I was weeks away from giving birth to Araceli when 9-11 happened. Ari has only lived in a post-9-11 world. She doesn't remember a time when people didn't have a little glimmer of apprehension when a plane flies too low. She never knew a time when New York City firefighters weren't heroes in the eyes of the whole nation. Ari learned about 9-11 in school, and this is what she wrote:
On September 11, 2001, a plane crashed into the twin towers causing them to fall to the ground. The planes that hit the towers knew the towers' weak spot and flew the plane right into it. This killed many people. Now airports are more careful with the people boarding. There weren't just two planes, there were four. Two hit the twin towers and one hit the Pentagon and one tried to hit the White House.
There were people going and coming on trips or home on the planes. One person caught on fire and another person came to put the fire out so he could live. Firefighters went in to save people, did, and maybe died.
There was a daycare at the twin towers and most of the kids in it were about 2 - 3. I feel bad about how short their life was.
But I'm wondering, why on earth would someone give their life to fly a plane into a building to kill as many people as they can?
On September 11, 2001, a plane crashed into the twin towers causing them to fall to the ground. The planes that hit the towers knew the towers' weak spot and flew the plane right into it. This killed many people. Now airports are more careful with the people boarding. There weren't just two planes, there were four. Two hit the twin towers and one hit the Pentagon and one tried to hit the White House.
There were people going and coming on trips or home on the planes. One person caught on fire and another person came to put the fire out so he could live. Firefighters went in to save people, did, and maybe died.
There was a daycare at the twin towers and most of the kids in it were about 2 - 3. I feel bad about how short their life was.
But I'm wondering, why on earth would someone give their life to fly a plane into a building to kill as many people as they can?
4 comments:
I haven't been around for much longer than Ari, but long enough to remember the tragic events of that day. My mom was driving me to Fairfield Junior High...just weeks after my 9th grade year began. She pulled over on the side of the road as she heard the news, as if she was in shock. I don't think I realized the scale of the situation until I entered into the doors of the school and all I heard were televisions playing news reports of the attacks. Silence filled every classroom and every hallway as everyone stared at those screens.
That day at gym we played soccer outside. It did feel like every airplane was flying much too low for comfort, and my best friend even started to cry as she worried that her 19 year old brother would have to go fight against the terrorists.
Just yesterday as I went to teach my 12 and 13 year olds, I couldn't help but wonder what 9-11 must mean to THEM. They were just little babies when it all happened...it finally hit me how crazy it is that there is a huge piece of our history that I can recall, that they never will be able to.
At least they teach it in school, right? Luckily these children will be able to at least try to catch a glimpse of what so many people suffered, and still suffer, because of the events of 9-11.
Leave it to a child to get to the root of the issue: "But I'm wondering, why on earth would someone give their life to fly a plane into a building to kill as many people as they can?" Eleven years later I still don't know the answer to that one.
Like you I was pregnant. What am I doing, bringing a baby into THIS world, at THIS time? I fretted. We need those post 9-11 children more than ever.
I love Ari's point. I too wonder why anyone would kill someone else.
Ari, very thoughtful words on 9-11especially the last sentence. A question many have asked that fateful day and now years later. We must always remember those who gave their lives, in the airplanes and on the ground trying to save lives. Thanks for a thoughtful essay. XO Tricia
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