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#33 | Sunday, September 16th 2001
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I was senior lounge laughing with a few of my friends. We were outside and I remember I was working on my celtic cross patch. The senior lounge teacher asked us to come inside because the principle was about to make a statement over the intercom.
We came in and stood there staring at the intercom as our princple told us that the twin towers were in ruins. The first thing that came into my mind was, "Oh my!" Then, "What if a war starts?" The rest of the day was filled with gossip, fears and tears. It was a day I'd never forget.
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Faith | 17 | Connecticut
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#32 | Sunday, September 16th 2001
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I was at school, in band, playing the Stars and Stripes Forever, when the dean came in and announced that we had been attacked. At first, I didn't think it was a big deal, and then I saw the pictures. It really shocked me, but most of all it made me angry. Whoever is responsible will pay for this. You just don't mess with the U.S.
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Katie | 17 | Connecticut
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#19 | Sunday, September 16th 2001
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I feel the anger and remorse of all other Americans, and am upset that it took something like this to bring America together...hopefully we will stay bonded through the upcoming war and for decades after the fact.
When I heard what had happened, I was in the middle of band rehearsal...we were playing "Stars and Stripes Forever"
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Lauren | 17 | Connecticut
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#17 | Sunday, September 16th 2001
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I am not going to write about my reaction when I heard the news, because it wasn't much of one. I never have feelings of revenge, because what's done is done. And the only action that would concern me is making sure that the source of a negative event is cancelled, to prevent them in the future. Only if they're intolerable, which this obviously was, because I don't want people dying, even though, honestly, I was glad that something happened. The mundane inertia to change and strict obedience of media advertisements was the alternative to killing us all. Maybe not physically, but surely most people are already dead inside from it all. It doesn't matter to me if they are breathing or not. I'll demonstrate this.
A lot of people decided that we should have a war now. Former Christian exemplars, who would claim to live by the ethics of "if someone slaps you, turn the other cheek," were now unlike their former selves. The bible didn't do their inner maniac any good, now they are foaming at their mouths, screaming on top of their lungs "kill all arabians!" This is not to speak for all, but there are more than a few people like the ones I'm talking about. So, we have ourselves prejudism.
Now, imagine, a war. In Saudi Arabia, say, there are plenty old men who actually stick to the ethics. They have shed tears over this, and prayed with their hearts that America would get through this well. What will happen to them in case of war? Well, the very people they prayed for will massively bomb them resulting in much higher casualties of innocents than have already been lost. This will only add on to unnecessary deaths. However, it will quench the fire of hatred in the hearts of those insane moral exemplars.
Another thing. There are many Arabian-Americans living in the states. Their families could have been here for a hundred years or more. They are already being descriminated against. I have already heard of store employees stating "if a damn arab shows up at the store, I will not help him with anything." In case of a war, as you can imagine, this hatred will only increase. Most, if not all, arabian americans will lose their jobs. They will be ostracized. They will be dealt violently with. They might be even killed. They might be ordered or urged to leave the US, however, no one would let an Arabian on an airplane, or even a boat. Of course, these people would still be americans, however for them the flag will not wave at that point. Great, huh?
Another thing, people keep saying that they wanted their lives to go on as typically as they have before. Every day was typical, you pull the lever, push the button. You come home and watch television commercials. You are told what to buy, you are given options (on tv) of how to live. Creativity and true potential are drained out of the window. Reciting one's typical every-day feelings over a common omnipresent crisis such "boyfriend or girlfriend break-up" put into rhymes is considered "art." People can't even draw stick figures correctly.
What's wrong with that, you may ask? Well, give me a modern pyramid. Or a modern cathedral. Even a modern house that is built not with straight planks of wood but with artistic carving of some sort. Give me anything that's built today not to just serve its function (badly, I might add,) but to give some kind of an artistic and unique contribution to the world. It's not like searching for a needle in a hay stack, but searching for a needle in 100 hay stacks. By the time you're done, you might not even be sure what is a needle anymore.
