nmah6583.xml

nmah6583.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-09-02

I was at high school walking to my next class which was competitive forensics and a friend came up to me and told me that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Towers in New York. I didn't really believe him, or if I did it, I thought that it would have been a small plane. Then I got to class and my teacher had the TV on and was watching the live coverage. I just remember being like "It isn't that bad. Sure there is alot of smoke but it is still standing and everything." I watched live coverage as the second plane hit the second tower and as both towers fell. More than anything I was just in disbelief. I just kept repeating to myself that it couldn't be real and that this couldn't be happening. We sat there and watched for two hours (I skipped the my next class).

Well, obviously the things that everyone has to go through. Like extra security and all of that. More personally then that though it has prompted me to take political science courses both at the University of Wyoming (my home university) and at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand where I am studying abraid. It has made me want to learn about the complex situation that exsist in the Middle East and why there is tension and conflict between the United States and different political groups.

I think that the workers (both during and after) in New York should be remembered and honored. And the general out pour of sympathy and support that come from all over the US and the world. In addition, I think we need to remember the history that led to this event. Both within the last decade all the way back to the turn of the century. We need to remember what action and policies in our past contributed to this tragedy. We need to remember that not all threats are external and that in addition to looking for justice outside of our nation, we need to look inside our beliefs and values as a nation as see if there aren't things that we need to change.

I did not fly a flag after 9/11, and really my feelings about the flag haven't changed. It is a symbol, I certainly have new images attached to the symbol (such as the flag being flow over the rumble of the towers) but I still see it as just a symbol. It is no more important now then it was before.