On this day 11 years ago, I was sitting in my family room
watching cartoons with my brother before getting ready for school. I was eating
a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and my mom came in with her cup of coffee to
sit with us for a bit. As I flipped through the channels at a commercial break
to get from Nickelodeon to the Disney channel, I saw two planes crashing into
the World Trade Center on a news station.
Almost anyone can tell you in full detail where they were
when the terrorist attacks occurred, but how many people can tell you where
they were when it was announced that the United State of America was going to
war with Iraq?
Most people don’t remember because going to war seemed like
such a natural reaction. 27 minutes after the second plane crashed into the
towers, President George W. Bush made this statement:
“I have spoken to the vice president, to the governor of New
York, to the director of the FBI, and have ordered that the full resources of
the federal government go to help the victims and their families, and to
conduct a full-scale investigation to hunt down and to find those folks who
committed this act”
The sudden patriotic spirit of the American people created a
climate that allowed us to declare military action without much of a thought.
People praised the President for taking such quick action, not knowing that the
words he said minutes after the attacks would set the stage for 11 years of
military action.
Officially, we didn’t go to war on 9/11/01, but we might as
well have. Since that day, however, the United States has been involved with
the War on Terrorism. First, troops were sent over to find weapons of mass
destruction. Next, it was a formal statement that we were sending troops to
Iraq and Afghanistan to fight. Even last year, we were still hunting down the “folks
who committed this act.” 10 years after the terrorist attacks the Navy SEALS
killed Osama Bin Laden, marking the death of the symbolic figurehead of the 9/11
terrorist attacks.
If 9/11 is marked with a memorial ceremony and moment of
silence each year, why isn’t the day we went to war commemorated? Or the day
the military death toll surpassed the 9/11 victim count? After all, “at least
1,987 US troops have died in Afghanistan and 4.475 in Iraq, according to the
Pentagon.”
The day the planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the
Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania were not events that remained only on that
day. These events have followed every military move our country has made for
the past 11 years and the horror of them remains etched in the memory of the
people who were in the country to witness the attacks. It is easier to commemorate one day a year than have to commemorate every action that was an after effect of the attacks. And for that, we honor
them with a moment of silence and keep the victims and their families in our
prayers every year on this day.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/10/911-anniversary-2012-new-york-city-memorial_n_1872166.html?utm_hp_ref=september-11-anniversary
I think it is too easy for people to find the events of 9/11 and the war separate. 9/11 actually taking place on American soil opened our eyes to the fact that we are not invincible. But, we are far removed from the war, while we can watch the war on the television or internet, we cannot fully grasp what is happening. I feel that for many people the war doesn't become real until it takes the life of someone they know. Last year in the span of two weeks, three people I went to high school with were killed fighting in the war. The way the community came together with memorials, signs and banners all around town, students protesting the war, made me feel as though people actually understand what is going on. WIthin a couple weeks it felt as though all of this was forgotten, the only ones still hurting from the wounds of this war were the families that lost someone they loved.
ReplyDeleteI still have chills thinking back to that morning. Despite being in fifth grade at the time, the look on my mom's face, who used to work in the towers, said it all. I also remember people in my suburb freaking out about an imminent war on America. Grocery store lines were out the door as people tried to stock up on the necessities. Not only did this show that everyone feared an attack closer to their homes, it shows that everyone was ok with more violence. People were ready for America to retaliate in order to take down whoever was responsible for the 9/11 attacks. It is for this point that I agree with you that the war may have been a little premature but you can't blame the government when everyone was already preparing for it.
ReplyDeleteThat morning is one that I will never forget. I was also getting ready for school when my mom walked in and tried to explain to me what had happened. I didn't fully grasp the situation until I arrived at school and every teacher was outside telling parents to take their children home, stay with their families, and be safe. That’s when I saw the fear in my parent’s eyes. The unknown if another attack could happen in a big city, like Los Angeles. The pictures from that morning will forever be burned in my mind. I feel a chill run down my spin when I think about it.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I think you are right about the lack of memorial for our fallen soldiers. But I also feel that this is true for any war. I believe the reason we think of Pearl Harbor and 9/11 is because they were the only actual major attacks on US soil. If it were up to me I would have more than just Memorial Day to honor and remember our fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for us.