Blink1828

Guest Writer

Hi. I am sure this article is a bit late, but here I go. On September 11, 2001, the world changed, along with the United States of America. I know Whyville's population is mostly American, but this affected Canada, too. This was, for many people, the most devastating day of their lives. For the generation before us, the assassination of John F. Kennedy is what they remember all their lives. In fact, many can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when Kennedy got shot. Don't believe me? Ask your parents. Many of our grandparents will remember every detail from when they found out about Pearl Harbor. I know I will never, ever forget 9-11.

It was September 11. For me, it started out as a pretty normal day. I was on a school trip, and we were on breakfast duty. I walked by and one of the counselors had the radio on. All I head was, "the second tower has fallen." I didn't think much of it until later. We were sitting on the steps getting ready for an activity when my teacher stood up. He said, "Something happened today. You may have heard rumours from some of the other campers, so we wanted to clear things up." I had a knot in my stomach. It was obvious to me what he was about to say had something to do with what I head on the radio. Never could I imagine what he was about to tell us. Even when he told us, I still couldn't believe it. Later, I went home from the trip, turned on the TV and saw images of this tragedy. How could someone do something like this to America?

Would you believe that this is what the New York skyline looked like only a little over a year ago?

Now, without the World Trade Center, many people cannot bear to look at it. I myself tend to cringe when I look at the recent skyline. It's like looking at a person without their head. Its obvious something is missing, and it doesn't look the same without that something.

Here are some pictures that give us hope for the future:

I don't know why this photo warms my heart so much, but it does. People play a part in our future, whether we like it or not. We must give honor where it is deserved. There will always be the people causing trouble, then there will be the people who help us cope with the trouble that has been caused. In my history class there are two bumper stickers that I feel relate to this. One reads, "We cannot change unless we survive, but we cannot survive unless we change." The other reads, "The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth." People are destroying our planet, one bit at a time. Hopefully, September 11 will help us to realize that we have to stop this.

Before September 11, America was one of the strongest nations in the world.

It is possible that this was meant to tear us apart, but as you can see here, it has only made us stronger. The past has happened, but is constantly changing. You don't understand? Well, history changes every time they find new evidence, witnesses, etc. The present is beyond our control, whatever is happening there is no way to change it. But the future, the future is the only thing we can control. Even that is impossible to predict to a certain extent. One day, years from now, the past we know will be unrecognizable. And the truth may be so contorted it will be beyond belief. But whatever happens, will always happen, we can't stop this.

This day constantly relives itself, vividly, in my head. People can be cruel, but never as cruel as their actions. People did this, people like you and me. The mind behind this was a brilliant, twisted one. Figuring out every single detail in the attack. It is people like this that we must fear. We never know what might happen. All we know is that we can change it, in the future. The genius you tease today might have cured cancer, but the teasing, your cruelty has hardened their heart. So instead of using their power for good, they try and destroy you. I'm leaving you with a poem I wrote (I express myself better that way), and I hope that my article makes you think for a long while after this.

Blink1828

Once we were pure
Danced away our days.
Now, we are hurt
In so many different ways.
Never to be forgotten,
People lie dead.
We turn from that which lies behind us
To the future which lies ahead.
People cause suffering
People ease pain
If we don't learn from our past
It will happen again.
I will never forget
I will always remember
Just what happened
That sad day in September.