September 11, 2001 began like any other school day. My first class was Pre-Calculus, and the only unusual event was a fire drill which, considering the beautiful autumn day, was rather pleasant. Like my fellow classmates, I had assumed that the fire drill was likely to be the only excitement to be had for the remainder of the day. I was soon disabused of that notion as I arrived at my second class - United States History.
It has always seemed to me that my "9-11 moment" was somewhat ironic. Our previous class assignment had been to come up with a list of the most pressing issues in the country. The chalkboard was, therefore, filled with our concerns about abortion, stem-cell research, gun control, and many others. Foreign policy may have been on the board - I don't remember - but terrorism was not.
I had walked into the classroom to find that the television had been
turned to the news. This, by itself, was not uncommon for our class.
After a minute or two, however, my classmates and I settled down and we
came to realize that our teacher had not yet turned off the
news. It took a few moments to realize what we were seeing. We watched in shock as footage of the burning tower filled the screen. Thoughts like "horrible accident" were echoed by the on-site reporter. Just as we had begun to process this event, a second plane appeared on the screen. This was a live feed, so there was no warning. It's been five years, and still, I cannot forget the desperate hope-against-hope that it was the camera angle, a trick of light, that this plane seemed to fly so determinedly towards the second, still intact, tower.
...
It's now 2006 and I'm sure that if my old History teacher were to again write the current most pressing issues on his chalkboard, terrorism and the war would undoubtedly be at the top of the list. That list is not the only thing that has changed. We, as a nation, have also changed much in the past five years.
In the weeks that followed, despite the weary regurgitations of the same video footage, and the countless theories and analyses spewed by the "leading experts", the spirit of the American people seemed strengthened. Yes, we had been through a horrific tragedy. But we would stand, as one nation, arms stretched to embrace each other, and hands lent to support those most affected. No longer were we, as Americans, complacent about our nation, or indifferent about our freedoms. It was, in a way, America at her ideal. But, like many changes wrought by strong emotions, this was not to last.
Five years later, and we, as Americans, are more dispirited than we have been in decades. If we were indifferent before 9-11, we are now disillusioned. The war in Iraq, which so many of us rallied for, demanded even, has lasted too long. Two decades of relative peace bred a generation of young men and women unexposed to war. To join the armed forces was, for many, not a commitment to serve and possibly die in battle, but an opportunity to earn a free college education.
Whatever bond we shared in the weeks following the attacks has been traded for a deep rift between the political left and right. Above all, the resounding patriotism that roared though the nation five years ago has dwindled to a nagging whimper. Osama bin Laden could not have claimed victory on September 11, 2001. But in light of the growing disillusionment with not only our government, but our country as well, I wonder if bin Laden ought to feel somewhat successful.
The cost of 9-11 cannot be quantified by the number of lives taken both on that day and in the subsequent war. It continues to grow as America becomes increasingly divided. 9-11 has been dubbed America's "wake-up call", but I wonder if we have not fallen back asleep and are now tossing and turning in this discontented dream. I expect that within the next several years the towers will be rebuilt. How many more years it will take to rebuild America, I can't say for sure.