Most of you probably have very vague, if any, memories of 9-11 when it occurred. After watching or reading about 9-11, discuss one impression and develop one question. Do not repeat questions or impressions from previous posts. All posts must be completed by Monday, September 19th. Any posts completed after 9/19 will earn 1/2 credit. This blog will be worth 10 points.
67 comments:
I remember very little of the actual day, only flashes of memory. I remember my teacher conferring anxiously with the principal in the hall, and my worried mother when I got off the bus in the afternoon. My impression of the events of September 11, 2001 is one of disbelief. It is almost impossible to believe that four commercial planes could have been hijacked and set on a completely different course. The footage of the planes crashing into the towers and the images of the carnage afterward are hard to look at, and even harder to understand. I know it happened, but it still doesn’t seem like it can be real. Unfortunately, you can’t make up a story like this. Each time the story is told, I can only wonder why anyone would go to such extremes to make their point known. Did the perpetrators not think of the families of those who perished, and of the children who will never know their parents? How can there be such hatred in the world?
Obviously, being in first grade then, that day is mostly a faint memory. I just remember the constant television news castings and this one song that my dad constantly played in his car. It was "Have You Forgotten" by Darrel Worley. It just reflects on how many people felt we always forgot how many people had their lives taken away for our country and we worry about petty things or even "getting back" at the enemy, and how we're just looking for a fight. I didn't really get to watch too many shows on 9/11 this past weekend but the one that was able to watch was the reading of the names of each individual that died that morning and that was probably the most touching ceremony that went on in honor of that day. Every family member had the chance to commemorate their loves ones and have them recognized for being one who gave up their lives. I guess one question i would like to ask is Did Saudi officials provide support and equipment/plans for the hijackers?
I don't remember anything from that day except for the fact that we had to go home early and no one would tell us what was going on. Every time that I watch the videos of the planes crashing into the towers it makes me cringe. I was watching this special yesterday about these two men that worked in the north tower. Their names were Frank De Martini and Pablo Ortiz. THey traveled up to the 89th floor to see if anyone needed help getting out of the building. They ended up getting out two offices of people and then kept going. I thought that was just so brave of them to keep going to see if anyone else needed help. Honestly, if that were me, I would have just headed down to be safe, I wouldn't be able to do that. I heard many times that Bush was warned numerous times that the United States was going to be attacked, why would he just push that off to the side each time and not try to do anything about it?
At only 6 years of age, the world seems so large, everything is new, and parents and adults are always the comforting ones telling us that everything will be okay. Being so young and naive, it is hard to fully understand the impact and tragedy that when on that day. It is now a faint memory of that day 10 years ago. Each passing year the country stands together and remembers those who lost their innocent lives, on the anniversery of this horrific day. The date 9/11 has been engraved into every single one of our minds, never to be forgotten. Now, a decade later, I have come to realize that all the the past anniverseries have never affected me as much as the one this past weekend. Perhaps it was because of the 10th anniversery, a memorial has now been built in rememberance, or perhaps it is because I am now older and more aware of what had actually happened. Yesterday, (Sunday September 11, 2011) my family and I watched a few memorial services and listened to quite a few speeches from President Obama, George W. Bush, and Joe Biden, and many others. One speech which trully touched me was from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, who spoke on behalf of our country as "one" at the memorial service at the Pentagon yesterday. “They could kill our citizens, but they could not kill our citizenship,” Mullen said. With a touching speech, Admiral Mullen reminded us of the strong country that we are and no matter what, we will always stand strong. Did the terrorists think that by killing a near 3,000 of our own people, we would not fire back? Do they realize that we are a united country and will always stand together?
To read more of Admiral Mullen's speech... http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=65303
-Kelsey P. Class 5
Personally I have no memory of 9/11 and I wish that I knew what I was doing and how my teacher reacted,or seen what my parents faces looked like when I came home, but I don't. I've gotten alot of what it must of been like on that day through the show that I watched called Flight 175 on TLC. It showed me the people that were affected, and I learned their story, I saw the emotions that they must have felt that day and how they view this tragedy now. the fact that these men hijacked 4 planes with the intent of mass murder is still unrealistic, but again the video of the planes crashing into the building revealed that it was real. So my question is why target thousands of innocent people, just to gain something that could have come at a lesser cost?
All I remember about that day was that I came home early and watched it all unfold on TV. On the tenth anniversary of it I watched the 102 minutes of what happened. The video was compiled of many peoples home movies put together so for every second there was footage. It really shocked me to see how it all happened. I even forgot about the plane that hit the pentagon and the plane that the passengers aboard brought down. I was shocked at all the debris from the building collapsing and how it spread so far. People had to run to stay out of all the smoke and were covered in ash. I watched as the buildings fell down but not left or right straight down onto itself. I still wonder how people could ever sacrifice themselves to prove a point, when the person telling you to do it wont do it themselves. How could a parent call there child and tell them goodbye? The pain to know that your loved one knew they were going to die. And how can someone get guns on a plane and weapons on a plane to even be able to take it over?
On September 11, 2001, I remember a lot of what happened that morning. It was a gorgeous day on Tuesday morning in my first grade class when I was living in New York and I remember my teacher collecting our homework in which she got distracted when the class phone rang. I still remember the fear in her eyes once she hung up the phone, but she would never show it. I don't remember much after that, but I do remember when I got home the tears that filled my mother's eyes and the sobs coming from the living room from my aunt who was watching CNN along with my mother and grandfather. Later on that week, my parents received a phone call saying that my cousin, Rob, who was a fire fighter on the scene of 9/11 was killed in the north tower when it collapsed. At the time, I did not fully understand the impact that this day made on our country because of how young I was, but as I've grown older and watched these heartbreaking videos of 9/11, I tear up every time. It's unreal to even consider the thought of a tragedy that is so surreal could even happen. The bottom line is that our country has a strong heart and we will and are moving past this nightmare. My prayers and sympathy go with the innocent victims who lost their lives and to their family members as well as with my cousin, Rob.
What I watched and read wasn't about the actual attack so much as it was about the 10th anniversary commemoration. I saw the new memorial which was set up at what they call "ground zero", and it is two waterfalls in the exact spots where the towers were. Around them are inscribed the names of every person who was killed during the attack, and this memorial was opened up to the families which were faced with loss because of it. One thing that was particularly striking about what I watched was the vast number of families present at the memorial ceremony, showing just a portion of the individuals directly affected by the attack. The fact that one event could cause so much widespread hardship is shocking, and seeing that embodied by the masses of people grieving and holding up pictures of their loved ones makes it all the more real. One point which was brought up during a newscast I found quite interesting. The newscaster was saying that this memorial shows we as a nation will never forget the events which transpired on September 11, 2001. At the same time, this event is already a part of history. So, my question would be: At the 10th anniversary mark, starting the first new decade since the attack, is this a time to finally begin letting go and seeing how much our country has grown since that day?
