Stories of 9/11 and the aftermath 6 years later. A New York Times special section.
Photo: Alex Fuchs/Agence France-Presse
Your Questions: Respond to 1 of the following by Monday.
1. Should we as Americans be expected to personally sacrifice more in order to protect our way of life? If so, how? If not, why not?
2. Can you defeat a group that believes they are doing God's work?
3. Is the government doing enough to prevent another 9/11?
4. How can we get other countries to better assist us in this war?
5. Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
6. Can we win this war?
58 comments:
1. Should we as Americans be expected to personally sacrifice more in order to protect our way of life? If so, how? If not, why not?
People born into an American household are born into freedom. Americans have more opportunities than most other people around the globe. Because we are so privileged, it is only right that we make sacrifices to maintain our fortunate lifestyle. It is my belief that if we refuse to sacrifice small privacies or privileges, then not only are we being extremely selfish, but we are refusing to ensure the safety of our own freedom. The argument of many people who oppose forfeiting minor rights is that giving up our freedoms would go against the basis of America. I feel as if this is a false pretext, and that people are only using this reason as an excuse to maintain their comfortable lifestyle. I do not feel as if many rights must be breached, because then we really would be defying our Founding Fathers, but I do believe that some action must be taken if there is an extreme need. For example, if the government is worried about terrorist attacks from within and wants to listen to telephone conversations, perhaps, rather than completely invading our privacy, the government can only listen in if specific words during a conversation sound threatening. If people are speaking over the phone and the words “bomb,” or “murder,” or other such words are used, then a computer can recognize those words and the call can, from that point on, be monitored. In doing this, the government would not be invading anyone’s privacy unless there is a potential threat. In short, I believe that in order to maintain our freedom, we must make sacrifices. Even if a few of our privileges are modified, we can still consider ourselves freer and more fortunate than most people throughout the world.
2. Can you defeat a group that believes they are doing God's work?
I believe that is impossible to defeat or stop a group of people that think they are doing the work of God. This is because no matter what you tell them, they will think that you only come second to the person they believe they are doing the work for. There are many groups that are like this, and will stick to there religion no matter what other people opinions may be on what they are doing.
The task at hand is impossible, the American government would never be able to understand and comprehend what the people who are part of these radical groups are thinking when they create these horrible crimes.
Melissa Tuohy
September 13, 2007
Period 6
Q: Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
A: For those who were living when 9/11 occurred, I believe it will not be forgotten. Although I was pretty young at the time of this occurrence I still do remember how everyone felt and the kind of closeness it brought to our country. As new generations are formed, I feel it will be less significant because they didn’t experience it first hand. Also, I think that when told about it they will think it was a horrible thing to happen but they won’t have the same kind of feelings about it that we do. To them it may just be another day in remembrance that they must observe. Since many tragedies occurred before I was born, I don’t feel as strongly about that as I do about things that I have lived through. I think it our job to remember what happened even if others don’t.
5. I believe that we will continue to remember 9/11 as time goes on. If you were alive at the time, there’s really no way of forgetting an event like that. September 11th, 2001 was the date that 3,000+ people were murdered. People who were just minding their own business were crashed into and blown up by airplanes. People who just went to work so that they could provide for their families would be found mutilated and dead under the rubble of the twin towers. Whether it be the people who were on the hijacked planes or working on the highest floors of the world trade center, it affects everyone in our country, in fact, everyone in the world. It’s just unbelievable how sick people are these days. Its just insane to think that someone would do that to another person. I mean the 9/11 attacks were in fact one of the main reasons that we entered this war on terrorism. No one forgets why they went to war in the first place. The families and friends of all those that were killed will never forget, in truth, they will never be the same. They always will have that void in their life. Its kind of hard to forget that there is a whole other part of this world that we live in where people are blowing themselves up, stoning each other, and killing our American troops. Even if you tried, you couldn’t ignore or forget something so crazy.
1. Should we as Americans be expected to personally sacrifice more in order to protect our way of life? If so, how? If not, why not?
As Americans, I feel that we are extremely lucky people. Many people in other countries all over the world do not have the same freedoms and luxuries that we have. However, most of us have not given up anything to gain these freedoms. We were lucky enough to be born in America and automatically were granted the freedoms that were gained since our country was founded. I don’t think that it we should be expected to personally sacrifice civil liberties more in order to protect our way of life. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights provided the foundation for our rights and liberties that make our country so great and unique. The Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press, right to be secure in our homes, and right to privacy for example are all rights that are too important to be sacrificed. If we start eroding our civil liberties, then we are giving in to fear. We are allowing the terrorists to win because we are taking away what makes our country so great. Besides our rights, I feel that there are things that we could sacrifice in order to protect our way of life. For example, we could conserve our resources. We could change our lifestyles to conserve more energy so that the United States doesn’t have to depend so much on others for oil. We could be better citizens. We could give back more to our communities. We could be more involved in the political process and have more representation during elections. We could stay better informed about our country and the world around us. This is what we should be doing to protect our way of life. We should not sacrifice our rights that form the basis of our country.
