9/11 – The Way We Were Essay, Research Paper

As you listen to the news, radio, or read a newspaper, you notice one thing in common after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City–unity. New Yorkers have known to be “hard-ass’” and the rudest people you’ll ever meet. Self-indulged in their own world, they knocked people down who stood between them and the next step ahead of them. We, as Americans, felt the effect of the destruction all over the nation, although it didn’t happen in our hometown. Most people either knew someone, or knew someone who knew of someone that worked in the WTC building or were on those flights. Not until our safety was raped from us did we stop to unite, as a country, to help those in need.

America is known as “the land of opportunities.” Therefore, we are taught that to obtain our cultural goals, we must try to achieve them by almost any means necessary. America was a very self-absorbed country. For instance, look at the 80’s, that era named “the era of greed.” We’re a very wealthy country; with wealth comes greed. We like to keep money in our pockets at all times–meaning we always want to have money.

Everywhere you look now, there it is, the American flag: our symbol of pride. “One nation, under God with liberty and justice for all.” We have become united as a nation. The American Red Cross has raised millions of dollars with the help of normal, everyday citizens. Celebrities have joined together and held telethons to raise millions of dollars also. The American flag has been in such high demands all over the country that they’re almost impossible to find in stores. From car washes to simple donation buckets in supermarkets, everywhere you go people are contributing.

Before the 9/11 attacks, one would never have doubts about who’s on the same flight as you, or feeling compelled to wash your hands after touching the mail. We took for granted what most people don’t have–freedom. The freedom to walk down the street without the fear of seeing a terrorist act and living without the fears of being on a national heighted security alert for more terrorist attacks. Hell, we’re “the land of the free,” or perhaps we took for granted that we really were.

Because of these attacks, many people are having second thought about doing many everyday things. Flying is a huge phobia that was concocted after the attacks. Muslims, or people of Arabic descent, live in fear because American are so mad at that race of people, feeling that everyone who is Muslim should pay for what Bin Laden did. They live in so much fear that Christian groups have been helping them with “outdoor recreational activities” because they are the newest racial target.

Our economy was on the rise when former President Clinton was in office. America’s budget was balanced and from that, we were able to produce a surplus. NASDAQ and Dow Jones were as strong as ever. Unemployment was on a national low, and it seemed like everything was peachy keen in the U.S.

After the 9/11 attacks, people freaked out. Stocks plummeted, our economy slipped, and thousands of people nationwide have been laid off. The travel industry (mostly air travel) has been affected the most, since the terrorist attacks happened with airplanes. They were impacted so badly that not only did they have to lay thousands of employees off, but they also had to get millions of dollars worth of loans to keep their businesses running. Alas, not only has air travel been affected, but also hotels and motels are offering very cheap rates. So cheap in fact, that now is the best time to travel, since the hotels and motels haven’t been this cheap in a long, long time.

America has been known for being an invincible country. Americans have won just about every war that we have entered, with the exception of Vietnam, but we “pulled out” of that one before we met defeat. Armed with guns, tanks, airplanes, herbicide, whatever it takes to win, we’ll use it. We go into the enemy?s country, kick butt, and then take peace and order into our own hands. That’s just how America fights. That’s how we’ve won wars for decades. In contrast, that’s not how we are fighting now.

“America’s New War/War on Terrorism” is the title of the war on the Taliban. New war and new concept makes for a new style of fighting. First, President Bush declared war not on a country, but a war on terrorism worldwide. How can you fight that? Easy, you take war to new level. That’s what we’ve done. We waited two months into the war and finally took violent action. We’re bombing Afghanistan because this is a war on terrorism, not a war against a country. All terrorist action must be put to a stop, and now is the time to act on that. We’re going to diminish the problem.

A lot has changed since the attacks on the U.S. People have turned their heart of stone to American pride. We have never been such a united nation as we are now since WWII. It’s too bad that a tragedy had to happen to make us open our eyes and give compassion to one another. We have come along way since 9/11; hopefully, we won’t take a step back.

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