September 11 Digital Archive

tp45.xml

Title

tp45.xml

Source

born-digital

Media Type

story

Created by Author

yes

Described by Author

no

Date Entered

2003-02-24

TomPaine Story: Story

Lesson Learned submission:

On 9/11 the nation and the world witnessed a reprehensible and violent act. Americans suffered a profound loss of life, safety and an innocent view of the world. The grieving process of a nation began. Grief, which follows loss, was portrayed with dignity and compassion.

Then war was declared. New stations carried banners of ""WAR ALERT,"" or ""WAR ON TERRORISM,"" that accompanied continued updates on the numbers of deaths and the government's response. Fear of further attacks, fear of anthrax, and anger were feelings most often expressed. America's fear and anger were feelings that were justified, and exploited, to get revenge and embark upon the course of war.

What was not allowed to happen was the lesson of the natural unfolding of the grieving process. The lesson of the ability of the human spirit to accommodate loss, pain and eventually experience healing. Daily reminders of fear and hate has prohibited that process. This process is badly needed so the view of the world is not one of victims and perpetrators. A necessary lesson needed is dialogue, and other than violent means to bring peace to a world that will not survive otherwise.

Citation

“tp45.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed November 26, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/747.