I think that as time goes by 9/11 will be remembered as a day in which the country came together and supported each other. At the time of the attack I was only in fifth grade. Because of that I dont remember it too fondly but, I remember alot of it. I thoroughly believe that 9/11 will never be forgotten especially by the people that were living during that period of time. If the people living now dont tell there younger relatives or kids when they have them then i think eventually it will be forgotten. I hope that it is continued to be a big part of American History and that it is always recognized as an American tragedy.
Q: Will we continue to remember 9/11 in years to come?
A: I think that for the people who were greatly effected by the attacks (people who lost loved ones) will never forget. Also people who are old enough to comprehend what had happened won’t forget either. I still know where I was when I found out. But I think it’s like all older tragedies, like WWII, as you said, (I forget what the exact statistic was) so many graduates of high school don’t know who the USA was fighting in WWII. I think it is horrible to think that one day generations will be learning this as just history, but isn’t that what we’re “learning” about too. “Old Boring stuff that happened in the 1700’s” one day, I’m afraid that 9/11 will be just another chapter in a textbook. For us who understood what it really meant, it will be like our “Back in the day” or “the old war stories” of our parents and grandparents. They hopefully will have memorial services for them at the 25 and 50 year anniversaries like they do with WWII, but I think for future generations it will fade away and only become something from the past.
6. Can we win this war?
It is impossible to win this war because we aren't fighting people we are fighting an idea, and that idea is an extreme form or a religion that results to terrorism to strike fear in to the hearts of the nonbelievers. You could use all the arsenal of the military but it will be useless because an idea can not be destroyed it will always have some believer in it even if they don't want to admit it. Even if you capture 99.99% of the resistance that .01% will spread the beliefs on to more people.
Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I believe that as time goes by we will still remember the attacks that occurred on the day of 9/11/2001. This is because it was such a shock to many people. No one realized or even thought about an attack happening in the United States. We believed that we were the safest country and no one realized that something this great could ever hit our country. We will also remember this attack because it affected our country so much. Everyone was hurt and shocked by this traumatic experience and we came together as a whole to get through the after affects of this attack. We all became more “American” and became patriotic. I believe that an attack on our homeland would never be forgotten, due to the U.S coming together as a whole, and the hurt the attack brought on our country.
5. I think that the north east will continue to remember September Ninth just like Hawaii will remember December Seventh but no one else will remember or they will remember the act but not the date. Just like Pearl Harbor lots of people know that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor but they don’t know it happened on December Seventh. Another thing that might happen is that everyone will forget except for people in New York and they will only know from a sign that stood in place where the two towers were. I beleave that after a while people will forget like the crusades have been forgotten, the war of 1812 has been forgotten, and World War two has beging to be forgotten.
5. Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I believe that for the next 10 to 15 years, every September 11th, people will stop and remember the horrible tragedy. On September 11th, 2001 I was in my 5th grade classroom doing work with the rest of my class. I remember hearing teachers yelling at each other to turn on the TV’s, and trying to figure out what had happened. For me personally, I will always remember what happened on that day, as will many. I remember learning about WWII last year. I had talked to my grandparents about where they were when they heard about the war in Europe. They remember it as clearly as I do the day the Twin Towers were hit. My generation doesn’t remember and think about the past world wars that the US has fought because we weren’t alive to experience it. 9/11 is close to many of our hearts and it isn’t something to forget. There are going to be kids who were to young to realize what happened, and won’t remember the day, as many other people will. Five years from now September 11th will be just another chapter in a history book. And the high school students who weren’t alive on that day will just think they are studying another event that happened in our countries history.
Q. Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
A. I do not believe Americans will continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by. When the bombing has occurred America was indeed in a state of confusion and terror; however, now not many people seem to remember the date in as much detail. Those who were affected directly by the incident will definitely remember 9/11, but, to others, the date will not have as much significance. Besides the entrance into the war against terror, most Americans have not been affected by the date, and people have continued with the routines of their everyday lifestyle. As time moves on, 9/11 will certainly be remembered as an important day in the history of America, but it will just be a date on the calendar and not have much impact on the public.
1. Should we as Americans be expected to personally sacrifice more in order to protect our way of life? If so, how? If not, why not?
In my opinion, our generation of Americans is not as grateful for what is offered and given to us as we could be. Of course, things could be better, but our country is much better off than others, and it has made advances from past mistakes and lessons. The Americans who were around during WWI and II made huge sacrifices that directly affected their lives. Men went off to war, whether they wanted to or not, and women had to leave the home to take jobs in order to have an income and support their children. Limitations and restrictions were put on what citizens could purchase. People were encouraged to be patriotic, grow victory gardens, and support troops. Today, in this war, American citizens have almost no involvement in the war. Sure they say, “Support the troops.” But what does that really mean? Sending more troops to fight and risk their lives, or bring them home to live out their lives, or does it mean raising money or goods to send the troops? Not many people can say that they make day to day sacrifices in order to protect their way of life and their country. We should follow in or past generations’ footsteps. Action has to be taken and sacrifices have to be made in order for us to truly appreciate what we have in this country. Words are nothing when our citizens are dying in combat. They need our support in order for them to protect us. Even if someone doesn’t agree with the foreign policies or plans for the future, what they should know is that it is up to them to bring this country and those involved to peace. I think we can all do more to help our country.
Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I feel that Americans will always continue to rememeber the horific day of 9/11 in some way or another. None will be able to erase what happened that day and how many lives were lost from so many families that day. So many people are now left without a father or a mother or someone close to them due to this event, and there is no way the American people will let anyone forget about what had happened that day, because we all have to stay together and be strong and show that we did make it threw this and we will not let it happen ever again. Even to people that were not born yet when it happened, as they grow older we will help educate and have them remember this as something we faught and overcame and how we all survived. 9/11 will never be forgotton.
2. Can you defeat a group that believes they are doing God's work?
Physically I believe it is possible to defeat a group that feels their mission is God’s work. It’s possible to do this by running them down, wearing them out and locking them up so they don’t exist out in the world any more. It’s possible to put peoples bodies in jail so they can’t do any harm.
But you can’t convince people that their beliefs are wrong, especially if they grew up with those thoughts. You can arrest them, put them out of the way, but mentally against them you can’t win. The most that can be done with a group like this is thin them out. They’ll always be out there, believing in what they’re doing, such as we are. We’re over there doing what we believe is the right thing, and we won’t let people tell us otherwise. All we can do is stop them from acting on their beliefs by retaining them but you can’t retain ones thoughts, that’s why we couldn’t defeat them entirely. The will and belief that they’re right is too strong to break down completely.
6. Can we win this war?
This is a question that really can not be answered in a simple yes or no form.
First of all, win what? What are we even fighting for anymore? This is supposed to be a war on terror, yet it seems like we're causing more terror in Iraq with all of the bombings, etc. We have not found any weapons of mass destruction, but we did catch Saddam. So in retrospect there's only that one good reason of this war so far. We've lost so many soldiers, that it seems as if we've already lost the war. In my opinion, we lost the war the day that first soldier died over in Iraq.
5. Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I think that this country will continue to remember that day to a certain extent.So many people were affected by it and a lot of families were broken apart and destroyed when those planes crashed, and those people can never forget what 9/11 took away from them because their suffering will go on for the rest of their lives. Even if you didn't know someone directly involved with it, anyone who was alive at the time was affected because it really opened their eyes to the horrible things in the world, and the extent that people can go to for the things that they believe in.
However, as the generations continue I think they won't be able to remember 9/11 in the same way since they weren't alive or weren't old enough to understand the gravity of the situation. These generations can grieve for the country and the people taken from us that day, but they don't have the connection to that day that so many others before them did. To them, it is just another day of remembrance for our country.
6. Can we win this war?
Ever since the dreadful morning of September 11, 2001, the United States of Americas blanket of security and safety has been broken. In response to these attakcs, President Bush launched an offensive into the Middle East in mainly Afghanistan and Iraq. He claimed the enemy as Islamic terrorists and jihadists who have a strong hatred toward American democracy. These individuals also believe that they are doing their God's work. With this point in mind, its hard to say that our country can win this war when it truly isnt a war against one certain group. This militant movement is unlike any war that the United States has ever been involved with. It is not like World War 2 where we knew who our unifroemd enemy was in the Nazis. This combatant group of Al-Qaeda and jihadists looks and acts just like any citizen of the Middle East. Since the groups have become so powerful and prevalent throughout the Middle East, its hard for me to believe that we can eliminate all of them. I feel as if no matter how many high ranking officials we capture that there will alwyas be more to lead this religious movement. So, in conclusion, i dont believe that we can ever truly "win this war".
5. Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I believe that no one will ever forget this horrible tragedy. They wont forget because this shows how are country is not untouchable and we can get attacked on our home front. This tragedy was also a point that shows how strong our country is when we are backed into a corner and need to do something to get out. We came together and became stronger than ever. We all wanted to do something to help our country get back on our feet and shake off this tragedy. We did and now our country is stronger and closer then ever. No one will ever forget this tragedy.
Q: Should we as Americans be expected to personally sacrifice more in order to protect our way of life? If so, how? If not, why not?
A: In my opinion, I feel we should not have to sacrifice any more for this war in Iraq. We have sacrificed so much as it is, already. We have been over seas in Iraq for about 5 years now, and have lost so many soldiers. Every day we are losing more and more men and women in this war for no really good reason. There is really no more point for this war, we are just wasting materials and lives of our fellow Americans. I thought the reason why we went into Iraq in the first place was to find and capture Saddam Hussein and improve their government. We did that and now he is dead. The government owes us an explanation now of why we still have men positioned in this dangerous place. We should not have to sacrifice any more lives to protect our country, just for some idiotic war. Instead, we should br bringing our troops home.
