nmah701.xml

nmah701.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-30

I was driving to my school (I'm a third grade teacher, in California), and turned on the radio to listen to a little music. I heard the DJ's talking about the World Trade Center collisions and at first I thought it must be a hoax. I switched stations to National Public Radio and was shocked to hear what was happening. I was numb when I drove into the parking lot, and immediatly called my husband. Time seemed to be passing quickly and slowly as my adrenaline began to race. I thought, "What is going to happen next? What other targets are going to be hit?" and I remeber feeling very insecure about my safety. Next, I worried about what I would tell my eight-year-old students. How would I discuss this tragedy and assure them that they would be safe at school that day? How would I look into their innocent faces and talk about this violent act?

I am much more worried about the state of the foreign policy of the Unites States. Many times I have lost faith that modern man will ever find it within them selves to move away from acts of violence and revenge. I fear that the U.S. response is only going to complicate our problems and create even more hatred of Americans worldwide. I am troubled, saddened, and I detest the loss of innocent lives on both sides of this conflict.

The most memorable moments from September 11, 2001, were the many instances when humanity aided humanity, even in the face of a shocking tradegy. We chose to let go of hatred based on ethnicity, religion, and country of origin. The response of the nation and the world showed that hate does not have to beget hate. The world's reponse to this catastophy is a demonstration of what could and should be for humanity.

Yes, my students and I created and displayed American flags in front of our school. At that time, I saw it as a sign of remembrance for those that had perished on September 11th. Since that time, I feel that many people see the American flag as a sign of support for the war in Afganistan. I do not support any acts of violence, by anyone, therefore, I currently do not have a flag on my house or car. It's strange how the meaning of our flag changed so significantly in such a short period of time. It is sad for me to choose not to display the flag for this reason.