9/11 America: A Light at The End of the Tunnel

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A photo of a 9/11 memorial in New York City, New York.  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=9%2F11+memorials&title=Special:MediaSearch&type=image

Alizah Hashmi, In-Depth Writer

September 11, 2001. A dark day in American history. Two planes brought with them both destruction and uncertainty. Another targeting the Pentagon flooded mainstream America with the burden of fear.

 

Even 21 years later, 9/11 is still remembered, and will be remembered forever as a day where a grim shadow obscured America’s glow. Al-Qaeda’s ambush through hijacked planes towards the World Trade Center and the Pentagon sent shockwaves felt as far as the West Coast. The uncertainty and savageness of the attack brought out raw emotions among the American population. On the frontlines, EMTs, firefighters, and police forces rushed to the impacted sites. These individuals blindly put their lives on the line as they were unaware of the severity of the damage caused by the crashed planes.

 

The World Trade Center, being thousands of feet tall, housed many working pupils on the day of September 11th. All of them came to work as they would on a normal day, but little did they know that their lives and the face of the country would be changed forever. 

 

According to NYU, as the two planes crashed into the Twin Towers, a grave explosion of fire occurred. Farther down in Virginia, another attack was headed towards the Pentagon. Across the state lines in Pennsylvania, an additional plane was headed. Screams, shouts, cries of desperation, fear, pain and helplessness followed the explosive commotions. Those trapped inside tried everything in their power to get out of the blaze. Many perished in the destruction, but those who were able to escape were not unscathed from mental and physical trauma. 

 

The aftermath of the attacks revealed an ugly, raw picture of America. The landscape in all three states was littered with building remains. Families were left with the grief of perished and traumatized loved ones. Even worse was the pain of those who were left unfound underneath the broken rubble. Though more than half of the country was present at the place of these attacks, the effects of the attacks were felt throughout.

 

9/11 not only brought out the worst in people, but also the best. The aftermath of the event brought communities and broken people together. America came together as one. People were not left to deal with their trauma alone. There was more emphasis on compassion and empathy towards others rather than personal desires. Memorials were held nationwide to honor those whose lives were sacrificed in this great tragedy. The day of September 11th, 2001 was nationally commemorated as a day of remembrance.

 

SOURCE: https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2021/august/nyu-research-post-9-11.html