The date alone speaks to many Americans. The television showed descriptive pictures of the planes just as they ended their flights into the World Trade Center. There where people jumping out of the windows screaming and hoping to escape the fire. The first of the two towers plunged to the ground as easy as the wind blowing down a house of cards. All the people on the streets ran away to escape the black plume of smoke chasing them. The fire trucks and police cars were frantically heading towards the World Trade Center to do their difficult jobs. Upon mentioning the date September 11th, the natural inclination of almost every American is to immediately recall the horrific events of this day. However, reflections of that seemingly solemn day also bring thoughts of positive outcomes for Americans.
After the events of September 11th, the unthinkable happened in New York City--fire departments across the country relentlessly volunteered their services around the clock, strangers donated gallons of blood for the victims, and money poured in as donations for the families who lost loved ones. It is unfortunate that such a terrible event occurred, however, seeing Americans across the country unite for the people of New York and the victims of the other hijackings was a bit of light in the darkness.
The events of September 11th also opened the eyes of all Americans to the vulnerability and safety of our Country. The fact that four planes were hijacked and used as weapons of mass destruction against the United States is mind-boggling. As a result, we now have measures in place to help protect us against future terrorist attacks. For example, we now have a Director of Homeland Security. There is also a new Terrorist Alert System based on military intelligence to help Americans understand the severity of the potential threats against the United States. And finally, although the process for checking in at our nation's airports has become more cumbersome, the added security steps are necessary to keep Americans safe.
