Loud and clear
We as Americans have always had it pretty good. We get to drive huge gas guzzling automobiles, super-size our meals, and most importantly, we have the freedom to say whatever is on our minds. Having all these privileges every day makes it very easy to forget how lucky we are really are.
We all remember what we were doing Sept 11 2001, when we heard the news.
I remember sitting on the couch in my living room with my room -mate Santos. We were both watching television. We were watching the news, and they were already talking about the first plane that had hit, but in all reality they had very little facts, and were just saying the same thing over and over again. Other than the news on the television, everything was relatively normal. Then all hell broke loose.
I was sitting there eating my daily bowl of Lucky Charms, pretty much just following my Tuesday morning routine, and then it happened. While I was in mid-bite, I saw the second plane slam into the side of the south tower. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I remember hearing the desperation in people’s voices as they called in to give their eye witness accounts. I vividly remember one woman who was being interviewed on televison via phone, crying and screaming.
I have lived in this country for all 21 years of my life and never thought twice about being safe, it was at that very moment that I fully realized how lucky we all are to be Americans.
After the attacks we all felt more patriotic than ever, a lot of us sported t-shirts stating that we wouldn’t forget. We tacked American Flags everywhere they could be placed. Something changed that day. Month after month the news media barraged us with hundreds of specials on the events that took place. With all of this exposure, it was hard not to become numb to the horrific scenes we were all subjected to. Over time I think that’s exactly what happened.
Sept 11 changed us all in some way. Months after the attacks you could just tell that people’s demeanors were different. The way we approached problems changed, the attacks brought us together as a nation. For a little while. I started to notice that I saw patriotism as another fad that would be swept under the carpet, only to be exposed on anniversaries and other times of need.
One excellent example of this was when people started putting American Flags everywhere they could.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, you couldn’t walk five feet down the street without seeing an American Flag somewhere. They were everywhere, street poles, house fronts, stickers on cars, all adorned the symbol of the United States that we love. Then I started to notice an upsetting trend.
Months after the attacks flag sightings were not as frequent, and to
make a long story short, public displays of American pride were dwindling. As the anniversary of this tragic event started to loom closer, another trend was upon us. As the television media started to throw Sept. 11 specials at us again flags started to pop up, and people were once again awakened to the events of one year ago.
Why did this happen? Sept 11 should have taught us that we should be thankful for what we have every single day, not just when news reports rile up our emotions again. Being an American means that we can speak our minds freely whenever we want, so why don’t we exercise that freedom more often?
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 13 2002. Filed under Opinion.
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