Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) In Southwest Ohio the weather on September 11, 2001 was as glorious as it was in New York city on that tragic morning. I was teaching school at a large suburban Cincinnati High School. News came to me in the hallway, then down the stairwell as I hurried between third and fourth bell to study hall. A young man was telling his friend that a plane had hit the trade center. I dismissed the news and rushed along to the cafeteria. There I switched on the TV and watched history unfold. I told the students they were welcome to watch the news. I stared, whispered to myself, worried and monitored my increasing autonomic arousal. I teach US History and knew this attack was an act of war. Mentally I surveilled my knowledge of Pearl Harbor and compared the two. I knew instantly that which my students could not see, that the world they knew was bifurcated, cut in half, a time before and a time after. Looking back, and studying the days events I now know I saw the second tower (chronologically) collapse, but then in the moment I did not trust my eyes and an interesting psychological phenomena occurred. That phenomena was revealed when fifth period assembled. Chasity asked me if I had heard or seen the news. I said I had and had watched the news live during fourth bell. She said that then I saw the tower collapse as if imploded on itself. I responded with all the authority of an experienced teacher that no that did not make sense, the towers could not fall that way it was impossible... Only hours later did I know the awful truth, could I believe as I have faith in human goodness that the towers both had fallen. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? As a teacher of history I keep passive knowledge of the location of the president. My first rational insight on that day was that the president was safe in Florida. It gave me great peace to know he was not in DC. I repeated it endlessly to any who would hear me. By 7th period my classes and I had head-aches from watching the news. I asked them if they would like to watch more. They said no. Never before has the scientific method or an independent variable held such comfort (I teach AP Psychology). LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? I have been concerned for sometime about the disasterous consequences of fear as a motivator. Fear of communism - historically and fear of terrorism in my lifetime has the potential to destroy the values upon which our nation is built. The Patriot Act has the potential to destroy the liberty of the individual. Had the fourth plane hit capitol hill and had our federal legislature been destroyed, out of fear, what emergency powers might have been granted the executive branch? The most infamous demogogue of the 20th century manipulated hate and fear to achieve constitutional dictatorial powers after the Reichstag burned. I need to know that public policy is just that, reasoned policy, not an instinctive fear response. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource lc_story191.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-01-04 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.208.38