Wednesday, May 1, 2002
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Wednesday, May 1, 2002 |
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After Sept. 11, we should try not to return to 'normal' The tragic events on Sept. 11 will remain forever ingrained in our collective conscience. Like Vietnam, Pearl Harbor and the world wars of previous generations, it is an event where history was split into "before" and "after." Many prominent figures in the press, government, and society were claiming that nothing was ever going to be the same again. But is that still true, or has America's return to normalcy overshadowed what lessons we learned from the legacy of 9-11? Immediately following the terrorist attacks, our hyperactive society was forced to stop and reflect on its actions. As a result, many Americans felt a greater appreciation for their own lives and had a renewed sense of brotherhood with their fellow citizens. We became more engaged with the rest of the world; some put their own interests on hold to work as volunteers in developing countries where they could share their skills with others. A recent survey of college students age 18 to 25 from 300 universities showed that the attacks had an impact on 96 percent of their lives; students were praying and studying more and felt more secure about their future. In the recent months, however, the American way of life has returned to normal. The American flags that once littered the streets have found their way back to storage. The "War on Terrorism" has been downgraded to the news ticker on CNN as the Catholic sex scandals and the 11-month-old Robert Blake murder case have taken center stage. The attitudes of Americans as a whole have also returned to normalcy. According to a Pew Research Center poll, by October 2001, 41 percent of Americans believed the world had already returned to normal. Another 31 percent said the world was beginning to return to normal while 8 percent said it had not. Only 17 percent said the world would never return to normal. Actions and statistics showing that the United States is back to normal poses an interesting question: What long-term lessons did we really learn from the attacks? Sure, we increased airport security, dismantled al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and began to take other terrorist threats seriously, but fulfilling the legacy of Sept. 11 lies beyond the "obvious" fixes. We should continue to strive for something beyond material wealth as we did immediately following the attacks. We should make sure to help those outside our own cadre of family and friends by getting involved in our community and helping those in need. We should not forget what liberties and opportunities we have, not taking them for granted as we did on Sept. 10. More importantly, we should remember that we only have one life to live, and it should reach its fullest potential. Like a war cry for the Alamo, our nation will always remember those who perished in the World Trade Center Towers, the Pentagon and the four hijacked planes. It is also imperative that we preserve the lessons from the attacks. Thus, our new American agenda is simple: keep the legacy of Sept. 11 alive by bettering the world through the example of our lives, lives that we should continue to improve upon one day at a time. Kenneth Hamner Fayetteville
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