to this day.

Answer 6

In 2001, about 3000 people died from terrorist attacks in the US on 9/11. The same year about 55,000 Americans died in traffic accidents. Yet people are scared silly of terrorists and don't give a second thought to jumping in their cars.

Answer 7

911 affects me to this very day. Anytime something happens like that, so unexpected, it's a shock or should be a shock to everyone. It really makes you wonder, "Where are you really safe?" And the answer is, probably nowhere.

Answer 8

Im an Arab Muslim and trust me when I say life SUCKS after 9/11, before had barely experienced a single event of discrimination or hate, but now it is present in many peoples minds whom i see and come across daily.

Answer 9

It made me more aware that the US was so vulnerable. For me personally I am more afraid of another attack I stay home more.

Answer 10

it makes me more aware of people in the public places, what they do and how they act, makes me more observant of how people do things in public and when i travel it makes me more patients on the security of the transport modes that i'm taking...