On September 11, 2001, the United States was shocked with a terrorist attack that would haunt the public for decades to come. When asked if they remember where they were when the World Trade Center was struck, most people are able to say exactly where they were standing at exactly what time.
However, the remembrance of 9/11 is wildly different in the eyes of a younger generation.
The terrorist attack on the twin towers landmark is considered the deadliest foreign strike on American soil, which was clearly evident in the reactions of the Baby boomers and the Generation X population. For years, they felt as though they were living in a safe country, one in which could only fall at the hands of the soldiers over seas. Never did they imagine that such gruesome acts of war would make their way back onto American grounds and harm those who were not on the front line.
The attack on 9/11 altered the way Americans viewed terrorism and heightened their fear of the unknown. The very moment that the planes crashed into the World Trade Center, a newfound understanding settled over the United States. The country was no longer a safe place with untouchable borders, that would keep terroristic threats at bay.
If you were to ask someone from the Generation Z population, which are most high school and college level students, if they remember the fall of the twin towers, they will more than likely say no. We never lived in a world where terrorism was a surprise, because after 9/11, the nation became more cautious and more prepared for future attacks.
Our generation has a different view on 9/11 than people who were older when the attack occurred. Each year when September 11th comes around, we have trouble fully understanding the immensity of the attack and the impact it had on the public. Because to us, it does not come as a surprise.
In this day and age, bombings and what seems like never-ending fights with terrorist groups are a normal occurrence, as sad as that might be. This does not mean that we, as a younger generation, have less sympathy for what happened nearly two decades ago. It just means that we are not as affected by the circumstance as some who may have been involved.
The truth of the matter is that the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, was an incident that shook the public and will cause endless ache to the loved ones of the fallen. It is a fact that this tragedy impacted the entirety of the United States population; however, it affected each group of people a little bit differently.
On this day, a moment of silence should be taken out of respect and in remembrance, even if you were not alive at the time of the attack. We will always remember the fallen citizens and the families that were impacted on that day.
