lc_story218.xml

lc_story218.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-01-07

On September 11, 2001, I was at the technical college where I was earning an associates degree in marketing. It was morning and I was walking through the halls on the bottom floor. It was a crisp bright morning, and I felt motivated and happy. I was on my way to the library when I noticed two of my instructors watching television. I asked "what's goin on guys?"
No one answered me. I looked up to the television to witness live coverage of one of the twin towers burning with a huge gap in the top of it. I was horrified, but not as horrified as I was when I witnessed the second plane hitting the other tower on live television. My heart sunk and I looked directly into one of my instructors eye and I could see that he was crying. I felt the tears on my face, warm and trickling from my chin. I went to the restroom and cried to myself. I could not for the life of me stop thinking of the utter horror of the people on those planes and in those buildings. It hurt me to think of those poor people and the hell the went through. For the rest of the day the college held classes as usual, but only optional classes. We discussed what had happened and our anger for those who had done it. That afternoon I went home and went to bed emotionally drained by the graphic scenes I had witnessed on television all day long.

My strongest memory of 9/11, 2001, was the moment I witnessed the second plane hit the second tower. It was such a crisp and sureal event, and the implications of the second plane were so terrible, that I will live with that memory for the rest of my life and cry when I think about it as I am now.

The events of september 11th have effected the United States of America in a devestating way. It has opened the door for political extremism, and has set us back in racial relations. The events of 9/11, 2001 has devistated our economy, and shaken the very foundation of freedom in America.
Shortly after 9/11 I decided to change my choice in education. I decided to concentrate on my family and work instead of going to school for marketing. I felt as if my faith in the good of humanity was lost, and my trust in people as individuals would never be the same. A few of my friends from school had left for afghanistan. Many of my friends started families, and moved away. I basically resigned to an average life, and just trying to survive and be there to love my family. For a while afterwards everyone I knew and know lived in a state of fear; waiting for the next shoe to drop. We discussed nuclear attacks in the cities nearby, and how we would survive terrorist attacks.
The trust in humanity we once had as Americans in a free country has been destroyed because of the terrorists of 9/11. We now all live in a state of fear and defense. This is not a happy country, and I don't know when it will become one. I believe the only people that are happy about the way things are going in this country are the few militaristic radicals of wars past, and the religious zealots who seak an end... a proof of their beliefs. The "I told you so's", and the "end is neighs."