I was only about 7 years old; my mom was sitting on the couch either watching TV or
turning on the TV and talking on the phone chatting at the same time watching the news. I
couldn’t remember the original situation that day, it seems lost in my memory but my
parents had to be horrified and my mom was most likely crying at one part, it’s hard to watch
one of the worst breaking news story you could see.
The shock, the shock while watching the breaking news of this infamous event was mind
blowing. It shattered United States state of security and peace of mind of the people. The
September 11, 2001 attacks or 9/11 as it is commonly referred to a tragic day, a deadly attack
on civilians and targeting of the government, a day America was under direct attack as a whole.
Two planes, en route elsewhere was stolen by terrorists and slammed one by one into the Twin
Towers of the World Trade Center. The planes on impact, and that is one of the most
haunting images to this day, hit the side of the Towers turning into instant flames and were
gone.
People across New York on the streets and roofs stood shocked, afraid, taking footage
on videos and pictures. On the videos their expression of anger and sadness mixed with huge
amounts of cussing, the aftermath being the ripple effect. Such an impact caught the people
who worked in the Twin Towers off guard; the stolen planes crashing into the sides must have
caused instant alarm and most likely casualties on impact. What is worse, the terror scheme
came to realization, the Twin Towers came crashing down on its own lower floors from the
higher floors in huge clouds of dust giving the first responders who came to the
rescue cancer later. So many people died, those bastards! Exactly 2,977 people died in the
attacks and some by falling and other horrible motions of the Towers.

The falling of the Towers caused the most grief, down goes hundreds of floors of a
cornerstone Center emptying the New York skyline by two destroyed Towers. The shock was
overwhelming when the news broke, and since every year the U.S remembers that infamous
day and it still continues to be an infamous day, again and again the U.S is on highest security
on 9/11 every year. There are always long lines in airports, slow and full security checks of bags,
and people arrested for just looking suspicious after what happened on 9/11.

The years passed; as I got older I wanted to be more informed by watching the news
nearly daily, it’s better to face reality than to shun it in denial. 2011, watching a remembrance
news broadcast showing the original footage, the screams, and everything else was just newly
horrifying to watch again, but it gave fresh reminder to that day. 2012, the Benghazi
Consulate attacked, three Americans killed defending the complex and a dead ambassador by
Islamist militants. The chemical weapon letters, the Pentagon Building attack, the Pennsylvania
plane rerouted by brave citizens but to only crash in a field, all on the same tragic day as if
coordinated as a follow-up and a prevented 3rd destination. I’ve seen the letters in pictures, the
message written in poor but clear English, they want the U.S as good as dead according by
Jihad.

At CHS a few years back, that same day we had little American flags across the quad in
the center of the hilly grass, in remembrance. The Twin Towers and its victims are remembered
at the Memorial built as deep, large square-shaped waterfalls and the names of those lost
etched on the plaques. The bell tolls every year to remember the victims, of every name and a
moment of silence. For whom the bell tolls are the ones with the most tragic fate. An entire
generation of American people have had their sense of security shattered and I am one of
them. Present-day, 2013 the symbolic 1,776 feet high One World Tower stands newly erect, as
one of the world’s tallest buildings in the Western Hemisphere. A physical symbol of America’s
resilience to bend to violent show of force and cowardice. The One World Tower or Freedom
Tower, stands like a big brother to the Statue of Liberty across the bay, overlooking all of New
York and the Atlantic Ocean to be seen from miles. With the spectacular nighttime light show to
be displayed, it will enchant any person who sees the sky glowing bright with blue lights. It is a
gigantic symbol of hope, hope for a better future, a more refined closure, a more refined
reminder and another reason why to not forget the past in September 11th 2001.

The more the event has been remembered throughout the years, the more I remember
with a clear sense of mind. I was only a child then, but as I understood more of 9/11 as I grew, I
quickly realized some reality-check revelations. As great as I like to perceive my own country to
be as a proud and patriotic young citizen, I must realize and accept the U.S has its enemies to
be wary of. The religion of Islam’s Jihad principle is no excuse for a reason to declare a war on
America because we interfere in their world of Islam where terror and violence is the norm.
For Muslim extremists to take that principle to the level of an entire country to attack to
make a political statement is where my anger breeds most.

“Don’t get stuck thinking about it, let it go” my mom said.

“No, I will never let it go, it is a permanent scar to this country” I said.

I can thank and hate a terrorist organization that still persists to plague the Earth, for a
reason to hate with anger and grudge, a reason to not forget, a reason to never forgive what
happened, a reason to always be alert and prepared to defend myself, my loved ones and this
country. My final remark to those that would call this thinking that of bigotry:
“Oh, let’s just forgive and forget as they say, even though it is true and undeniable by
evidence that the United States and its citizens were explicitly attacked by terrorists, sure”