Honestly, I remember almost nothing about the actual day of 9/11/01. I was only in first grade the main thing I remember was confusion of what was going on. Over the ten year anniversary weekend of 9/11 I watched a special called "Heroes of the 88th Floor" it was all about different people in the North Twin Tower who went all around the building trying to find anyone who needed help escaping in the process of trying to find people these people were killed when the building collapsed. They died helping people. The impression that I was left with after watching this special was that how when diaster strikes it really shows America's true patriotism. When the country is in trouble people really come together and help others. I can't see myself doing this, but I guess since I've never been in that kind of situation I wouldn't know what I would do when diaster strikes. After watching this I'm still wondering, after the terror attacks, when everyone had so much built up anger towards the terrorists, what motivated people to help others, instead of help only themselves?
I remember distinctly what happened for me that day. Sandy Hook was home from school because the power was out so my brother and I were home with my mom and we were running around and playing and I decided to turn on the TV and every channel was the same so, as a little kid would naturally do, I complained to my mom that the TV was broken. When she looked at the TV she screamed and immediatly started dialing the phone. I would later learn that my Uncle Richie was in the Pentagon that day and narrowly missed being killed because he was in the buildings nurse's office (which was on the opposite side)do to an injury. If he wasn't injured, he would've been sitting in an office and killed like so many others. Why didn't we make any efforts to stop terrorism after the first bombing? And also why were the people told via intercom to "not evacuate" because the towers were secure?
I watched a little of the 9-11 show on national geographic last sunday and it told about the forgotten story of the marriot hotel, which was almost between the twin towers. When they fell, the hotel was nearly demolished. However, little does anyone talk about those who lost their lives in the hotel, including the same NYFD officers as well as citizens. After watching this show i got the impression that the destruction of the hotel was swept aside and people focus mainly on the twin towers when they hear 9-11, and not the full picture. I am curious if the names of the people who died in the hotel are mentioned in the memorial. Oh and I only remember the bus having an assigned teacher sit in the front and i was confused.
Daniella Genovese (class 5)
It is hard to believe that this tragic occurrence only happened ten years ago. To be honest, I was only six years old and had no idea why everyone was so outraged. When I got home I realized that my parents were in complete shock. They wouldn’t speak to words to me all day. It was like the day took a huge toll on them, but I didn’t know why. I was only a kid so I couldn’t fully grasp what was going on, and I didn’t really care. It wasn’t until a year later I started to question what really happened because in school we kept reading books dedicated to 9/11. For years I have been avoiding this day. I would put it off and try to ignore what was really going on. I knew that recognizing the fact that this happened would be too hard to handle, so I didn’t. It wasn’t until yesterday that I forced myself to watch documentaries, stories and pictures. I knew it would be hard but it was something I had to do. I couldn’t put it off anymore. At first I couldn’t believe that it happened. I still can’t. It feels too much like a dream to me. I also felt remorse. I never thought I could feel so bad for complete strangers, but I did. I cried and I really saw what people were going through. After watching all the videos I took a moment and reflected on everything. Why? Why did this happen? Of course these questions came to my mind first but of course I knew it would never be answered. Then I thought, why weren’t helicopters coming to save the people who were jumping? I knew there must be a reason for it but to me it makes perfect sense. Think about all the lives they could have saved!
I think I was in first grade when I heard the news. I remember a hearing a teacher coming in and telling us about The WTC being hit by terrorists. I was sad as to see why people could do something so vile to each other.The concern in my parents eyes were visible. As they were unsure of what would happen next. I now understand why my parents felt that way. Safety, it was the biggest concern not only for my Mother and Father, but to everyone. After watching a program about the firemen who were at 9/11, I admired there courage. To go into such a dangerous zone and rescue people even while they know that death is upon them is admirable. It is a trait I hope have as I grow up. The only thing I would like to know is was the war in the Middle East worth it? I know that the terrorists did something that would would affect more lives than the ones who died that day, but do we need anymore bloodshed in this complicated world that we call home?
Looking back, I do have one specific memory of 9/11. I remember going on the bus to go home from school, thinking it was just a normal day. I sat in a seat and there was a man on the bus. Halfway through the ride, he moved up and sat in my seat. He said, “Oh, I didn’t see you there. I’m gonna move up in a second.” He might have said one or two other things, and then he left. Later in the day I know my mom mentioned something bad happened, and I figured that was why. Now, I’m guessing he was a police officer or someone like that. Still, I didn’t fully understand the seriousness of the situation. After watching videos about this day, one that stood out was called The Falling Man. There were many images that were controversial. Most of these were of people, in midair, jumping or falling from the towers. Many people didn’t want to show these images because they feel they are too horrifying. I think they have to be shown so people can see the whole situation. Do you think graphic images like this or worse should be allowed to be shown in magazines, newspapers, or online?
The day of 9/11, I was in the first grade. I vagely remember anthing but from what I do remember are the pictures on the news. After watching a documentary on 9/11, just yesterday, something that stuck out to me were all the pictures of the world trade center burning down. I just remember being so young and not understanding what actually happend and why is was such a big delima. Besides the documentary, I also watched an interview on a man who was in the FBI and has special tactics to get information out of terrorists. One thing he said was that instead of phyiscally torching the terrorists to get information out of them, we should become close to them and grow a bond so they will feel comfortable. He also mentioned that the FBI doesn't do this tactic at all. He feels strongly that if the FBI followed in this foot steps, 9/11 may of not happened. So my question is, if the FBI took a different approach in finding terriost's, would 9/11 be different or let alone, not even had happened?
September 11th is distant enough that I only remember my principal telling our class that a plane had hit a building in New York. This year I attended Mr. Lasher's September 11th memorial service this year and I was shocked by how personal this event had been. Mr. Lasher had worked for a long time in the World Trade Centers and lost many friends and many other people I knew well had lost friends. 9-11 has always been very impersonal for me as I knew no one directly involved and aside from my father working in the World Trade Center about 6 months prior to the incident it had no strong bearing on my life. This memorial really made this event a little more emotional for me. My question is how many Americans were deeply emotionally connected to this event as I suspect the number is higher than I would've guessed.
I hardly remember anything at all from September 11, 2001, except for the fact that I came running home from school, opened the door and said "Mom can Chelsea come over!?" I still remember the look on her face; I could tell something wasn't right. Over the weekend, I watched several shows on t.v and youtube about 9/11, but one really stuck with me; the show, "9/11: Heroes of the 88th floor." This episode was about two brave men, named Frank and Pablo, who were on the 88th floor of the North tower when the plane crashed straight into the building. Instead of attempting to evacuate down the stairs to ground level, they helped free people trapped behind building pieces and jammed doors. Once they had helped all the people on one floor, they continued up the stairs to free others. Frank and Pablo continued to climb up the stairs assisting people, until the last moment when the tower collapsed. A person's character is truly brought out in a situation like this, and I doubt I will ever forget the story I heard about Frank and Pablo's bravery.
The clearest memory to me from 9/11 was of the teachers running around and having us sit in a circle on the floor but I don’t remember them giving us any explanation of why. I also recall later that week we colored American flags and hung them up all around school. I don’t even really remember my parents telling me about the day. But my dad was on the bridge driving to work in the morning and he saw the second plane hit the tower. Watching the clips shown on T.V. on Sunday was hard enough; I can’t imagine actually having to watch it in person. I had never really watched shows on 9/11 before and watching them this weekend really hit hard because so many innocent people died that day. One of my friend’s dads worked in the World Trade Center and he was up on one of the top floors so when the plane hit he went up to the roof to escape the smoke but as we know the tower collapsed. My thoughts go out to her because it must have been the worst day of her life. I guess my question is how could someone think of a plan like that and not even care to take into account all of the people who have to be sacrificed and lost for it to work?
