Author's Note: This piece is going to be used for my District Writing Assessment. We had our choice to write whatever we felt like. I decided to write an essay since it was 9/11 the day the assignment was given...Comment please!
The buildings fought, just as
we did. Upon the great metal structure, supported with hopes and dreams, they
still swayed. Impact ruptured the metal bones. They leaned to the left and then
back, swaying indecisively—the decision fatal to the souls occupying inside.
But with each tilt and fighting moment, the hopes and dreams were flickering.
The agonizing lean of the skyscrapers were the tests, were the warnings. And
when the flame of those hopes and dreams died out, they sent a vast debris
cloud rumbling down the streets. It chased the people down the roads and
alleyways, soaking into buildings, sheeting everything with gray. A gray,
however, that did not last.
9/11 was the result of hatred. Hate was always the root
of this, and it dug so deep the plant swelled with negative growth. And the growth
became reality. To remember this reality, each year on the anniversary, is to
remember our reaction; not to
remember al Qaeda. Their motives aren’t of necessary discussion. What we do need
to concern ourselves over, are the affects afterwards. Some believe our American
spirit was lost in the hectic scenes, lost in the chaos.
In May of 2011, we avenged our fears, loved ones, beloved
towers and American spirit by claiming the life of al Qaeda’s leader. This, of
course, was our goal—one that we achieved. Does this truly make everything better
though? Things are not completely solved by death, life is the answer to the
positive future. The living are the ones who can make changes. And if we do, our
American spirit will rebuild in time…but did it ever truly die? No, although
the process of strengthening took/will take time. The development of our
continuing American spirit consists of fears, dreams, and the resolve.
Fears:
The aftermath was a country suffering from paranoia;
overreacting because someone was from a certain ethnicity—wondering if they
were a terrorist because they were from the middle-east. Planes were avoided,
some wondering if the next plane they stepped onto was going to be hijacked.
And of course the general fear of being attacked again, considering one plane
didn’t reach its target—al Qaeda might want revenge for that “inconvenience”. Paranoid
people were roaming about in despair, but among them, was the wish, the
longing, to return to the past.
Dreams:
A dream is forever, it is
infinite. Hope is always encouraging our dreams, and wherever there’s despair,
hope is always trailing along. Even when the hope seems lost in the vast debris
cloud, it is there. Remnants of dreams can always be found in remembrance. And
since dreams are first imagined, it can be retrieved from memory. Our
remembrance was our sight. We weren’t blinded by the smoke and chaos and metal
gore. America is known for always sticking together, helping each other to
think and see straight, even when in the least hopeful of situations. The
Revolutionary War is good example of this. Our numbers were lacking, and yet we
stuck together, putting our heads together to evolve an idea of strategy.
Instead of standing rows upon rows of soldiers, we would be scattered; using
the element of surprise to fight our battles. And in the end, we came out
bloody and scarred, but also victorious and strong. Stronger in spirit and
stronger in togetherness. We strengthened our American spirit. We revived our
American dream even when the towers were destroyed. It was never lost. Always
trailing behind. And we knew, that you cannot strengthen something that you
don’t have.
The Resolve:
Many actions have been set to resolve our dreams and to
strengthen our American dream altogether. We bond together, initiating support
groups including all people, to explain how they feel. Emotional baggage is
something no one wants to lug around. We unite ourselves to work out our
feelings. Physical changes and systems have been made in attempt to protect the
safety of the public as well—especially on planes. The new security systems
have been installed and enforced such as TSA (Transportation Safety
Administration). Aboard the plane, the once open cockpit door that led to the
control room, is now shut. Made of steel and closed whenever the plane is in
motion, it can no longer be kicked in, making it impossible to hijack the plane’s
controls. The Office of Homeland Defense is also a new corporation where they
set terror alerts and monitor any terror threats that come in through tips.
Also, creating the threat level list, has helped us to specifically monitor
each terrorist group, rating them with symbols and numbers, trying to track
their every move.
Currently, we are still working
to resolve our problems created on the day of tragedy. I believe, in time, as
we continue to enhance technology further, it will be completely impossible to
create a terrorist attack. Not only on airplanes, but everywhere. Cities,
trains, stores, buildings… And as we improve our knowledge of these types of
attacks, the only struggles left will be the emotional.
Some might want to forget—it
might be easier after all! But to forget that day of horrific scenes, is to
forget the day we bonded together, risking our own lives for the sake of
strangers’. In times of great struggle—that is when we are at our greatest, our
bravest, even if we don’t seem it. We are united, as a team, supporting,
joining together in union. Encouraging, volunteering and honoring for our great
Nation. Because the truth is, you can never lose your meaning, your purpose. And
if everything happens for a reason, 9/11 was to strengthen our American spirit,
to unite us again.
The gray does not ever last.
Searching the wreckage of metal bones and gore, our hopes and dreams do not lie
with them. They remain to hang in the air, standing forever there, up high
where we will always remember the ghosts.
And as we look up at the ghosts of our Twin Towers, we will forever know
that they fought, just as we did.
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