Sept. 11, 2001 was a day that would change the course of history and the everyday lives of many Americans. The regulations on flights, the entrance into government buildings, customs, trades, immigration, and many other customs were changed. For the first time in American history, Americans watched the collapse of more than just buildings, people watched the collapse of the American dream live on television. The planes crashed into the twin towers and the Pentagon leading to the War in Afghanistan, the longest ongoing war in American history. 

When this time comes around, few teachers speak of it in class and even fewer play clips that allow us to watch the relatively recent event in history. When the clips are played, a few students tear up in class, but most of the students aren’t even interested in it. Some don’t even pay attention to the videos most of the time. I find this terrifying. However, that is not the only terrifying thing. Most students don’t even recognize the changes that were made by such a horrific event in modern history. 

While some teachers show clips, news stories, and movies, the reality of it is that most students are disconnected from the event in itself. It’s been two years since there were students roaming the halls of a high school building that were even alive in 2001, and most of them were merely infants.

The most notable thing about that fateful day was not the destruction and loss of life. The most notable thing actually came after the attack itself. People of all genders, ethnicities, sexes, and regions of the United States came together to create a unified whole as they mourned the loss of lives and found a sudden sense of vulnerability. 

As current high school students, we can’t grasp the emotional toll this took on people. However, we can appreciate the sacrifices the first responders, the families of the victims, and the soldiers in Afghanistan made. We can still thank and honor all of those men, women, and even children who gave their lives on that day and the years following. 

We should never forget the sacrifices of the individuals that day, and the love and understanding that was shown to every American on Sept. 12, 2001.