On September 11, 2001, i was only six years old. But, of course, it doesn't mean I can't remember. The first thing I remember from that day is standing in line on our way back to our classroom, while my teacher whispered with another. My childish ears listened in and heard that they might cancel parent-teacher conference day. I believe they did end up cancelling it. After that, students in class would disappear with a call to the office and not return until the next day. My parents, however, felt it would be better for me to remain in school, where nothing would seem wrong. So, after a long and confusing day, i returned to my bus stop, where my dad stood, waiting for me, as usual. He explained simply that bad guys had flown planes into two huge buildings and that they had fallen over. In my naive child mind I imagined two ginormous buildings, slowly tipping over so that the very top reached our street. I was terrifiedly wondering why we had stayed there if a building, taller than the sky itself, was slowly tumbling head over heels towards our seemingly ignorant family. Fortunately, my dad saw the look on my face and asked what was wrong, and then appeased my fears. Since then i have slowly gained more information about the tragic day. The thing that affected me the most was the woman who described people jumping out of the top of the building, followed by film and footage of the horrors. She described it as either dying in flames or taking your own life by jumping to your death. The thought alone gives me chills... then goosebumps, and then rage, and finally, patriotism. I laugh at how the terrorist achieved nothing, nothing at all, and the idea to humiliate Americans backfired on them. We proved them wrong. I love how we can all stand together, regardless of our race, religion, financial status, and show the world what the United States of America is made of. And what does Al Qaeda have to say to that?
All I remember about September 11th was sitting in my first grade class room when some teachers and the principal came in to tell us what happened. I don't think that I really realized how bad that day was until a couple years ago, and after watching some different 9/11 specials just a couple days ago. When I was watching these shows and seeing the buildings go down and the reactions of different people, including first responders, innocent people and government officials, it really annoyed me how someone could do this to us. How could someone hate America and Americans so much to do something like this to us, and what exactly where they trying to accomplish? This only hurt them by us starting war with them and eventually killing their leader.
Andy Ryan
I remember a little about September 11, 2001. I remember being at school that day, in first grade and being oblivious to the events until I got home that afternoon. It was just a typical day at school for me. When I got home, the TV was on and everyone was just glued to it. Some of my family was crying, and they finally broke away for a minute to explain to me what had happened. Being only six, I could only comprehend the situation to the best of my six-year old abilities, and I only remember feeling a deep anger and hatred for the people that did this. I hoped they would catch those responsible as soon as possible. Now that I understand the situation better, I find it unbelievable that this could happen. How could such a scheme could be put underway, hidden under the radar from one of the most powerful and advanced countries on the planet? Needless to say, we won't let this happen again.
i don't remember much from that day because nobody told us what was going on and what happened. i saw one video video online about this guy i don't remember his but he was in tower 2 and he got of ok after the plane hit, but he was brave and picked up a firefighters helmet and went back in to save people that were still in there. when more firefighters went in to help they saw him on the ground dead with the fire fighters helmet still on. this left an impression because instead of being selfish he went back in with out being asked and helped and he died for that but he saved many. my question is if the people on flight 175 knew they were being high jack then why didn't they do anything its 3 against the whole plane?
The only memory I have of September 11, 2001 is going into the kitchen very confused after being sent home early from school. My mom ran over to me crying and hugged my sister and I, the TV blaring in the background.
I watched a bunch of 9/11 videos this weekend, but there was this one special that was absolutely heartbreaking. Diane Sawyer had met with children whose fathers died in 9/11 while their mothers were pregnant with them at the one year, five year, and now ten year anniversary. Hearing the kids talk about growing up without a dad was really upsetting, and inspirational to see how brave the kids are. They showed pictures of the fathers and the kids next to each other, and the resemblances between them is uncanny. (http://www.hulu.com/watch/276818/abc-world-news-with-diane-sawyer-911-babies-turn-10-years-old)
Something in the video that was really eye-opening was that one of the widows was Muslim. The video says that she was discriminated against because of her religion even though her husband died as a result of the extremists. How did people respond when they found out the truth? Were they able to put their biases behind them and mourn with her, or did they stick behind the stereotype that was so strongly drilled into their heads at the time?
I cannot recall what I was doing when the planes crashed into the twin towers. I don't even think I was told what had happened until about a week later; no body wanted to scare the kids or give them anything to worry about. I lived in Florida at the time, so obviously I didn't know anyone who's parents traveled to work everyday in New York. The disaster was much more distant to me. Then I learned that three of the pilots, Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, and Ziad Jarrah, attended the Academy of Lakeland in Florida and received their pilot's license blocks from where I lived.
On a completely different note, (and this is pretty un-American)why is 9/11 considered such a tragedy? Let's put this into perspective with a few things. Much of Africa is currently in a state of civil war. More than 3,000 people die there daily from these wars, disease, starvation, etc. Another point, we nuked Japan twice. We didn't even drop them on military complexes, we dropped them on massive cities full of civilians. Wars are always started and fought on some countries territory, our country was just shocked it started on ours.
I only remember sitting in class with the other 20 or so kids and have absolutely no conception of what was going on. There was an announcement that said the Twin Towers had been hit but at that time I didn’t know exactly what they were, I only knew it must be bad but the sudden look on my teachers face. You normally look to the adults for comfort at that age, but they could not even find it within themselves to stay composed. I don’t remember how I got home but I only have one picture of my parents watching the news, it was apparent something tremendous was happening. Sunday many shows were on tv and I watched one about people being stuck on floor 88, the group of adults ended up living though the crash because they acted quick and came together. After this I heard in school that almost 50 percent out of 3,000 people were never found. The only thing I wonder is how did NY come together to clean up this mess, and end with the memorial we have today? (the memorial was built to never not have sunlight, the buildings around it were put in place to never block out the sun no matter where its placement in the sky is.)
The memory i have of September 11, 2001 is nothing really. I can only assume that i reacted similar to my classmates. I know that i was at Head O' Meadow Elementary School attending first grade. Most likely only worrying about what color crayon to use or what to have for lunch. Luckily no one in my immediate family was impacted directly by the attack, however everyone in someway was effected by this incident, some more than others. On 9/11/11 I watched the ceremony where they commemerated everyone who had died only ten years ago. They had family members of those who were killed read off the names. As you would expect they were very emotional and most if not all were crying. My question is how could you impact someones life so negatively that you know nothing about?
Cailah Carroll
Sarah Hasselberger Class 4
I actually remember 9/11 quite clearly. A truck, I think it was the ice cream truck, hit a telephone pole at Sandy Hook, causing us to not have school that day. I remember not knowing what was going on and being confused because I was supposed to have a play date with a friend that day. Since school was closed, looking back on it I wonder if any parents lives were saved since they had to stay home with their kids instead of going to work. I keep hearing stories from people about how someone they knew got out of the towers before they collapsed, or how they had to work there the week before 9/11. Even though I had no personal connection to the attack, it still makes me so emotional. One thing that really shocked me, and scares me more than anything, are the people who were trying to get out. People who were on the stairs, or trapped on their level, when the towers collapsed and died inside. They were alive and could have been saved if they had more time. And even after people got out, the debris cloud from the towers collapsing killed people as well. In "Heroes of the 88th Floor" on TLC, they kept talking about how they felt safe being on the stairs since all you had to do was walk down, when in reality people died trying to get out. Even when they were out the building, if you were close enough, you could have died from the debris cloud after the towers collapsed.
