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 "September 11: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. On September 11, 2001 I was in West Palm Beach, FL. That morning I attended the kick-off breakfast for the local United Way. In leaving the hotel I was listening to the radio and picked up on the end of a conversation of a plane crashing into a building. Upon scanning radio stations, not many were playing music. I started to wonder what was going on!?!??!?!?! The constant talk had me shocked to hear what happend and the continued chain of events that morning. I went back to work at the municipality I worked for and remembered feeling scared. SCARED? In the good ol' USA? Yes, scared. What was happening? What can I do? My mother called, she was shakken by the accounts also. She told me to be careful, knowing I worked for a government agency. Her company's main branch was located in tower 2 of the WTC. She knew of people there. Now 1 year later I can still remember laying in bed at night and hearing the military air craft flying overhead. We didn't live to far from the coast and the constant sound of jets flying overhead during a 'No Fly' time was frightening. One evening my boyfriend and I went to the local inlet to the Atlantic Ocean; neither of us could sleep. As I stood out on the jetty you could hear the turbulance form the jets flying overhead, but you could't see a thing in the moonlight sky. Why I wondered? Why did so many have to die? Not only New York, but D.C. and PA too! I will never forget the fate of the thousands of people that day. As the television showed the towers collapsing, the Pentagon crushed and the scorched Earth in PA, all I could think of was the people. The people, the people. Those people in those planes, buildings, cars, streets. Did I personally know anyone killed by this dreadful menace? No. But the effect it has on me, I cannot explain. I just want to cry, I want to absorb some of the pain they may have felt knowing they were going to die and the grief, the grief that the friends, family and citizens feel. I will not let terrorism change me. I will forever remember the acts of those who have changes my country. But I WILL NOT LET THEM TAKE MY COUNTRY DOWN. People commit terrible crimes everyday. Americans kill other Americans. In the end we all have to answer to a higher power. You can kill Americans, but more will be born. You can kill Americans, but more will defect. You can kill Americans, but more will be found. You can kill Americans, but you cannot take the American Spirit. If there is anything that I hope is learned from this tragic event it is: That we are all people. We share the Earth with other people, animals, plants, water, minerals, fire, elements, etc. Because I do not look like you does nt make me bad. Learn to accept one another regardless of skin color, religion, tastes, or choice of companion. Racism comes in many forms and one particular race built this great country. Yes, built it with their own physical labor. Please be proud of who you are and accept those that are not like you. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. YES! I grieve for people I never knew. I try very hard to accept everyone for who they are. I will not change the way I live my life. I live my life for me. I am a human being and I have choices I make on my own. I will not die regreting anything. Tomorrow is not promised, but the moment I am in is what I have control of. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? Not only did people die in New York, but also at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. Those who parished were not only police and firefighter/ems, there were business people, laborers, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, white people, black people, yellow people, brown people, women, men, babies, adults, gay people, straight people, rich people, poor people, etc. They all suffered the SAME FATE. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? The American flag has always stood for FREEDOM. Many people before 9-11-01 died for the American flag. It will always be a symboly of FREEDOM and the history of our great country. WHITE is for PURITY RED is for VALOR BLUE is for JUSTICE 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 nmah4180.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 204.32.9.30