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. My husband, adult daughter and I were staying at a cabin on the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota, and were looking forward to canoeing. It had been rainy the first few days that we were there. Finally the sun came out and my husband and daughter went down to the lodge to rent a canoe. When my husband said to the young man at the counter that it's a beautiful day, and the young man looked confused and said "yes, here it is.." and my husband and daughter then looked confused, the young man said "you don't know, do you?" and he proceeded to tell them what had happened a couple hours earlier. We did take out the canoe, and it was the strangest bittersweet feeling, to be out in that canoe, enjoying God's country, the peacefulness, the quiet, the only sounds being the water lapping on the side of the canoe. We felt so many feelings, guilt for feeling safe in this place, shock that this could happen, deep sorrow for the lives lost, but I think mostly we felt guilt, like who were we to be enjoying this when other's lives are totally shattered. We did have a CD player with a radio, so we listened to the radio accounts of what was happening, but it was not as riveting as sitting in front of our televisions would have been. Of this, I am thankful that we did not have a television. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. All of our lives have changed because of September 11, 2001. We cannot deny that. In every way, some good, some bad. As Americans, I believe that we are working hard to make something good of every aspect of the attacks. I have tried to embrace the positive aspects, the ways that we Americans have come together working for the common goal of Peace. But just recently, 11 months later, something on the news (about the poison gas tests on dogs) made me fill with such hate, such ugly feelings, such rage, I could not believe it was me feeling this way. I wanted to kill, just one terrorist, even if I would havce had to spend my life in prison, or die for it. Then I knew I had played into the terrorist's hands and become as ugly and hateful as the terrorists. I would never, could never do anything like that, but for a moment, all the hate, fear, ugliness in me reared it's head. Thank God he keeps my heart and mind in his hands and I can let go of the bad feelings. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I like most to remember the immediate victims, the firefighters, the policemen, EVERYONE who worked so long and hard to find people who had been in the towers and the Pentagon, and the people who were passengers on the hijacked airplanes, but especially the victims themselves, the people who worked in the Towers and the Pentagon. We must never forget them, just as we must never forget the soldiers who have died in wars, the Jews and everyone who died in the Holocaust. 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? Yes, I bought a American flag with a holder from the American Legion, had my husband install it on the front of our house, and fly it proudly. I grew up knowing that my parents and grandparents would always fly the American flag on holidays like Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, anytime that was appropriate to show our pride in our flag. And now my husband and I will continue the tradition. 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 nmah643.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. 2002-08-30 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 64.12.96.70