I don't remember most of first grade, but I do remember the day of 9/11. The principle came into our classroom, reported the news to us and asked if any kids had parents that worked in New York City. Back then, I knew something terrible had happened, but it never fully registered for me. To be honest, it hadn't fully registered for me this year after seeing a documentary that was by far the most tragic of them all. It was done originally to document a beginner firefighter, which turned into a documentary about the losses and miracles of that day. The reason this was most real for me was because the footage took place within oen of the tower's lobby's. During this you could hear people hitting the pavement, the terror of the firefighters, and the other tower falling. Toward the end the same firefighters that survived were interviewed and were not all doing well at all. It was terrible to see how 9/11 is still affecting them today and it truly sunk in how real that day was and how many people suffered and are still suffering today. This hit hard, and as awful it was to watch, I think it's important for people to see to be able to get even just a slight understanding of what that day was like. My question is how could this have happened? What made these men so angry that they were able to kill almost 3,000 people and what could have possibly been going on in their heads?
The few memories that I can recall where in school. My teacher had to hold my hand and walk me down to the office, then my mom had to pick me up and put me immediately into the car. After we drove home and my dad came home soon after. I didn't know what was going on but I knew my mom was on the phone a lot with family and not until I saw the television did I realize that something was really wrong. 10 years later, I now have a better understanding. After watching the news on the anniversary I learned more about what actually happened. When I think of 9/11 I think of the twin towers, the pentagon, and forget the rest, but now I know that there was another one that was taken down in Pennsylvania. WHat struck me the most while watching was that the fighter pilots in the U.S. Military where all ready to go and were prepared to give there lives to stop the hijacked planes. I really admire Americans who put themselves in the way of danger to save thousands. But in the end my question is: Do people still really remember and care? I ask this because in school we have never done anything to recognize this horrible event or do research nothing of that sort. Maybe the most is a moment of silence and it makes we wonder why don't we do a little more.
Being in first grade, my memories of 9/11 are very faint but I do remember not having school that day due to no electricity at Sandy Hook. This past weekend I watched a show on MSNBC called "9/11: As It Happened", which was the actual news real from that day from when they first found out about the plane crashing into the North Tower. Seeing it all happen now and understanding what actually happened, I get goosebumps. I am in disbelief that someone had the intelligence to hijack four planes. On Sunday, my mom and I discussed how it was still hard to understand why someone would want so many people dead, and risk their lives for it. Watching the show made me really understand what happened that day and how it happened. It is very sad that this happened and that there were so many victims, including the families of victims. How do you think the terrorists felt as they were flying a 737 into a building knowing he was killing himself and so many others?
Every year since 9/11 I hear new stories which many, if not all, give me chills. To this day it still feels unreal to me. Usually thinking back to elementary school, I can only remember snippets of things I did in that grade but 9/11 is still perfectly clear in my mind. I was in first grade and when we arrived in school it was just like every other school day. As the day went on, one by one classmates of mine were getting pulled out of school. At first I thought they had a note to leave early so it didn't really phase me. Once I saw half my class gone by noon, I thought something was weird. At the end of the day we had music class and since we didn't have a classroom for music class, the music teacher came to our room with instruments. You can tell she was surprised by how few kids were left. Right when we were about to play, I heard my name get called on the loudspeaker. I had no clue what was going on because I didn't have a note or anything. Later when I got home my mom told me what happened. I immediately asked her if she knew anyone and she said she only knew some people from work that were their that day. Later on, we found out that they were killed in the buildings. Over the weekend, I read an article about a man named Peter Negron and how he was only 11 when his father died in the World Trade Center. Two years after the attack (when he was only 13 years old), he read a poem called "Stars". While reading, he was very emotional. This past Sunday, he talked at the memorial about his father and how he tells his younger brother (only 2 when their father died), what their father was like. Peter tries to teach his brother all the things his father taught him. At the end he said he knows his father is looking down at them and he hopes that their dad is proud of who they grew up to be. When reading this, it really hit me because I can't imagine not having a father to grow up with. I would constantly feel like a part of me is missing. I give a lot of credit to those kids who lost a parent or guardian in the 9/11 attack. My question is, how do these kids who lost a father or a mother fill that missing feeling inside of them? What makes them feel better?
Everything memory I have from the day of September 11, 2001 is a very faint memory. Of what I do remember I recall leaving school early, seeing the teachers in a panic yet not trying to show it. Also coming home early and being excited but suspicious at the same time because I could sense something was wrong, my mom sitting at the foot of the bed in disbelief calling relatives making sure everyone in the family was okay. Now looking back on the day, being older and being able to understand what actually happened, I only wish I could remember more of what I did that day so when I grow up and become older I can tell my grandchildren about it who will be learning about it in school. I wish I could be able to tell them my emotions, my thoughts and the events of that day. Like what many people have said, is 9/11/01 just doesn't seem real. To think about the emotions some of the people who knew loved ones in the Twin Towers just is unbearable to think about, all of the grief and stress they had to through making sure who ever it was, was okay. I often find myself thinking about the people on the planes, how many emotions must have been running in circles in their heads about if they were going to survive or not. Around the time when September 11th comes I not only find myself thinking about the victims who had passed away from the terrible event but also about the people who survive. Why inst here more recognition to them? You hear on the news all the time about how so many more people were excepted to die from the planes hitting the Twin Towers, yet not many of the survivors get recognized unless they have written a book or talk about their day on September 11, 2001. So my question would be, to the many people who did survive the terrorist attack, how have their lives changed? Do they now live day by day or are they still hung up about that day?
Two things that I remember the most about 9/11 was watching the news talk about the events and learning that my first grade teacher had a brother that was in the World Trade Center and he didn't make it out. Being so young at that time nothing really clicked that it was such a horrible disaster. But now after watching so many memorial specials on tv it definetly clicked. There was one special called The Heroes on the 88th floor. It talked about these two men that worked in the north tower and how they stayed in until it fell searching for people that were trapped. Being in first grade at the time, I would have never thought that people would want to stay in a collapsing building to save others. It was a sad day in our history and yet I am glad that I was able to be old enough to remember something about it.
Like others, I have a very vague memory of the emotions I felt and exactly what happened. But the few things I do remember is that school was canceled that day. A mail truck had run into an electrical pole and blew the power at Sandy Hook Elementary. Just a few hours later, my mom, sister and I sat watching the news on our couch, while my mom would frantically call my dad, who was in Florida on business, making sure he was okay.
Over the weekend, I watched "Flight 93" and "Zero Hour." Honestly, up until that weekend, I was unaware of what had actually happened. The emotions I felt during and after these videos was astounding. I felt so much pain for those families. The new information flooding through my system was still sinking in. I had never really thought about the process of a high-jacking until I watched the movies. How scared the passengers must have been! And how brave the people on Flight 93 were.