2.) Can you defeat a group that believes they are doing God's work?
I believe that you can try as hard as you can to stop the "evil people" of the world but the reality is that it's impossible. There will always be enemies we don't know about and where they are. After one generation dies off another generation of enemies are born. I'm not saying not to try to stop these people but I'm saying it's nearly impossible to. These people believe the actions they are doing are for God. Therefore they will not give up on the evil tasks they believe need to be done. This way of thinking makes it even harder for us as Americans to stop them because they are so stuck on completeing their task. Defeating these people may stop them for a little but will never stop them permanently because it’s impossible to change a group of people’s way of living.
All you have to do is look back into history, and you'll see clearly that it is impossible to defeat a group that believes their doing God's work. From the Crusades to the Ku Klux Klan, there have been constant and never ending wars fought in the name of religion. As long as there is someone to praise the people who carry out "God's work", there will be people doing just that. These followers truly believe that what they do will help them achieve higher status with whomever they worship. When religion is transformed to extremist beliefs, there is nothing that anyone can do to stop it. Most importantly, everything that terrorists have to associate with is their "beliefs", which are intangible and therefore cannot be destroyed. We may call this the "War on Terrorism" but in reality, there is nothing to fight. You can kill all the terrorists in the world, but all it takes is that one person to decide that they are greater than everyone else, and the never ending circle of religious superiority will restart. Ultimately, a group that truly believes they are doing God's will cannot be defeated.
5. Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I believe that this depends on what “remember” means. 9/11 will be remembered as a tragic event for a very long time. It will go down in history books as a textbook example of terrorism. There may even be a glossy picture of the two towers next to the paragraph defining that day. But, unfortunately, I think that is all it will be remembered by: a picture and a paragraph in a textbook. Already we can see that 9/11 did not have a lasting impact on people in America. Citizens have already gone back to their normal routine, with little evidence a tragedy ever happened. Patriotism spiked after the incident, then receded. People felt unsafe on airplanes for a short time, but then felt better about them as time went on. And besides, the next major attack will make people forget all about this past one. So, 9/11 will be remembered as a recording, but it will not have a lasting impression on us.
Q- Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I remember where I was the day 9/11 happened and I will never forget it. Every year on its anniversary I remember what America went through that terrible day. They first couple years after it happened America was very patriotic and held vigils, ceremonies ect. However as time went by, people just didn’t make a big deal out of it anymore. For example we always used to take a moment of silence when the planes struck the twin towers in school. And I noticed we didn’t do that this year and it disturbed me to think that remembering 9/11 wasn’t that important to take one minute out of our time and reflect what happened 6 years ago. I hope that it won’t happen but I think that it is inevitable that the future generation of Americans will think of 9/11 as just a terrible thing that the United States went through. For example Pearl Harbor, we lost so many lives that day and my generation thinks of it as a day were we lost many lives. Because I have no personal connection to Pearl Harbor it really doesn’t affect me that much. And I think that’s what is going to happen to 9/11. It will just be another day that went down in history.
6. Can we win this war?
I believe that this is a war that you can not win. And if there was a way to win we would have already succeeded. There is no winning to this war because someone out there will always believe that they are doing gods work. Even if they were to stabilize the government and make new laws and enforce them it still would not stop people from doing what they truly believe in.
Q: Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
A:I believe that as time goes on people will with out a doubt remember 9/11 as a day of tragedy. As the years past im sure it will go down and history and kids will see it as a part of history and not something that could really happen in their lives. It can be compared to events such as Pearl Harbor. Before September 11, 2001 i thought war and attacks on the United States would never happen and it was history. When a terrorist attack actually happened it was so unreal to me and i couldn't believe it. I think that people will feel the same way i did until they actually experience war.
Q:Can you defeat a group that believes they are doing God's work?
I Believe that you can not hope to defeat a group that feels that they're doing God's work. They will always believe that they are doing the right thing and that even if they die they will go to Heaven and be rewarded. Forces like Al'Queda believe that by trying to destroy America and other countrys along the Indian Ocean they will be able to return Islam to its Former Glory such as the period when the Muslims Spread Islam all the way from the lower parts of Spain to the Phillipines.
Also they will never negotiate they will always believe that what they are doin is uncompramisable. Also it is impossible to defeat a religion or a idea it can't be done people will always believe in it and follow it no matter what the outside world thinks that is why things such as that are called faith.
Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
Idealistically, we will always remember. However, this is not the case. Statistics about WWII have shown that recent generations cannot even name who the United States was fighting against (the axis powers), and I personally consider WWII to have a much greater impact on the world than the tragedies of 9/11. If the American people are able to forget an entire war, then forgetting a single day and attack should be simple. Now, in 2007, only a few years after the day, people are already beginning to forget. While it is true that the attacks had a unifying effect on the nation, such patriotism can no longer be seen. Flags are not flown from every car, nor are they hanging on every house. People are beginning to continue with their lives, and the tragedy of 9/11 is beginning to slip farther away from people’s memories. As sad as this sounds, I believe it to be the truth. In a few years, 9/11 may just be a date in history books for our children to mix up, just as WWII has become.
