story20862.xml
Title
story20862.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2006-09-12
911DA Story: Story
I wrote the following essay on September 12, 2001. It helped me to release some of the emotions that I was feeling. I just sat down and wrote for about 15 minutes, and this is what I had.
The American Spirit
As I sit here at work, reflecting on the events of the past day, I am reminded of what makes this a great country. It the spirit of the American people. This spirit is the foundation of this nation. This, not the icons of the country is what drives this country. They may destroy these icons, but they cannot destroy this spirit. I too was enraged, sorrowful, and frustrated at this attack. But we will prevail.
As we grieve for the families and friends who have lost loved one's, we must not forget what made this country great. We will be shocked at the violence, cry at the loss of life, and we will bury our dead. But we will not be defeated, we will not stay depressed, we will rise up united as never before since Pearl Harbor and Desert Storm, and we will show the world the American spirit.
We will return to work, powering the most powerful economy in the world. We will clean up the mess left in the wake of these cowardly attacks. We must reaffirm our liberty and freedom, not giving in to the terror designed to cower us. The memory of those lost deserves at least this. They are not deserving of a legacy or memory of terror and cowardly acts. They should be remembered as the reasons why we stand up for our liberty and fight every attempt to take it away.
We should erect a monument dedicated to these people following their American dream. They where from all walks of life, Business executives, stock brokers, janitors, police officers, fire fighters, EMTs, tourists, military personnel, and anybody else who was enjoying a trip to one of the symbols of American success. This monument should be new twin towers, not just 110 stories, but 111 stories with the 111th story dedicated to the memory of those lost on September 11, 2001. Not only to those lost, but those who responded to those in need, those who gave blood, waiting in line for hours to get the chance to help. This monument should remind the whole world of the resiliency of the American people, of their spirit.
Yesterday, I was demoralized, angry, and frustrated. Today I have a renewed sense of urgency to follow my own American dream. To not let these cowardly acts prevent me from achieving and enjoying the rights that the founders of this country found to be self-evident. I will honor the memory of those who were taken from us by picking up, carrying on, and defending my freedoms today and everyday for the rest of my life. This is what I would want my family and friends to do, so that is what I will do. This memory will forever be imprinted upon my memory and will be a constant motivating factor as I pursue my dreams.
Larry Steven Behnke
September 12, 2001
The American Spirit
As I sit here at work, reflecting on the events of the past day, I am reminded of what makes this a great country. It the spirit of the American people. This spirit is the foundation of this nation. This, not the icons of the country is what drives this country. They may destroy these icons, but they cannot destroy this spirit. I too was enraged, sorrowful, and frustrated at this attack. But we will prevail.
As we grieve for the families and friends who have lost loved one's, we must not forget what made this country great. We will be shocked at the violence, cry at the loss of life, and we will bury our dead. But we will not be defeated, we will not stay depressed, we will rise up united as never before since Pearl Harbor and Desert Storm, and we will show the world the American spirit.
We will return to work, powering the most powerful economy in the world. We will clean up the mess left in the wake of these cowardly attacks. We must reaffirm our liberty and freedom, not giving in to the terror designed to cower us. The memory of those lost deserves at least this. They are not deserving of a legacy or memory of terror and cowardly acts. They should be remembered as the reasons why we stand up for our liberty and fight every attempt to take it away.
We should erect a monument dedicated to these people following their American dream. They where from all walks of life, Business executives, stock brokers, janitors, police officers, fire fighters, EMTs, tourists, military personnel, and anybody else who was enjoying a trip to one of the symbols of American success. This monument should be new twin towers, not just 110 stories, but 111 stories with the 111th story dedicated to the memory of those lost on September 11, 2001. Not only to those lost, but those who responded to those in need, those who gave blood, waiting in line for hours to get the chance to help. This monument should remind the whole world of the resiliency of the American people, of their spirit.
Yesterday, I was demoralized, angry, and frustrated. Today I have a renewed sense of urgency to follow my own American dream. To not let these cowardly acts prevent me from achieving and enjoying the rights that the founders of this country found to be self-evident. I will honor the memory of those who were taken from us by picking up, carrying on, and defending my freedoms today and everyday for the rest of my life. This is what I would want my family and friends to do, so that is what I will do. This memory will forever be imprinted upon my memory and will be a constant motivating factor as I pursue my dreams.
Larry Steven Behnke
September 12, 2001
Collection
Citation
“story20862.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 10, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/18794.