How 9/11 Changed America Essay

A date that has gone down infamously in America’s history is the tragic event that occurred on September 11, 2001. This date was a turning point in the world, and many changes could be seen, such as the addition of the TSA in airports and increased security. However, one of the lesser known effects was the sense of fear that was unconsciously instilled within our communities. Today, this fear is represented through our heightened awareness towards terrorism, and the increased distance we tend to place between ourselves and our fellow community members. While 9/11 was a day most noted for its horrific display of terror and the loss of many lives, it was also the day that we, as a nation, lost our sense of security and replaced it with a sense

“Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” George W. Bush delivered this speech on the night of the September 11 attacks. The shattered steel of the Twin Towers, once towering the New York City skyline, forever changed America and its response to terrorism. The largest foreign attack on U.S. soil appropriately gave reason to Americans to recoil in fear and lose trust in the future, but in reality, the country displayed the opposite reaction. It rebuilt upon the shadow of the past. The World Trade Center, before and after the September 11 attacks, remains a symbol of world peace and perseverance

As humans, fear is nearly inevitable. We all experience it one point or another in our lives, some more than others. However, what happens when a fear gets out of hand? Or worse, when this fear is instilled in a whole group of people? This situation, known as mass hysteria, is clearly depicted in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. The people of Salem were essentially engulfed by the fear of witches, causing them to behave in many irrational ways. Although mass hysteria affected these fictional characters, its effects are all too real in life today. Such effects include the aftermath that followed the September 11th terrorist attacks. One thing both The Crucible and post 9/11 have in common: they feared the unknown.

It is almost sixteen years since that fear was imposed on us and the age of terror began in earnest. From the moment the Twin Towers fell, 9/11 was seen as a watershed, a historical turning point of grand and irreversible proportions. With the acrid smoke still swirling above ground zero, the mantras repeated constantly were that 9/11 had ?changed everything that nothing would ever be the same.?

In his “9/11 Address to the Nation” the 43rd President of the United States of America, George W. Bush assures that America will not be affected by the unruly and evil attacks carried out on September 11th, 2001. The President drafted this speech to resist the impending fear and questioning that American citizens around the country would soon be consumed by. Because 9/11 was the most impactful, yet devastating terrorist attack on the United States to date, Bush was not able to derive his thoughts from others’ ideas and speeches, thus he was forced to dig deep and extract the emotions and thoughts aroused by the “despicable acts.” Much like any great leader, President Bush wanted to stress the importance of instilling a sense of pride and resilience in the country and fellow countrymen and women to come together and remain as one. As the head of the “brightest beacon of freedom and opportunity” President George W. Bush declares that the United States of America will “remain strong” and appear unaffected as the country continues to build and rebound from the senseless acts of terrorism and hate.

On September 11, 2001 terrorists affiliated with Al-Qaeda hijacked and crashed two American airplanes into the Twin Towers, killing thousand and injuring hundreds. This was the worst terrorist attack in American history. It showed that even the most powerful country in the world was subject to attack. This attack exposed the vulnerability of the United States as a nation. The 9/11 attacks changed the country forever; some lost family members, friends, and those who survived are forever hunted by the events of September 11, 2001. The entire country was in pandemonium including my family.

Within one hour and 42 minutes both 110 story towers were completely on the ground, with debris filling the air and fires starting to spread. Numerous other buildings at the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan were destroyed or badly damaged. The following days after the attacks were complete chaos, it took 99 days for the fires at Ground Zero

Nearly the whole country watched in horror on the morning of September 11, 2001. As the planes crashed and the towers burned, many thought it simply wasn’t true. They believed that it was impossible that someone could hate America that much. It was true, and it left lasting effects on Americans everywhere. Al-Qaeda had carried out a plan so horrific that it killed nearly three thousand people.

In the weeks following 9/11, George Bush made a series of encapsulating speeches directed towards U.S. officials as well as the American people. In these speeches, he makes several bold assertions. In addition to declaring a “war on terrorism” he proclaims the U.S. to be an international protector of freedom. This, as well as his declaration of terrorism as a tangible threat transforms the events of 9/11 into a war on terror. The way in which he constructs these speeches sets the stage for a war that will captivate the world for the foreseeable future. The objective of these speeches was to change the world politically, economically and socially, and they succeeded. By materializing this enemy known as “terrorism”, George Bush changed the world.

The fear that was created from 9/11 was no doubt over whelming. Charles Krauthammer argues in this article that we as Americans created this fear ourselves. He goes onto add in this article that was published in the Washington Post on September 8, 2011 that we as Americans overreacted to 9/11. Throughout his article he presents a lot of research and then analyses what he finds.

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall,” Confucius states. Whether it was the collapse of two monumental giants in New York City, the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary or the Boston Marathon Bombing, the United States has witnessed countless, unfathomable acts of terror. Despite all of the recent tragedies, the events of September 11, 2001 will remain a memory in the hearts of all people who watched, in disbelief and fear, the collapse of the World Trade Center. On that fateful day, the terrorists believed they had won the battle by carrying out catastrophic devastation. However, their actions would unite America and create a movement of patriotism. The death toll was astounding, but the impacts left

“Preventing terrorism is the cornerstone of homeland security.” September 11, 2001, was a stark reminder that targeting our homeland remains a objective to our adversaries. The attacks on 9/11 exposed the U.S. vulnerabilities. Until that moment, the big stick America carried was enough to keep

The United States of America has been a target for many terror attacks, which aimed to intimidate the country’s society and government, to affect the religious, political and ideological beliefs and to destroy the freedom, equality, democracy and other values that were important for the nation’s community.

The events that occurred on September, 11, 2001 were among the most catastrophic events in American history. The events of the day were summarized as 19 militants associated with the terror group al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out targeted attacks in the United States. Out of the four planes, two of them were flown into the World Trade Center in New York, a third one into the Pentagon in Washington and the fourth one crashing off course into a field. The attacks resulted in the deaths of over 3000 people and the beginning of a soon to come American counter terrorism policy and the subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Although there are a lot of conspiracy theories around the real motives and players behind the attack,