Since the terrorists attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the American way of life has gotten pretty much back to normal. We watched the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl, and television honors were finally dolled out at the Emmy Awards. And we're once again enthralled with the happenings on our favorite sitcoms and dramas (Just what will happen to Rachel once she gives birth on the season finale of "Friends?").
We're still hunting Osama bin Laden as the "War on Terrorism" proceeds, and we were horrified by the brutal killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl last week at the hands of Muslin extremists. The world is still dangerous, but Americans have for the most part moved on with their lives. Following Sept. 11, however, Americans had a new sense of patriotism. In classes across campus the day after the attacks, SIUC students spoke of becoming more engaged with the rest of the world and having a renewed sense of brotherhood with fellow Americans. Is that still true, or has the return to normalcy overshadowed what Sept. 11 truly meant?
The aftermath of Sept. 11 was meant as a call to action for all Americans, especially the youth, to take a greater appreciation of their lives and the lives of others. A recent survey of college students age 18 to 25 from 300 universities nationwide shows 96 percent saying that the Sept. 11 attacks have had an impact on their lives. According to the survey, students are praying more, studying more and feel more secure about their future. Americans' attitudes as a whole changed following the attacks, but soon after, the change was not as dire. According to a Pew Research Center poll, by October 2001, 41 percent of Americans believed the world had returned to normal. Another 31 percent said the world was BEGINNING to return to normal. Only 8 percent said it had not, and 17 percent said the world will NEVER return to normal.
Wherever you fit on this spectrum, remember that Sept. 11 has a legacy beyond the tragic events. Like Vietnam, Pearl Harbor and the World Wars of previous generations, the legacy of Sept. 11, 2001, must continue to motivate Americans to strive for something beyond material wealth. We must look to help those outside our own cadre of family and friends. And as we close this year's Black History Month celebration, Sept. 11, 2001, should also remind us that we must come out of our personal comfort zone and learn to love and respect our fellow man (and woman).
We will never forget the thousands who perished in the World Trade Center Towers and a section of the Pentagon, and those whose fates were sealed once the terrorists hijacked four planes and set them on a course of destruction. The event itself will remain forever ingrained in our collective conscience. But Sept. 11 was a moment in time in which history was split into "Before" and "After," and nothing was to ever be quite the same again. Thus, our new American agenda is simple: keep the legacy of Sept. 11, 2001, alive by bettering the world through the example of our lives, lives that we continue to improve upon one day at a time.
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
