Tragedy After 9/11

A Day to Go Down in Infamy Everyday tragedy occurs. Significant or not it affects some or all. For America 9/11 was the biggest tragedy to occur since Pearl Harbor, and has changed the course of our nation and for the future. 9/11 being the largest death poll on American soil since the civil war had a great impact on the country. It takes a great force to change the course of a powerful nation and 9/11 had that power to leave the country in shock and change the future for America. Learning about 9/11 brings respect to those who died and respect to the families to the families that have lost loved ones. The most tragic event in U.S history is deemed to be remembered. The story of 9/11 will be passed down in history forever.
The United States
before 9/11 Before 9/11, the U.S was a completely different country in so many different ways.
Between the personal lives of citizens and the U.S government, the country changed its ways after the terrorist attack. Before the attack, America ranked terrorism low among government survey. At the time America was more worried about nuclear weapons and larger military power besides terrorist. Before 9/11 America wasn’t involved in as many wars, more so in the middle east. Matthew Green, a journalist for KQED news wrote, “We deported half the number of people we do today. Our surveillance state was a fraction of its current size.” After 9/11 the U.S went to war with Al qaeda and was involved with many other wars in the middle east as well. The increase in war only counts to the death toll caused by 9/11. After America’s safety in airports was violated, the country changed their security. Before 9/11 the airport let people come on with knives, knitting needles, and even box cutters. Before the realization of false security, private companies did the screening for security checks, not the government, according to the huffington post. America was an entirely different country before
9/11.
The Attacks
Al Qaeda was responsible for the planning as well as the attacks on 9/11. They had planned to attack three different places although only two were destroyed in the end. The first attack was on the twin towers. According to Remembering 9/11: The symbol of the Twin Towers, “They were the hub of the bustling Financial District, a top tourist attraction and a symbol of New York City’s–and America’s–steadfast devotion to progress and the future.” The twin towers were targeted in order to target America’s wealth and finance. Everything the terrorist did was to target a symbolic piece for America. The next attack was on the pentagon. The pentagon, America’s military defense, was attacked to symbolize our weakening military and how easily our military can be powerless. The third attack never made it although it did still bring tragedy.
The third plane was supposed to make it into the white house, instead it landed in a field in Pennsylvania. The passengers on the plane found out what was happening and fought against the hijackers. According to Flight 93, “United Airlines Flight 93, crashed down in a field in rural Pennsylvania, never reaching its intended target because its crew and passengers fought back against the terrorists. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks, a number that would almost certainly have been significantly higher if not for the actions of those aboard Flight 93.” The plane was intended to hit the White House in order to attack our President. Instead the passengers found out what was going on and they fought into the cockpit and crashed the plane into the ground. There were no survivors.
The Change of America As it was said before, America has changed immensely since the attacks.
Airport security has increased. They were often unable to detect possible threats found on passengers and/or on their luggage. These threats include weapons such as cutting devices, guns, bombs, and airborne pathogens. The failure to detect these devices were a result of constant turnover in the workplace coupled with poor training due to unattractive wages and benefits which resulted in the hiring of an unskilled, inexperienced labor force, according to The Evolution of Airline Security since 9/11. Not only was the airport security improved but the immigration laws were revisited after that day. The immigration policy changed to try and prevent further terrorist attacks. President bush increased security funding to screen refugees and immigrants in order to further provide more security. Deportations have doubled in the last decade but criminal deportations have increased, according to the Huffington
Post. Again as it was stated before America had changed unrecognizably. We are now involved in more middle eastern wars.