story5445.xml

story5445.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

It was just an ordinary day as I sat in Spanish class trying to decipher exactly what the teacher was saying. Contemplating, I looked ahead as one of our history teachers presented herself in the doorway with tears in her eyes. She frantically told us to turn on the television, for a plane had just flown into one of the Twin Towers. With that being said, the TV was on and we all stared in disbelief at the gaping hole that scarred one of the buildings. Various thoughts began running through my head: ?Do I know anyone that works in one of those buildings, was that done intentionally, who could do such a thing, is everyone going to be able to get out of there?? While my heart ached, I watched in horror as another plane stabbed the second building, as a portion of the Pentagon was engulfed in flames, as the Twin Towers fell to the Earth, at the hole in a field in Pennsylvania. Why was this happening? Hate. That?s why. Yet, I was still confused. How could anyone feel that they were doing right in harming innocent civilians?
I will admit, at the time I was a little uneducated in regard to the culture and beliefs of the Middle East. Now having a pretty good understanding, my bewilderment remains. We will never be able to have a full understanding of what was running through the minds of those terrorists as they performed those horrific acts upon our American soil. We can only hope and pray that justice will be served, that the mastermind behind this tragedy will be found and punished accordingly, and that we can all remain strong and pull through as one. There is one aspect of our citizenship in America that will forever be untouched, what we stand for, what we live by: our freedom. God bless the victims and their families! Our prayers and deepest sympathies are with you always!