When I entered the Media Room on September 11th, and actually saw for myself the planes streaking overhead and destroying human life by smashing into one of New York's trademarks, I was speechless. The feeling in my gut made me sick; I was unable to stand. How could people do this to their own fellow Clevelanders? Somewhere deep in my hart I understood that my life perception will be changed dramatically and it did. Now years had past but I see how changes have effected our society and our views. Like for example air travel.
I am randomly selected out of a group of one to go to the airport, pass all the security checkpoints, and depart from the airport with my family member. Because of such a significant boost in security measures, check-in times for the airplane are much longer than they used to be. There is no more Home Alone style aircraft boarding procedures. There are metal detectors, bomb detectors, police, guards, and tons of security personnel monitoring everyone's slightest move. Anyone the slightest bit suspicious is immediately interrogated. This is a very large safety measure that, in my personal opinion, soothes the thoughts of terror in the back of everyone's mind.
The final way that September 11th has affected my life is the fact that some of my friends and co-workers alike have been discriminated against. When people look at my Middle Eastern comrades, feelings of hate and suspicion are always directed at them. From scoffs to a waitress at Malley's that wasn't even Middle Eastern, to vexed stares when my co-workers at Panera's speak in their native tongue to one another, the people that I spend my days with are being judged inequitably, these situation make me mad. I think that it is unfair for one group of people to be stereotyped as one thing, especially when they do not carry any of the traits associated with terrorists, except for a likeness of image, not character.
September 11th, 2001 is a day that will unfortunately be remembered throughout the world, and the shocking realization that other countries are jealous at our way of life will continue throughout history, and I am sure that the World Trade Center incident will not be the last attack in attempt to stop the American way of life. We Americans are the proud few that create decent, upstanding lives for ourselves, so that we can live out our days in a peaceful environment. I believe that the most outrageous fact is that it has been one year since the attack on freedom, and we can look back on how much has changed, but also how much hasn't.