1. I believe that as Americans we should be required to do more to fight for our way on life. If we don’t know one will. In World War II the whole country came together and helped fight the war. Americans at that time not only sacrificed their time and lives, they sacrificed their food and goods they were used to having their whole lives. Women created support groups and volunteered as nurses. No matter who you were the war affected you. Even if you didn’t have a family member fighting, you helped out through other ways on the home front. Americans unified more during WWII than any other war at that time. Americans should be encouraged by that and continue to sacrifice for our freedom. How much they sacrifice is up to them as long as it is something. Whether you’re giving your life or your time you should do something for your country. You have to fight for our freedom, many countries would do anything for the freedom we take for granted every day. Freedom does not come free.
But when answering this question I am forced to think about Iraq. Our government leads us to believe that a major reason why we are in Iraq is 9/11. In reality Iraq had nothing to do with it. By being in Iraq we are not fighting for our way of life. Iraq did not hijack our planes and drive them into our buildings. Iraq did not kill thousands of Americans. Iraq did not hurt us on our own soil. Sacrificing for our way of life and being in Iraq are two totally different things.
Q: Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
In the historical sense, Americans will not forget 9/11. Like Pearl challenge against the American government, one that was once again answered with direct military action. However, unlike Pearl Harbor, which changed the face of America, uniting us wholly against our enemies, 9/11 increased patriotism but created a deeper polarization of our primary political parties. While the events of 9/11 were often cited years after, they were used as a crutch of coercion and criticism by the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively. As such, 9/11 lost much of its meanign as it was brandished in front of us "never to forget" years after, and yet our president didn't even attend the anniversary only a few years after it occurred.
I believe if you asked many Americans the date of Pearl Harbor, a fraction would know the correct date. Maybe because of its 9-1-1 mnemonic device and the fact that it isn't known by any other name, September 11th won't be forgotten as easily by many Americans, especially as it begins to enter our school's textbooks. Its meaning as a terrorist attack on our country's people and not just our country has already been forgotten multiple times by our administration, and has become a tool of propaganda more than anything. If we forget what the lives of those who died that day, the innocent victims and the brave man and women who gave their lives to save them, then we will definately have forgotten 9/11.
2. Can you defeat a group that believes they are doing God's work?
I don’t think that anyone can defeat a group that thinks they are doing God’s work. If a specific religion or sect thinks that their actions are God’s word you will not be able to purge that from their theological ideas. In addition, capturing and detaining people from these groups will not end the problems. If anything, it will make them more adamant about their cause. Other people will be able to pick up where they left off, whether it is in exactly the same manner or in a new, slightly different way. Like many things, these groups will go through recessions and then expansions. The best thing to do is extend the recessions and be vigilant during the expansions.
I believe the only way that you might be able to accomplish a task like this is to exterminate these groups and their ideas entirely. However, this can be labeled as genocide, which many nations have fought to prevent and end. The United Nations also says that all people have the right to religious freedom. There is no moral way to bring an end to such people. If we sink below the standards we have set in the past, we will be no better than those we are trying to stop. In this round-about way, we will be striving for the “greater good” which can lead to others trying to exterminate the exterminators.
Billy Colwell
2.)
I personally feel that you can not stop a group that claims they are doing God's work. This is because, many people, feel that religion comes before laws. Those groups in the middle east, who feel they are carrying out God's work are not going to stop. With morals and laws, at least in the USA, we can not arrest or detain people for there religous beliefs. Though if those beliefs start become actions and start infringing on others rights. But in countries such as Iraq, whose laws coincide with their religous beliefs, there is no way to stop them. With groups who feel they are carrying out God's work, they feel they have supreme rights and can not be stopped. Truely this can be traced back to the Medieval ages, who believed in Divine Right, where the king was chosen by God to carry out his work. The only way this was stopped was by others in mass groups fighting against them and eventually over throughing, what was then the Catholic Church, and limiting their rights to there own group, and in their own ways. I believe everyone should be allowed to practice their beliefs, and carry out their God's work, but when it infringes on someone elses views, is when it gets wrong. But I also feel that it is not possible to stop a group carrying out their God's work, without being morally wrong.
5) I feel that September 11th will be remembered the same way a war is. It will be a moment written in history, and it will begin to be published in the history books that 4th graders are getting. As the amount of time increases between 2001 and the present September 11th will begin to be remembered in a different way. It will become statistics and ideas, written by an author, that students will study to get an A in their “War on Terrorism” classes. The feelings an emotions associated with September 11th may begin to fade, but the event will not be forgotten for much longer than that.
5. Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I think that that terrible day is impossible to forget for those of us who were old enough to really remember it. Unfortunately, the chaos of everyday life takes over and becomes priority. It's part of being human. We can only concentrate on so many things at a time. For the months that followed 9/11, the patriotism was at an all time high. We, as Americans, came together in a way that has not happened in a very long time. We were able to share the pain we felt with one another, and hold each other together. As time moved on, so did we. America as a country began to heal, as did each citizen of this country. I think that this is a good thing. While no one certainly has forgotten that terrible day, we have moved on and thus prevented the terrorists from winning. They attacked America to disrupt our way of life. They wanted to traumatize us and force us to live in fear. By moving forward with our lives, we are proving that Americans are strong and that our spirit cannot be broken. While the intense patriotism we once experienced may have seemed to die out, the memory will live in our minds and hearts forever. The memorials, such as the new towers that are being constructed, will serve as a constant reminder to what terrorism can do and how strong The United States of America is.
1. Should we as Americans be expected to personally sacrifice more in order to protect our way of life? If so, how? If not, why not?
We as Americans should certainly be expected to personally sacrifice in order to protect our way of life, because the threat of radical Islam is serious. The message from Islamic fundamentalists is clear and concise: convert or die. If we allow people who harbor such sentiments to freely do what they wish, many more attacks on the United States are inevitable, and the death toll would be much more than that of the soldiers being killed currently in the war on terrorism. The people of the United States should help in the war effort much more than they are now. I am a firm believer that though radical Islam cannot be completely destroyed, that it can be contained and controlled to a degree where it is no longer a threat to our nation. That should be the main goal of United States’ efforts in the Middle East, and I feel that it is an achievable goal provided that the people of America support it, knowing that the lives of soldiers will not be wasted. The American public can support the war by electing officials who understand the threat and plan to do something about it. People could also help to support the war on terrorism by enlisting in the armed forces and serving their country by protecting its people. All in all, I believe that Americans should be doing all that they can to win the fight against terrorism, and that if people would believe in the cause, that the war can be won.
Question #2
Can you defeat a group that believes they are doing god's work?
Many people believe that taking lives in any way can never be gods work. Coming from a Christian background, the act of taking a life is never permited. If this people believe they are doing god's work by taking others lifes, then there is no way to stop them, or their believes.
God is a Devine power, meaning that noone on earth is able to tell these people any different, and nothing we say or do will change there mind. Though we may capture and/or kill this people for many reasons, they will always believe that what they are doing is right, and they are willing to do anything necisary to get this done.
So, no i do not believe that it is possible for anyone to stop these people because they think they are doing god's work.
2. Can you defeat a group that believes they are doing God's work?
Defeating such as self rightiuos group can be done, but at high costs. To defeat such a group requires more than your average tactics of overpowering. In normal sisutations, one group can rise over another group by forcing them into a corner they have no hope of escaping, and declaring demands. In the case of a group of people who believe they are doing god's will, this is not so easily done because in many cases, doing gods will results in benefits that outweigh living another day. The way you dismantle "god's army" so to speak, is to either destroy the entire army or to dismantle it's faith. Both are difficult paths to take.
To dismantle the entire army requires that you be able to do a few things. One, ensure that you really do destroy every last solder. Any solder left behind can easily restart attacks through recruits or by his or her self. Also, you must, in order to do so, be able to discern the religiously extreme from the moderate. This is ususaly not a distinction made until fire erupts.
To dismantle a groups faith has risks of its own. To dismantle a faith isn't a pinpoint operation. It requires vast ammount of propoganda effort. Also, when dismantling a faith, it's also hard to discern the religiously extreme from moderate. All in all, this method is not any more effective then actualy killing combatants. It's just that with killing, you get more sastifying results to show to the people who support such a war.-
Q: Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
A. I feel that as time goes by no one will ever forget that horrific day that changed so many lives. I remember that day vividly because I was only in 5th grade. When it happened I didn't really think much of it. I mean yeah I know what happened was horrible, but it didn't really bother me as much as it did to the people around me. But as I got older and started to really understand what happened on that day, and it had a much different effect on me than it did when it actually happened because I always was faced with images of it and we had talked about in school a lot. This is an example on how people will always remember that day. Pretty much everywhere we go, we are faced with pictures and images of that day, and we also hear about the war in Iraq on the news and we read it in the newspapers. Whenever I hear or read about the war in Iraq I always think back to 911. So therefore I think that no one will ever forget the day when the towers fell.
5. Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I feel we will continue to remember September 11th for a very long time because a tradgity like that can never be forgotten. For example Pearl Harbor is still remembered by all even though many people were not around to see it. Same goes for September 11th no matter if you were alive to see it someone will always be talking about it and it is a time to honar those who died. You would want the same respect for a loved one if something big happened to them. It may not be as big in a couple decades but it will still be a day that people come together and pray for those that were killed by the unfortunate terrorist attack.
Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I believe that most Americans will definitely continue to remember September 11, 2001 as time goes by. On that day, everyone in the nation was in a state of shock and realized the destruction of terrorism. Anybody that I have talked to always say that they remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard about the terrible event. Millions of lives were greatly effected that morning and the news of the towers will stick in peoples' minds for a life time. More than three thousand innocent people were murdered that morning, just for getting up and going to work on time. The threat of terrorism really struck close because we all realized how easily this occurred and that it could happen again. New York City, one of the most prominent cities in the nation, as well as the Pentagon, fell lunder attack and there was nothing that we could do about it. The strongest nation in the world was shook, and the nation itself as well as all Americans were changed forever.
Question #5: Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I believe that as time goes by, Americans will begin to forget about the tragedy of 9/11. I think that People in the East of the United States will remember it more because thats where the attacks occured, but the other part of the U.S. will start to forget it happened. Just like Pearl Harbor, many people can't reoccur the date that the Japanese attacked Hawaii, December 7th. Also, many Americans are forgetting about Hurricane Katrini that occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana. If a tradegy doesn't directly effect you, I believe you begin to forget that it ever occurred. With this said, I think that many Americans will forget about 9/11 as time goes by, but it won't be as big a figure as people who can't remember events such as Pearl Harbor because it is 9-1-1, which means help and it's easier to remember. When hundreds of years go by, 9/11 will be like today's date for the declaration of independence, and people won't be able to remember it as well.
Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
To me its not a question of will we as Americans remember 9/11 as time goes by, its more of a question like how are we as Americans going to remember 9/11 as time goes by. I am someone who believes that everything happens for a reason, 9/11 being no exception. Our world is filled with violence and heartache, but it’s more importantly filled with togetherness and unity. In past history classes I learned about the various presidents and the various struggles that went along with them. America has suffered being in plenty of tragedies such as Pearl Harbor, Presidents getting killed, and wars such as World War I and II. Kids learn about those events because in one way or another they shaped the United States. 9/11 is something that should always be remembered because it was a time when the world’s troubles were brought to our attention. 9/11 killed family members and loved ones, and it is no different than any other tragedy that has occurred in the United States. The only way that future generations will learn about 9/11 is if Americans who where alive tell the story, and take time to remember the horrible things that happened on that day. Just like learning about World War I in school, children should learn about 9/11 to awaken them to the harsh reality that the world is not fairies and rainbows. So I can say that if everyone keeps telling the story of what happened on 9/11 then there should be no reason as to why it should ever be forgotten. 9/11 was a terrible day for the United States and I know I will do anything to make sure my family’s future generations will realize that.
Question: Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
Answer: Yes we will always remember 9/11. September 11th changed the United States and the world. It showed us Americans that we are not as safe as we once thought. 9/11 changed millions of people's views on the Middle East and the people who live and come from there. Americans will never forget what happened on September 11, 2001 because American lives were lost. Like Pearl Harbor many American lives were lost without warning in our own backyard. Pearl Harbor sent us to war, and 9/11 sent us to war on terror. Terrorism is now held at a higher level. From that day on security everywhere was stricter and Muslims everywhere in the U.S. were looked down upon and treated wrongly. 9/11 sent a shock wave through our country. Americans took a new look at flying, the Middle East, and anyone who looked Muslim. This day changed millions of lives and is written in the history books. It will never be forgotten no matter how much time goes by.
6. Will we win this war?
What kind of war are we really in? That is the question many Americans and teenagers around the nation are constantly asking. In my opinion, we are not in a war, but in a conflict. We are trying to sub-side a civil war that has been going on for years in Iraq and in the Middle East. Yes we have made strides over the past year or so, but I don’t think there has been enough progress with tactics we are using. We will not win the war because there simply is too much pressure being put on the government to back out and bring our troops back home. I do want the troops to stay and continue to fight against terrorism, but with nothing to really show for, this conflict is going nowhere. We aren’t showing any extreme progress to help sway the majority of the nation’s opinion, and that is to cut are loses.
How can we get other countries to better assist us in this war?
I believe that the best way to get other countries besides the US to assist the war in Iraq is to develop a reasonable plan to solve the problems with the continuous help of outside efforts. If we have a plan we can follow it, thus allowing the other countries who wish to help can. If we just think about complex ideas that might work or might have a good end product they will only remain complex ideas. We need a developed plan of action that involves everyone and can benefit the Iraqi people and the state that their government is in. Thus will allow a solution to the war in the region and prevent the loss of life and the ongoing chaos of withdrawal of troops right now.
Sara Szliwoski
Period 1
2. Can you defeat a group that believes that they are doing God's work?
I believe that we can't defeat a group that thinks that they are doing God's work. The people of the Middle East have been fighting a war over religion for hundreds of years and just because we got into this war doesn't mean this problem will ever be solved. It will be impossible to convince them that they are not doing God's work. If their belief is strong enough to kill thousands of people and to kill themselves there will never be an end to this war. We may be able to calm things down in the Middle East for a time but not forever. There religion or belief will never change no matter what we do over there. This is there religion and most of them will never change it and will continue following their beliefs no matter what.
