nmah1539.xml

nmah1539.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-08

I witnessed the events from my classroom TV at William E Waters Middle School in Portsmouth, Virginia with my 27 sixth grade students. Mrs Link came down and said to turn on the TV, that a plane hit the World Trade Center. I turned it on and then realized that I was sharing this with the students and I felt extremely out of control. I really did not know what to say and I thought that it was some kind of accident until the second plane hit. I then had a really bad feeling that it was planned. I tried very hard to not cry or show any extreme behavior to the students.

When the we found out about the Pentagon bombing I went out into the hall to talk with Mrs. Boggs to see if her husband was in Washington today. He wasn't in Washington. He was safe.

I also feared for my wife's grandmother who was to fly to Virginia that day. She was safe on the ground in North Carolina.

I watched with my students for the rest of the day. The seemed to be about wanting safety for everyone. I wanted to know that everyone in my life was safe.

I feel that I need to watch the government even more. Though it is not the government's fault for September 11th, they helped create an environment of hate by allowing our oil greed to get in the way of democracy. Since all politics is local I am involved in my neighborhood civic league.

I feel that the building should be rebuilt. I think that we need to stand above this barbaric act and build the building again to show that we can not be overcome.

I think that we should remember the people who have lost their live trying to save people. The firefighters, police, and other emergency people gave their lives like soldiers on the front lines.

Yes, after we found one to buy. All of them were sold out, except for foreign made ones. I just wanted an American Flag made with American hands.

I have even deeper feelings for the flag, and I enjoy saying the pledge with my students every day.