Article by Shawn Gill | Photography by Azman Toy | Owl Staff
We remember the day, don’t we? September 11, 2001 was a day that will never be forgotten by anyone who experienced it. A decade has passed, and the world we live in has changed. The rich are getting richer and the everyday working man is poorer. How can certain people afford to be greedy when 1 in 6 Americans are living in poverty, according to the most recent Census Bureau report?
Capitalism, by definition, breeds a competitive market in which the ultimate goal is big profits. Many wealthy Americans are businessmen, and they have been using sketchy business practices. Looking for any competitive edge, companies start appealing to the emotions of their consumers. An understandable emotion around 9/11 has to be patriotism.
This love for your country is a great feeling, but it really seems disingenuous at times. That’s why I write today; this is a plea for all the commercialization of 9/11 to stop. I have seen it all: discounts on 9/11 tattoos, stands in grocery stores with huge American flags, and even gyms offering special monthly memberships. Sure, it makes money for businesses, but is it ethical?
9/11, to me at least, is a day of remembrance and tribute to all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I don’t need all these material things to remember where I was when those men committed this terrible atrocity. It really is a shame how we have turned such an unforgettable day, etched in our minds forever, essentially into the Fourth of July.
Where Were You?
Article by Joey Privett | Photography by Imani Lewis | Owl Staff
On September 11, 2001, the United States was hit with a tragedy that will never be forgotten. It has been a decade since, and there are still people that remember every detail of that infamous day. Americans will never forget it.
I was 12 years old and in 7th grade at the time. I was in a computer class when another teacher walked in and broke the news to our teacher. We stopped working and turned the television on, then proceeded to watch what was happening to the Twin Towers and Pentagon. It was sad and disturbing, yet, most of us didn’t realize the impact that the tragedy would have on the people living in the United States.
Immediately after the second tower was hit, an announcement was made stating that the school day was over, and we were to go home and be with our families. While heading home, most of us were in utter shock, riding in dead silence. When I got home, my mother and father were already there, and as soon as I walked in the door, they called me over and hugged me. They are government workers at APG so they both felt grateful that their area wasn’t attacked, but deeply saddened by the aggression towards their country. I was excited because school was over, but I should’ve been more excited that my family was okay and that I was with them during this terrible moment.
As a young kid, I didn’t realize that event would be as familiar with me ten years later as if it had happened yesterday, and I believe I will never forget the details of that day. If you were old enough to remember September 11, 2001, surely you will never forget your actions on that day. Where were you, and what were you doing?