"On Sept. 11, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country." Our commander-in-chief, President George W. Bush, spoke these powerful words on Sept. 20 in response to the national tragedy that left more than 6,000 people dead and three of the most important American buildings damaged or demolished. Americans hope that they will never witness any event worse than this.
Americans have been inspired to patriotism by these events. Many Americans have seen racism and prejudice. All Americans have noticed that their freedoms have been greatly reduced since the incident - airports, sporting events, and government buildings have all increased their security measures drastically. Have the terrorists won already?
President Bush claims that the terrorists were enemies of freedom. The United States government has effectively reduced the freedoms and civil liberties of all citizens desiring the use of public facilities. Everyday life for Americans has become more difficult and far more inconvenient than it was a month ago. President Bush has already unveiled a plan to federalize airport security. It is not impossible to envision a time when all public areas are under federal surveillance and security. Is this freedom?
Understandably, we live in an era of "safety first." If safety were truly first, however, one might speculate that these attacks would not have happened. Airport security is so lax that 19 hijackers can pass through without being detected. Cockpit doors on airplanes are so weak that they can easily be broken down. Pilots are not allowed to have guns on board - while there are certainly good arguments for this, would the events of Sept. 11 have happened if the pilots had had guns?
Americans are losing their freedoms. Although we are certainly living in dangerous times, any proponent of American freedoms can only hope that in the future, a person will be able to walk into a professional sporting stadium without being frisked. Any proponent of American freedoms can only hope that one day, we will no longer be prejudiced against Arabs and Muslims - as unlikely as that day may be. The biggest problem with Americans today, as it always has been, is utter ignorance.
I am taking a rational approach to this grievous situation. I was not so rational on Sept. 11. At 9 a.m., as I did some last-minute calculus homework, a friend mentioned that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Ephemeral feelings of doubt turned into denial - "It was probably a small plane." After making my rounds on the second floor telling all who would listen, I went to homeroom, where my teacher turned on the radio and we heard that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon. The official announcements from Brother Robert simply made me more furious and scared.
I continued through my day, taking every chance to cut out to the library to check the Internet or catch a few minutes of television coverage. By lunch, I had heard that the Sears Tower had been hit, that Pittsburgh was in flames, and that the Capitol was under attack. At this point, I was legitimately frightened. I was sent by a teacher to the computer lab to check on the news, where I found that little that I had heard was true.
When I first heard the news, I thought that the news that "the Pentagon is on fire" was far worse than the tragedy at New York's World Trade Center. I did little homework that night as I realized that the human tragedy at the Twin Towers was far worse than the symbolic tragedy in Washington. I realized the heroes of the day were the brave passengers, the valiant firefighters, and the gallant police officers. I realized that if America could band together as a result of the events, what happened must ultimately be a good thing for Americans.
I have found myself rallying behind President George W. Bush, when on Sept. 10 I might not have been so enthusiastic about his presidency. His performance has been stellar in this time of need, and he deserves all of the credit that is due to him. Likewise, though our economy has faltered in recent weeks, it will bounce back with the resiliency characteristic of all that is American.
I had never imagined that I could be so captivated by the news. I had never imagined that I would forgo food, drink, sleep, and everything else to monitor the state of events. I had never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would see the Twin Towers, or any other American buildings, collapse. The symbolic value of these buildings is appreciated only once they are gone.
The World Trade Center towers must be rebuilt. If they are not, it is a permanent symbol of our susceptibility to terrorism. Perhaps we might rebuild them with an extra story as a memorial and a symbol of American strength. We cannot use this valuable space as a memorial, as the space in Oklahoma City was used. These buildings must be rebuilt so that Americans can have yet another positive rallying point. America needs these buildings back. Though the lives lost are irreplaceable, the buildings are not. As a sign of the resilience so characteristic of Americans, the Twin Towers must be re-erected. Though I still cannot watch the videos of the planes hitting the towers and of the towers collapsing without a tear coming to my eye, I do believe that America will bounce back from this tragedy.