Even this word alone conjures up ominous feelings of dread. The truth of the matter is, however, that we cannot begin to comprehend the horror of the atrocities that occurred in the 1940s. We could not begin to comprehend it until it was close to happening again. On September 11, 2001, we faced a remarkably similar atrocity. As the Jews were innocent victims of the Holocaust, so were the workers, civilians, and rescuers of this modernized act of terrorism. As Primo Levi states: "We are often asked, as if our past conferred a prophetic ability upon us, whether Auschwitz will return: whether, that is, other slaughters will take place, unilateral, systematic, mechanized, willed, at a governmental level, perpetrated upon innocent and defenseless populations and legitimized by the doctrine of contempt" (117). Accordingly, can the holocaust return? Will it become a reality again? It is frightening to even consider.
The "Attack on America" is an event that has changed history forever. It, much like the Holocaust, was an event that clearly illustrated man's inhumanity to man in ways we had never dreamt possible. Lives were taken, some were spared, and most importantly, the "Heart of America" was shattered. To some, it is still just a dream, just a blurry vision of terrorism. However, many people relive the events that occurred repeatedly, every waking moment. While still others have tried to put it in the back of their minds in order to move on. .
No matter who you are or where you are from, this attack affected you in one way or another. Maybe you: were there, lost a loved one, saw it on the news when you were sitting at your desk in an office somewhere, were a student who was forced to try to understand, were a survivor, were a friend of a survivor, or were a terrorist who is now cursing yourself for, or priding yourself on your wrongdoings. On the other hand, perhaps you do not know your involvement, except for the fact that you are indubitably an American.