People no longer throw their pacifiers away. They always cling to them, throughout their lives. "Go to school, (so that your mom and dad don't have to worry about you breaking the house while they are at work,) get good grades, (so that you can impress idiots with empty letters,) go to college, (to keep down the unemployment of people between 18 and 22, and to get the chance to meet your supposed "loved one" whom you will half likely divorce or cheat on,) go to work, (it is easy to watch ants if all of them do the same thing,) get a loan, (pay three times as much and never save up money to do anything you could actually want,) keep working, (forget what life is about and adapt this newfangled notion that the media and your "peers" shove down your brain,) watch soap operas, (get amused by cliches because due to lack of creative minds nothing more interesting is actually televised,) and eventually die. " Any questions?
When we are all slugs crawling at the same speed, none of us will foresee the future and do anything. Eliminating odd events is not a good thing, people.
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Anton | 19 | Connecticut
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#14 | Saturday, September 15th 2001
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I remember the moment my classmates and I were told of the absolutely wretched act. It was 10:40 a.m., 9-11-01. As I sat in the cold cobalt blue seats in my chemistry classroom,listening attentively to my teacher ramble on about neutrons, electrons, and protons, there came a knock at the door...she paused a moment and meandered over to where our school police officer stood, at that point, concealed from the students just behind the corner of the wan walls, their faded, mint green paint worn over years- the school is practically a historical landmark (complete with bomb shelter, and underground tunnels which lead to it- it was built during the whole Cold War scare). As soon as Mrs. McGuinn was gone from sight, the door nudged steadily shut behind her, the teenagers (of various ages) had, of course, as usual, begun to converse amongst themselves about trivial things (which is how things should be, and I regret to acknowledge, how things are no longer)- for instance- what to have for lunch, the newest objects of affection, the cute new studded zodiac belt at Old Navy, the school's new pride trip,when to copy homework due 4th block, so on and so forth. Near chaos, of course, results when you leave a high school chemistry class unsupervised. All the commotion and racket of wild voices came to an abrupt halt as the door was carefully shifted ajar by the teacher, the conclusion to her quiet conversation with Officer Peterson droned out by the slow, monotonous creaking of the door upon steel hinges. Teens' bodies promptly shifted in their seats to face the front, posture regained, pencils obediently snatched up, poised above paper to continue the notes we'd been previously slaving over, yet our faces held quite an inquisitive countenance, gaze alight with an analytical twinkle, sights cast upon her to scrupulously survey her expression, her body language, for any indication or hint at at least the jest of the dialogue. Our efforts, fortunately, had not been made in vain. Officer Peterson held a knowing smirk about his face, as he said one last thing to Mrs. McGuinn that I was lucky enough to catch: "So if you see anyone, just send them down." This, of course, made me think something along the lines of a disciplinary action- drugs, maybe. A locker check, perhaps. Of course, I was not the only one in the class with any question as to what was happening- the other children, too, wanted to know what this was all about. But all Mrs.McGuinn would say was "They'll make an announcement". She returned quickly to the work we'd been working on. I thought little of the incident. Never in a million years would I have figured America was under Seige. The class begrudgingly returned to taking notes, and we hadn't gotten very far, when the PA system was turned on, and our Principal, Mrs.Griffin's somber voice was heard. Her tone chilled me. "Something...terrible..has happened....America...is under attack by terrorists. The World Trade Center and the Pentagon have been attacked. We will keep you posted as more information is released. Thank-you." I will never forger the way the air hoovered thick with the blanket of abhoring silence. My palms were dry, I'd dropped my pencil as the principal spoke..but now, there was nothing..no voice, no droning humm of the PA system...not one sound...the class sat aloof with incredible awe. The silence didn't last very long. I remember a few kids just sat there, others piped up, and put in their two sense (but if you ask me, it wasn't sense at all!)- "Why do they even BOTHER getting us all worked up about it?! Geeze!" I couldn't believe the audacity of them. I ignored their comments despite my obvious annoyance. All I could think of was how we lived just miles from the biggest Submarine/Naval base in the world, in Groton, CT....Then a million fearful questions were spawned, only to later be answered when I returned home that afternoon to watch the live news coverage.
To this day, I can't ever recall having so great a fear as I did that Tuesday morning. I still, to this day, fear America may have to go to war. I hope this can be settled peacefully, and that whoever committed such atrocities gets what's coming to them.
I want to thank the world for all their compassion, sympathy and support- we'll need every bit we can get.
"United we stand.."
-Abraham Lincoln
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Jade | 17 | Connecticut
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