It stuns me that not many people were behind the attack; around 40. The terrorists had a mission, and would do anything to finish it. It surprised me that someone would risk death for their god in such a harsh manner. But, I guess that's what's needed if they want to get their message across.
I do not remember much about the exact day of 9/11/01. All I remember that I was actually not in school that day because we had a power outage at Sandy Hook Elementary school. Many kids who went there probably have the same memory. I did not know much of what happened but as I grew older and started learning a little bit more about it I started to grasp some knowledge on the topic. Through my parents telling me what happened and the videos and news articles I have read I now know that the plane was scheduled to fly from Boston to Los Angeles and it was flight number 11. The plane was hijacked and then flew into the towers. I was actually watching a video in last sunday about 9/11 and it interviews this pilot who was scheduled to fly on that plane but was bumped off the trip. He was so thankful that he did not have to fly that day. The emotions I have seen have been crazy. It was clearly a very sad day and will always be remembered in the U.S. My question is, how could it been avoided?
Nick Busino
I remember September, 11th very well. Around 8:45 school was canceled, and my mom got home around 9:30. She was on the phone most of the time I think she was talking to my aunt, who had a brother in one of the towers. The article that I read was The Great Escape, how three businessmen survived the inferno. George Sleigh, Srinath Jinadasa, and Joseph Kelly were in the North Tower when it was hit. They found each other on the way down to safety, and made sure that the three of them would make it out together, away from the chaos. A year after the attack on The World Trade Center, George, Srinath, and Joseph had found each other after months of tracking.
I remember quite a bit from 9/11, although I was only in first grade. I remember saying the pledge in class, and all of a sudden the principal announced on the loud speaker that the World Trade Center had been hit, and to turn on our class TVs. I admire the fact that he didn't want to hide what was happening in our nation from us, although it was upsetting. We saw smoke rising from the twin towers, and absolute chaos everywhere. I knew that this was a big deal, and I worried about the safety of my father, who worked near the World Trade Center. I recently watched a show about 9/11 where people were getting covered in falling debris, and cut up with glass, crying and screaming like they'd lost all hope. I also saw people jumping out of the windows as a last resort because they were trapped. I couldn't believe I was in the same state of New York where all this was happening-it felt like the world was ending. My impression of 9/11 is anger. How could this have happened? It was so easy for terrorists to pass through our previous airport security with weapons, because we never thought something like this could happen. All those people died in the name of their country, and their loss left unimaginable pain in hundreds of families. My question is, what did our nation do to provoke this kind of attack? Did the terrorists think they could destory America by demolishing major buildings such as the Pentagon and the World Trade Center?
Fear and sadness. Strength and patriotism. So, so many emotions were represented by millions of Americans on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, and the many long days that have followed. The impression I received was the two faces of America that became clearly visible after this time: the weak and the strong.
The weakness/defeat of our country was immediate after the attacks. All major stock/financial institutions shut down. All flights were cancelled. For the first time in decades, all baseball games (America's pastime) were cancelled for days. It almost seemed as if America was shutting down.
Yet the stories of our nation's strength were many as well, such as those of our nation's rescue men and women. Such as the firemen who almost didn't make it out of the World Trade Center (2nd collapse) because they stayed with an injured woman on the fourth floor in stairway B. They knew they'd die if they stayed behind to try and get the woman out of the building, yet they did so anyway. Thank God, due to the certain physical structure of the building, when the tower did collapse, they were trapped but not crushed; several hours later, they were all rescued. These firefighters stood up against death and defeated it with courage, strength, and a little help from God.
So now I ask: between the heroics and thousands of casualties of 9/11, did America become weaker or stronger?
"I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!"--George W. Bush
It is not difficult to remember what had happend exactly 10 years ago, on September 11, 2001. I can remember coming home from school and having my mom sit my down, and try to explain what had happend in New York City that day. Since I was young, I did not fully understand exactly how monumental this was and how it would affect our country forever. My first impression of the event was, how could this have happend? Watching videos of the planes crashing the towers, all of the people in the city running away from the buildings, and the thousands of people who have died makes it unbearable to think about even today. Whenever 9/11 is discussed, I always think, was the date of this tragedy was planned on purpose to go along with 911 for emergency phone calls? Or was it just ironic and not planned on that date for that reason? I got the chance to watch the CNN special on television where it was showing live footage of the thousands of people who were at the Twin Towers Memorial. I saw hundreds of families mourning for their loved ones who they had lost. Many children were looking for realtives names that were ingraved into the memorial, tracing them onto paper. Seeing all of the families and children truely made the whole event very surreal and upsetting to watch.
Unlike many others who have already posted to the blog, I remember 9/11 very, very clearly. I had been up earlier than usual, because my parents were off to New York for the day with my brother to a doctor’s appointment in Midtown. Coincidently, my dad was scheduled to have a meeting on the top floor of the Twin Towers at 10:30 a.m. the same day, however had to send somebody in his place, because of my brother’s appointment. Fortunately, the person who my dad had sent was stuck in traffic, and unable to reach New York in time. Soon before my parents had to leave, we received a call from the Sandy Hook School phone chain saying that SHS had to cancel classes for the day because the Chartwell’s truck had backed up into a post and the electricity was out. My uncle, a NYPD Officer, was on duty that day and was a "third" responder, if you will, and was at the scene a couple hours after the initial attacks. He remained there for several days in search of bodies, possessions, etc.. I remember my babysitter being extra "upbeat" and creative with different things to do because she did not want me to watch the TV, and realize what had happened. Last weekend, I began watching the naming ceremony from the start, went to practice for a couple of hours, and came home to see that the ceremony was only about half-way over. My first impression was shock over how many lives and families this event had destroyed, and immediately thought about how this might have been prevented. My only question now is, "Had 9/11 never happened, would our lenient style of security, easy going procedures at the airport, and lack of foreign knowledge still be in existence today?"
I do not exactly know were I was when the first plane hit. I was probably at school with all of my classmates. While most of the event to me was vague, I distinctly remember a very uneasy and panicky fell in my house. The television was on high volume and my dad was standing in front of it looking absolutely stunned. My mom was stressed and in a frenzy. She was on the phone trying to reach my Uncle Doug who works in The World Trade Center. I later found out he had not gone to work that day. Now that I am more mature and have a better understanding of the events that had transpired, I am truly appalled by the destruction and fear caused. After reading the article I found on the impact of 9/11 on Pakistan, I have discovered that although the attack was a huge blow to America, It was only short term. The effect the war on terrorism has had on Middle Easter Countries far exceeds the damage done to us. In countries like Pakistan, road blocks and car bombs are everyday things. Will the hate, conflict, and fighting cease? If so how and when?
Over the last ten years my impressions of the attacks on 9-11 have changed. On that horrific day when so many people died, people’s lives all over the United States were affected. Suddenly it was abundantly clear that we had enemies that would attack us here at home. People don’t feel safe anymore. Since the attacks I’ve heard a lot about the hero’s that have saved people, the victims, their lives, and how their families miss them. After seeing videos of people jumping out of the towers, it really showed me how horrifying it must have been for jumping to be the better option. Since then I have learned a lot about the people who died and about the people who tried to save them. Even though I was only six and I don’t remember what happened on that day, I’ve heard so much about it that it’s a day I will never forget.
