The events surrounding the 9/11 terrorist attacks hit home for me because my brother is a firefighter and it made me fearful of what might happen to him if he were in a similar situation. After seeing the Twin Towers come down, and the 412 emergency workers who lost their lives, I have not been able to get the idea that my brother is constantly putting his life in danger out of my mind.
Affect on America
America would be forever changed by the terrorist attacks. Just prior to the attacks, America was not engaged in any wars. And, not many people had heard of Osama bin Laden, ISIS, and al-Qaeda. Half the number of people were being deported from America as there are today (Hesson, 2012). People did not even have to take their shoes off to go through airport security.
Broader Scope
9/11 changed not just the way the United States handles its national security, but it also had an impact on the rest of the world. This was the deadliest terrorist attack on US soil and it sparked a war on terror that spread throughout the world (Green, par. 13). It has been 18 years since the terrorist attack, and the aftermath is still being felt today. Hate crimes and Islamophobia continually affect people who are of Middle Eastern descent, as well as Muslims. This is due to the media publicizing the backgrounds and identities of the terrorists, leading to a spike in hate crimes against people who appeared to be Middle Eastern (Green, Par. 17).
Affect on Me
Like so many other people, I have never quite been the same since 9/11. I am not only concerned about the safety of my brother almost all the time, I’m also fearful of the overall events of the world. I do not feel safe anymore, knowing that someone could cause so much destruction in such a short period of time. Regarding my brother, I feel I am so much closer to him now. I speak with him on the phone much more often, just so I know that he is okay.
Social Responsibility
The response of the first responders that attended 9/11 shows the importance social responsibility. Everyone can take the reaction of the first responders as guidance about how to act in their own lives. If in the face of evil, people can band together for the sake of love, then the world will be a better place. Even in the face of evil, love will always win. While there are those who became racist against people from the Middle East, there were many more who understood that the actions of the terrorists were isolated, and that people who descended from a region of the world should be written off.
Works Cited
Green, M. How 9/11 Changed America: Four Major Lasting Impacts. KQED
News. (2017). Retrieved on November 10 from https://www.kqed.org/lowdown/14066/13-years-later-four-major-lasting-impacts-of-911
Hesson, T. Five ways immigration system changed after 9/11. ABC News. (2012).
Retrieved November 10 from https://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/ways-immigration-system-changed-911/story?id=17231590
