It is hard to imagine that over time, some of the emotions have run cold or become indifferent. It is important to remember what happened on that day, and keep the spirit of the country alive in our hearts. Thousands of lives were lost. They were Americans, just like you and me.
Jessica Rose, a student on the Penn Valley campus, remembers exactly what she was doing on 9-11-01. "I was in my home economics class in high school. We stopped everything to watch the news. The rest of the day was spent watching and reflecting on the events." On the fifth anniversary, Rose was shocked. "I can't believe that it has been five years. Time goes by so quickly."
 Jessica Rose |
Lucas Hadley, a music technology major on campus, said, "The attack gave me a dark, ominous feeling. I knew it would shape national relations." He questioned the validity of how the events unfolded. "It could be a conspiracy," Hadley suggested. "The president knew about the attacks in advance. He could have had a hidden agenda, to keep Americans in check." Since then, Hadley noticed, "gas, oil and security supplies prices have escalated."
Carly Peerson, a nursing major, said in response to Hadley, "I don’t think Bush could have done anything to stop the attack. The terrorists are crazy and jealous of what we have in America." She was deeply affected by the families who suffered the most: "I feel terrible for the children who lost their families." She also explained, "The people who tried to save lives are now getting sick from breathing in all the debris from ground zero."
We will not know the long-term effects of the attacks until enough time has passed to change the direction of our country. We need to prevent another 9-11 by bringing American citizens closer together. Know your neighbor. Become involved in the community, and enjoy the life provided to you by the people fighting and dying for your freedom.
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Copyright 2006 Metropolitan Community College