I remember being in the first grade and hearing about the towers collapsing on the radio. I didn’t think much of it then but a few days later when my mom was telling me how my uncle survived 9/11 I wanted to know more. As a six year old I watched the news to hear all about the aftermath of this al qaeda attack. I thought I knew a lot about 9/11 considering I was interested in it while it was going on, but really what I found out was that I only really knew what had happened that day. I didn’t know the after shock of it or who really was behind it. So this weekend I watched the investigations of the men behind it and the medical aftermath of the attack. I watched the survivors that had cancer and sinus problems and I watched the man who was the sole investigator of finding out who actually planned the attack. Since I want to become a doctor I started researching what people have to live with, now 10 years later, in terms of burns and lung problems. It got me really upset and questions flew into my mind. I want to know what the men running the attack told the fliers in the planes in order to fly the planes into the twin towers and kill hundreds of people? I want to know if they were brainwashed or they had no choice really? What was the purpose of killing people and the message that they wanted to ignite by doing this? One last question would be if people got free or beneficial medical help if they were affected?
Like almost all of us, I don't remember much of the day, nor do I want to. It was such a traumatic experience for everyone, and it's hard to think about it every year. The older you get, the more it becomes relevant to you. You learn more and more about it, and just this year, I found out that my old neighbors were on the flight that went into the B Tower. Stuff like that is chilling, and makes you that much more a part of it. The morning of this years "remembering", I wasn't sure whether to feel sad or angry once again towards the people responsible for this. Paul Simon was playing "The Sound of Silence" at the memorial, and I couldn't help myself from crying. I started to think about the irony of the song. While the tragedy was taking place, there was chaos and all of these terrible noises mixing together, then to think about the people who lost their lives, who saw the darkness, then went on to go into a peaceful state, hearing the sound of silence. Later on I watched footage of inside the buildings and the firefighters inside, then them talking about their near death experiences, which got me choked up again, because they too went into a serene state, accepting the fact that they might die fighting for their country. None of it makes sense to me, why it happened, how people are able to cope, and will their ever be peace.
I actually do remember September 11th, 2001, even though there wasn't much to be remembered for a six-year old living in Michigan at the time. We did stay in school, but we had something like a 5 minute moment of silence because of a 'tragedy in new york city.' As an antsy first-grader, I was getting bored of the 'moment' of silence. I don't remember the teachers' reactions, though. I haven't known of anyone personally who was affected by the events that day. Even so, it hits me very hard when I read, hear or watch something about it. I watched an A&E special called Portraits of Ground Zero. It was an incredible hour and a half, uninterrupted program about a photographer and her attempts to find her subjects. A FEMA photographer, Andrea Booher, had taken down names and photos of people for days after the incident. Ten years later, she went looking for the people who left the biggest impression on her. There were firefighters, iron-workers, carpenters, citizens, and even a Friar that she spoke to. I loved the variety of experiences and outlooks these people had on the events. One girl was fifteen when it happened and she admitted that she was kind of bored being at the scene to honor her stepfather. The picture of her portrayed her as sentimental and sad, which didn't reflect her mood that day. A fireman who worked in New York City lost friends, companions, and coworkers. He even found the body of a very close family friend of his. Everyone had a specific moment that hit them hardest and it was both terrifying and incredible to listen to them.
I remember distinctly when my parents told me that someone crashed the plane on purpose, I asked, "Why would someone want to do that, Mommy, didn't they die, too?" This question still sticks with me. I can't imagine the type of brainwashing one must go through to kill themselves and thousands of other people on purpose. Also, why is the worst-case scenario always thought of first by offenders? No one thought of this kind of security-breach on planes until Al Qaeda did. We adapt based on what has happened, in many more areas than just 9/11. Where is the line between secure and paranoid? It seems it's only drawn when paranoid becomes reality.
-Morgan, period 6
Unfortunately, I don't remember much from September 11th, 2001. Since I was only in 1st grade, there wasn't much I understood about what was happening. I remember that I was in my classroom and someone came on the loudspeaker saying something had happened in New York and everyone was allowed to go home. My mom was helping out in the nurses office that day, so she brought me home after the announcement. When we got home my mom turned on the news and I think we might've seen the second tower fall, but I'm not sure. If I were older, I'm sure I would've remembered much more and I now wish I could've remembered how I felt so I could reflect back to it. I know much more about the day now, every year I watch a documentary on it and learn something new. What I still don't know is how people could do something so harmful to others just to make a point. It was an unnecessary extreme that and took away so many lives. Even though this happened 10 years ago, I think this year was the most real for me.
Over the past weekend on the 10th year anniversary of 9/11 I watched Inside 9/11 on the History Channel. This program came as a real shocker to me because although I have always known the gist of what occured that day, I was never fully aware of all the facts. Learning about the schemes of the terrorists put me in a state of grief and anger as to believe how anyone could do such a thing to so many innocent people. Its hard to believe that people could have the heart to carry out acts that would kill thousands. How could that satisfy anyones needs? Futhermore, I also took note of the heroic acts of New York's finest and the citizens aboard the flight that crashed into a field who sacraficed their lives for others. It is through acts like these and the ones of the people in this country who gave their time to reach out to others to clean up from the mess and help that give all of us hope that there are good people out there. A question I would like to pose is Why kill people good and innocent who have done nothing wrong instead of going after our government or armed forces?
The moment the planes crashed into the towers on September 11, 2001, I was in my first grade English class. Everything seemed normal, and calm until the phone started to ring. Suddenly madness kicked in, parents were barging through the doors insisting on picking their child up. My English teacher started crying because her husband worked in NYC, but I really had no idea what was going on. Now looking back on it 10 years later, I have a full understanding of what really happened. After watching a documentary on the 10th year reunion I still get chills after watching the plane crash into the first tower. I can't imagine that the same time someone was running for their lives, I was sitting in my English class as if nothing happened. Still till this day I am shocked, that a person could bring such terror and horror, and use such violence to "prove a point." What happened to communication? What could we have done that was so bad that we deserved this? We didn't, but to every negative there is a positive. Even though 9/11 was a horrifying day for most, now looking back on it I feel closer to everyone who experienced it with me, since we all went through the same thing. It brought together as a nation, and it proved that, America is a strong country.
Having only been in first grade it is surprising how much I remember from that day. When I came home on the bus I knew something was wrong because a teacher road on each bus with us and then made sure everyone had someone to pick them up. I was curious why but i didn't think much of it. Looking back on 9/11/2001 I have a feeling on disbelief and shock. It is unbelievable how one day could change so much. On the 10th anniversary of 9/11 I saw multiple TV specials and articles on it but what effected me most were the endless Facebook status'. Most of the people posting these were my age, only having been six years old on the day of 9/11/2001 yet it effected each of us tremendously. Here were 16 year olds imploring each other never to forget 9/11/2001.
On 9/11, I remember my aunt coming to pick up my sister and me from school and bringing us back to our house. I had no idea why, but I was afraid of asking because everyone was acting different and sad. In the days following, while watching the news, I remember my sister saying that she saw the face of the devil in a picture of a burning building on the screen. At the time, I didn't really comprehend the gravity of the situation, but looking back on it, I can understand why this day is so significant. My main impression is that it really shows how strong our nation is. Al Qaeda's goal was to create chaos and ruin our nation. However, despite all the deaths they caused, 9/11 seemed to bring America closer together and give everyone a profound sense of patriotism. One question I have is that, since we did not fall as a nation, does Al Qaeda have plans to attempt to bring us down again? And if so, will the United States take any possible terrorist threats seriously this time?
