9/11 to me: Alex Roberts
As a member of the next generation, one that wasn’t alive on September 11, 2001, 9/11 still has a very big impact on my life. When the tragic event of 9/11 occurred, I was not yet alive, and would not be for another month. But even though I wasn’t born at that time, I still understand how much this attack affected so many Americans. I consider myself lucky that I was not alive to witness this horrible event, because I can only imagine how scary it must have been for all of the people who witnessed and were a part of it. Just watching videos of the event 15 years later can still give me chills.
It amazes me that something like this could have happened, and I can’t believe that it was all done on purpose. How could you possibly give a meaning to kill thousands of innocent people, injuring thousands more, and sending fear into the hearts of every person in a nation for years to come? There are still many people in our country who are afraid to fly, fearing that something awful might happen like it did 15 years ago. I believe that 9/11 had a major effect on everyone, because we should not have to be a nation living in fear. We shouldn’t have to be scared that something as terrifying as 9/11 might happen again.
When people discuss things like past wars and awful events, they seem to not be so upset by it, because after all, it happened such a long time ago. But 9/11 is different for many reasons. Unlike events like Pearl Harbor or the Civil War, 9/11 happened during a more advanced time, meaning that there is video of every moment of the horrible day. So even if you weren’t there on that day and you didn’t experience those events, you can re-live it every time you search it on the computer. This is just another way that the fear from that tragic day can live one through many generations to come.
Even though 9/11 was a horrible day and a lot of people wish that it would’ve never happened, it became a really big life lesson. If 9/11 never happened, something even worse could’ve happened in the future. 9/11 influenced so many security changes to keep our country as safe as it can be, and if 9/11 never happened, I’m afraid that we might have never made the advancements we made after the event.
I’ve heard many stories from my parents and from books, and I realize how truly awful it was for the people involved, which really makes me grateful that I didn’t have to experience this tragic event in person. But thanks to 9/11, our national security has greatly improved, and the experience of 9/11 could have saved countless lives in the future.