5. Will we continue to remember 9/11 as time goes by?
I think what happened on September 11th will never be forgotten. It was one of those moments in time that everyone will remember like it happened yesterday. Most people can remember exactly what they were doing when they heard about the Twin Towers. Sadly this will go down in history as a terrorist attack on the U.S, and when ever you go to New York, Ground Zero is always there to remind people of it. I think it’s a good thing that people won’t forget. This is a good reminder to the world of what terrorists are capable and why they need to be stopped.
2. Can you defeat a group that believes they are doing God's work?
When someone is born, they are born into a way of life. They don't choose what they are born into, or how they are brought up, but that makes them the person they turn out to be. I don't think that we would be able to change what people for generations and generations and generations. It is all that they know, and they can't help it. We can't really blame them, all we can do is try to reason with them, and prevent it as much as possible. But i don't really think that there is much stopping them
6. Can we win this war?
In my opinion, i think that there is no real way to answer this question. I feel like we are not at war anymore, and that we hardly were in the first place. I don't find myself making the sacrafices that people did when our country was in war in the past. The atmosphere in which i live in hasn't changed much at all since we declared a war on terror. Therefor, i don't think there is a war to win because we really aren't in one. Sure there are soldiers fighting in the Middle East but they are fighting for Iraq's future and stability, not ours. That doesnt sound like the typical war to me. I think that we should be there to eliminate those who attacked us completely and not to help them out like we are now. Basically, i feel like we lost because we are in a 'war' for all the wrong reasons.
As time goes by I believe that 9/11 will not be forgotten.9/11 was very unexpected,I highly doubt anyone saw that coming.Also for all the people that lost someone that they were related and loved.Would be very hard losing someone you love in such a terrible way. Anoter reason why this day wont be forgotten is because we are in war since 2000 to this day with the people that did this.We,us Americans are still losing one we love.
This is Josh Latta from Civics Period 1.
The question I have chosen to answer is simply, "Can we win this war?"
Essentially speaking, no war can be won, for infact, as proven by history, the side that loses will, more often than not, try again. This 'War' that we're fighting in has been happening since the beginning of time and is simply based on the fundamental difference in opinion of people who each believe that they are doing exactly what their God wants them to do. Tying into the other question, "Can you defeat a group that believes they are doing God's work?" Never. To defeat such a group would require such an extensive removal of influence, personas, and actual followers as to never be allowed to occur. As quoted by many a politician, "Nothing is more dangerous than a man who believes with all his heart that he is doing the right thing". To stop such a force would call for total removal of every side of the arguement except one. It would take a massive effort involving mass-execution and history-rewriting to accomplish such a task, and America would never do such a thing, simply because we the people of America believe it'd be wrong. So many of America's problems can't be solved because America refuses to do what it thinks is wrong. (For example, a study showed that America could solve it’s Social Security problems and thus National Debt if everyone committed suicide at age 70. Now, while I don’t prescribe this, it is a solution to our unsolvable problem.)
But, getting back to the War, We can't win this war, but there is no way in hell we can just pull out, either. We've tried it before, and we always end up back inside. America has brought herself into this, and we can't back out now. So yes, we keep our troops there. Yes, we keep fighting, and Yes, our men will keep dying, if nothing else than because as America it is our Moral Duty. To pull out without a final result would be so undignified that the rest of the Earth would never look upon us in the same light ever again. All those idiots trying to be president who want a total pull-out of the troops should actually go over and see what is being done. While we can't win the war in the state America is in now, we can definitely die trying. For was it not our own country that was founded upon the battle cry of "Give me liberty, or give me death?" To give up in Iraq would be to give up on the world, and to lose everything that our Ancestors fought and lost their lives for. "Even though the end be not in sight, push ever onward, for the prize is always worth whatever the cost" is something America should pay attention to. This is America, built on the blood of those who believed that their sacrifice would bring future generations the freedoms they lacked, and though We have fallen far from the original hopes, we can still honor them by fighting a war we can not hope to win because of the principles behind the war. For the record, the men fighting in Iraq and over there are there because they want to be there, and they feel they should. They know they are serving for a cause greater than the gas price back home, they want to protect the freedom of their families and their country. My Half-brother served a term in Iraq, and is going back soon because he feels it’s the right thing to do, and it is. As Americans, we must fight this battle because of its implications, even though the end may not be in sight. And that’s that.
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3. Is the government doing enough to prevent another 9/11?
I dont think the government is doing enough to prevent another 9/11. There are still many ways to get things through security, and always will be unless there are more drastic changes. In order to completly prevent it they would have to stop people from beinging on any carry-ons. As of now, they are doing all the can without it being a complete inconvenience to people.
I enjoyed reading your comments. Keep up the good work!
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