The only thing I remember of 9/11 was how worried all of the teachers were. We were all in school, and suddenly my teacher was pulled out of class by another teacher. I sat there in my desk, looking at the expression on her face. It was terror, sheer terror. She walked back into the classroom as if nothing had happened, and the school day resumed. It wasn't until I got home later that day that my parents explained what had happened. They told me that the Twin Towers had been hit by terrorists, and the only thought I had in my head was confusion. I didn't understand what had happened. At the time, I was too young to realize that it was a terror plot. By the time I figured this out, I was older, and it scared me to think that this could happen. But what scared me the most was the next thought that I had in my head. "Could it happen again?"
I read and watched many news feeds about 9/11, and while they all spoke of the tragedy that occurred that day, there was one report that really stood out. It spoke about how well thought-out the terror plot was, and how it could very well happen again if we aren't prepared. My question is if this happened again, would we really prepared for another attack?
The only thing I remember of 9/11 was how worried all of the teachers were. We were all in school, and suddenly my teacher was pulled out of class by another teacher. I sat there in my desk, looking at the expression on her face. It was terror, sheer terror. She walked back into the classroom as if nothing had happened, and the school day resumed. It wasn't until I got home later that day that my parents explained what had happened. They told me that the Twin Towers had been hit by terrorists, and the only thought I had in my head was confusion. I didn't understand what had happened. At the time, I was too young to realize that it was a terror plot. By the time I figured this out, I was older, and it scared me to think that this could happen. But what scared me the most was the next thought that I had in my head. "Could it happen again?"
I read and watched many news feeds about 9/11, and while they all spoke of the tragedy that occurred that day, there was one report that really stood out. It spoke about how well thought-out the terror plot was, and how it could very well happen again if we aren't prepared. My question is if this happened again, would we really prepared for another attack?
On the day of 9/11 I was so little i barley remember anything. The one thing that I do remember was that we got a long recess. I think it was while we were waiting for our parents or the buses to take us home. Recently I watched the tribute to 9/11 called "Heros of the 88th floor" It amazed me how these people would knowingly sacrifice their lives for others. Also, after they lead them down to safety "the heros" would go back up the stairs to help more people. Last, there was one survivor that talked about how after the planes hit he continued to anwser the phone. He said it was almost comical, espeically because the clients he was talking to had no idea. If I could ask one question, I would want to know how they had the courage to keep going back.
Memories are often too tenuous, like sand slipping through a strainer, caught only at the rims of the metal mesh. 9/11 happened too long ago to remember much. The too sweet taste of frosted cake -- left over from my dad's birthday -- the cool dusty feeling of the hardwood floor in my house's living room, the 12 inch pixelated image of fire and smoke. The impact of the bravery of the people in those towers -- in the planes, at the base -- is lost on a five year old watching tall buildings practically explode on a TV set. It seems to me that until this point -- ten years later -- people are finally ready to talk about the event. In the years between then and now, no one really mentioned the personal stories of what happened. People just addressed it as "terrorism", "death", "9/11". The only story I heard between then and now was the almost miraculous story of my mom's employee who worked in the World Trade Center at the time that they were destroyed. Even then, there was no heroism in the tale. He woke up September 11th, 2001 expecting a normal day at work in the city, only to lean over the side of his bed and toss out the contents of his stomach. He hadn't been sick September 10th, and by noon he felt right as rain, but his wife insisted that he not go to work. He worked on one of the top floors, and if he had gone in, he would be dead today. On the ten year anniversary, other stories arose, such as the story of a man in the second tower who worked on the very floor that the plane hit. In an interview, he said that when he ducked to the ground he could feel the whiz of the wind just above his head. These two stories make me think. What caused such miraculous events? Was it just statistics, two people saved by chance between the hundreds who perished? Or is there something else, less coincedental, more divine? So many people called 911 only to tell the police that they were dying and they knew no firemen or police could rescue them. People say the insides of the towers were so hot that skin burned and flaked away. There was bravery in those who lived, but there was also bravery in those who died. That's my impression.
I remember walking to the cafeteria with my class once word got out that America had been attacked. Teachers looked stressed, and the whole school was filled with anxiety and confusion. All the kids piled into the cafe to discover that we were going home early due to an emergency. Most kids would feel energetic and releived that school was ending early, but I noticed my teacher was riding on my bus so I knew something important happened.
I find it amazing how all the kids had no idea what was going on, but once they got home the media surrounded the attack, and word got out so quickly, that each family around the country were glued to their TV's. My first impression of the images on 9/11 were frightening, but I still didn't understand the concept of how a group of people caused thousands of innocent people to die. I'm sure I understand that day a thousand times clearer today, than i did back in 2001.
I always wanted to know what went through the heads of the people in NY as they watched this event happen, and how the people in the Pentagon reacted when a plane struck their building. And how the victims of the other 3 flights felt as their security was compromised.
Nothing was clear on 9/11... and being caught in the middle of the confusion will stick with our generation forever.
The day of 9/11 I was in first grade as most of us were. At the time I lived in Maryland, my house was located about 30 minutes outside of Washington DC. Of course when the towers were hit panic went throughout America. I recall this day very well, I was sitting in class when we got the news that we had to leave school. Though none of the teachers would tell us what was going on. The gym teacher came to get me along with my brother and sister, and our mom was waiting outside to pick us up. This pasted weekend I slept at a friends house with a bunch of people. When we woke up we turned on the television to watch the 9/11 special. A few moments after we turned it on the moment of silence was going on. All of us sat there in silence to remember and reflect on everything that has happened. It was an odd moment to see a bunch of teenagers sitting there in silence. That's when it hit me that 9/11 will never be forgotten.
- olivia phenix class 5
I have no personal recollection of 9/11, being that I was in the first grade, but I was reminded of what happened every year afterward. It seems that opinions on the events of that day are widely varied, with some considering it an excuse to raise security for the sake of the "people", meanwhile others believe that the event was a calling to stop constant presence in the middle east, of which reminded us multiple times of danger years before 9/11. I believe that the events of 9/11 should be a reminder of mortality and loss, but not of a nation's power. We are a privileged group of people as Americans, and it should come as a greater shock that in 2009 there were 294 terrorist attacks in Europe alone, not counting the hundreds, if not thousands of attacks in Africa and the Middle East. But the profoundly shocking aspect of all this is that out of those 294 attacks, only one was performed by Islamists. This important aspect should be a reminder that anyone can do bad things (take the July Oslo attacks), and targeting one group for a single event performed by a small group of radicals is absurdly wrong. We as a nation should instead take proper steps to help people do good, rather than scare them whenever they want to board a plane or travel outside of the country. If I were to ask one question to someone regarding the events leading up to and after 9/11, I would ask "Was our response to this tragic event fair to the rest of the world?"
I remember a few things about September 11th, 2001. I was in first grade and my the principal came into our classroom explaining that two planes had hit the world trade center. I was a little young to fully understand that the planes were hijacked by terrorists and the devastation that truly was going on at the time. I remember teachers going home on the busses with us, and it just so happened that my mom was home from work so she saw the news right as it was happening. She explained it a little when i got home from school and I remember seeing replays of planes crashing and the smoking twin towers. I didn't do anything for the 10th anniversary, other then just take a few minutes and really think about the brave actions of people, especially on flight United 93, the police and firefighters that helped saved as many lives as possible, sacrificing there own lives to save others. Has the darkest day in our history impacted a large amount of the population from flying or traveling in crowded areas because they fear an attack like this will occur again?
9/11 was very confusing for me because my school, Sandy Hook Elementary, was not in session. So I was home with my parents and my older sister, and I just remember the shrill shriek of my mom, and horrific sight of seeing my dad cry for the first time in my life. I knew something terrible was happening, but in all honesty, all I could think about was that I could not play Super smash bros on the big TV. Now, several years later, I can't go anywhere on September 11th. My parents don't say I can't go out, I just mentally can't, I usually spend the whole day watching CNN, and watching youtube videos of the that day on my computer. It's just so difficult to comprehend what happened, and since I didn't know what was happening at the time, I feel it is my duty to learn everything I can about it, so I too can remember. As for my question, I guess I just want to know what the people of New York did after the tragedy, because after watching the videos, 3 days after the attack, there were still people roaming the streets.
I truthfully have no memory of those days. I don’t know if my parents even let me near the TV. I had no school that day and I think I spent the whole day outside. It was just a day in the life of a 6 year old. I wish I had the extreme mental capacity to reach back and remember what that naïve boy did but my first memory of it was of the 2nd time we talked about it in school two years later. Today I am just struck with a complete feeling of helplessness and depression whenever I think about it. I can’t shake it, we are based off of New York City, that is the place where the free market has grown to be such a successful system. I couldn’t watch a documentary or a news story on it, just watching the footage turns me into a blubbering idiot. I watched the 9/11 ceremony and the reading of the names. A torturous thing, thinking of what each name was to somebody. I saw names that were the children that a grandmother couldn’t see grow up, the woman whose husband is now alone, the man whose children are now fatherless. My questions are (A) where was America headed before this happened and how does that compare to now? and, (B) why are we being merciful and have not yet given trial to men who have done things that are terrible enough to be acts of war?
I truthfully have no memory of those days. I don’t know if my parents even let me near the TV. I had no school that day and I think I spent the whole day outside. It was just a day in the life of a 6 year old. I wish I had the extreme mental capacity to reach back and remember what that naïve boy did but my first memory of it was of the 2nd time we talked about it in school two years later. Today I am just struck with a complete feeling of helplessness and depression whenever I think about it. I can’t shake it, we are based off of New York City, that is the place where the free market has grown to be such a successful system. I couldn’t watch a documentary or a news story on it, just watching the footage turns me into a blubbering idiot. I watched the 9/11 ceremony and the reading of the names. A torturous thing, thinking of what each name was to somebody. I saw names that were the children that a grandmother couldn’t see grow up, the woman whose husband is now alone, the man whose children are now fatherless. My questions are (A) where was America headed before this happened and how does that compare to now? and, (B) why are we being merciful and have not yet given trial to men who have done things that are terrible enough to be acts of war?
I don't remember too much about the actual day 10 years ago. I only remember having to have a parent at the bus stop when I got home from school. But other than that there's not much else i remember. Over the past 10 years I have been able to take in what really happend that day. Like others I watched a show on flight 175. To be honest it was actually really hard for me to watch because I couldn't imagine the emotions and the thoughts that were going threw the passengers of the highjacked plain. But I also respect the passengers because they must have had a lot of courage to stay somewhat calm during the entire flight. What was going threw the minds of the highjackers at the time?
-Sam Freitas
I dont really remember what i was doing, all i know is that my parents and pretty much everyone else but me was freaking out and it didnt really register for me, i think we got let out of school early or something, but i know my parents were trying to get me out of school. I didn't really have a first impression, but my current impression is kind of in awe. Just having the anniversery, it shows how many people were effected as well as the country as a hole. It has only been 10 years, but it will prove to be one of the worst events in history. How f***ed up do you have to be to do some thing like this.
I don't remember much of the day actually. I do remember bits and pieces of school that day. Waking up was the same every day and, since the day roughly followed the same schedule every day, there was nothing very remarkable to stick around in my memory. After that i remember the announcement coming on.But actually i didn't hear as i and my friends were too busy talking to realize. All i knew was that it caused a stir among everyone else. I began asking what had happened but no one wanted to tell me. I went home that day curious for some answers. When i asked my mom and siblings they told me nothing was wrong and not to worry. I realize these days that they lied to protect me from the harsh cruelty of the world. I lived a fairly sheltered life and therefore was extremely oblivious to the true horrors humans inflict upon one and other for the simplest things. I always wondered how they justified doing what they do? and if they even believe in their own reasoning at all or are just making excuses so that they can hate without reason
On 9/11, I have a very vague memory of that tragic day. I came home to find my mother and sister crying in awe of the televission. I had just gotten off the bus in first grade, and walked in on newscasters on ABC with such a despondent look on their face. I did not fully understand why until I became infactuated with the event and watched news on it for weeks. Last Sunday, I was very impressed with the amount of press 9/11 recieved. I watched several newscastings reguarding the victems of 9/11, statistics of people who made it and those that did not. The hardest thing to watch was the memorial service first thing in the morning. Brave people stood behind a podium and proclaimed their love and mourning over the people they lost. Looking at the tears in their eyes, and the sadness from everyone there made it apparable how important this day truelly is, and how time will not make it any less important. My question from soaking in all of this trauma would be, will 9/11 always be some important through time, or will the unfortunate New Yorkers keep this day alive and never let us forget how our country stood together?
There was no school for me on September 11th, 2001, so my sister and I were at home. My mom was going to put on a TV show for me and my sister, but every single channel was of a report of a horrible plane accident, or so we thought, that had just hit one of the Twin Towers. My whole family stood there, watching in disbelief at the smoke pouring from the top of one of the towers. I remember the screaming as we all watched live on TV as the second plane hit the second tower. I was confused, and didn't know what was happening, and my parents told me that terrorists had attacked the World Trade Center. I remember 6 weeks before that I was on top of one of those towers- looking down onto NYC. I was at the World Trade Center, and it was now in flames. What can brew such hatred, to sacrifice their own lives to kill thousands? Do these radicals truly believe that it is the will of G-d?
I can't say that I remember much at the time...and to be honest I had no idea it happened until two years later due to my own blissful unawareness. From what I've viewed in the 9/11 specials and whatnot I just have to say that I am genuinely shocked at the random extremes that fanatics will go to for the purpose of gleaning attention, but even more so of how such a big event may have occurred while I passively missed it.It also probably didn't help that the teachers didn't really tell us at the time, probably not to disturb us, but I suppose that maybe it had been the right decision not to worry us because some of the people in my class had parents that worked in New York not far from the trade center yet thankfully none of them had been harmed. The impression that stuck the most with me from the footage I've witnessed of the actual attack was the people willing to throw themselves out of the burning building to spare themselves a more painful demise. I'd say that I feel sad for their means of death, but can't help feeling admiration for their courage to do what they did even though they knew they would die.
Post a Comment