In a cluttered nook of a place I call home is a nondescript file of clippings intended as a reminder of a nightmare we wish never happened. The events of September 11, last year, and the days following are portraits of human fear and pain, heroism and resoluteness we can ill afford to forget if only to honor the memory of the thousands of innocent victims. It also serves to prop our resolve to learn from deficiencies or failures, if any, and emerge from what had been the arrogant confidence that with the distance and its military and economic might, no belligerent act of that magnitude would ever dare extend its reach to this country in this part of the globe.
On the other hand terrorists by their nature are driven by a passion for history, to have their dastardly acts immortalized, perceived with awe and even emulated. By their act they want to sow fear and as we saw it, fear has a multiplying effect causing negative aftermath much worse than the physical damage incurred. As a result many have displayed qualms and even criticized the dynamic leadership of the current administration to go after and mete justice on those responsible. Certain segments of the people obviously fearing a recurrent theme have become advocates of isolationism and defeatism. To some the pervading attitude is that by burying one's head in the sand, one could placate the gang of evildoers and thus isolate us from the unpleasantness of the world. That was an attitude some thought apt soon after Osama Ben Laden's henchmen first bombed the World Trade Center earlier. The succeeding event proved the risk of pacifism where the worms of fanaticism are concerned.
Going back to my clippings, it turns out that the painstaking task of creating a reservoir of memory regarding the 911 year was not that significant after all. Reminders are many and everywhere such that unless one actually removes himself/herself from present day society, he/she would continue to be haunted by memories of that significant day. Testimonials from witnesses and survivors are aplenty; photos and relics abound; and images in TV, the Internet and other forms of the information media are unforgiving in searing these reminders in our minds. Soon symbols of the events of that day would grace the Smithsonian Institute and other national repositories for generations to behold and be reminded of.
The fears and tears of the past notwithstanding, we have to move on. Despite the tragedy that struck more than 3,000 unsuspecting fellowmen - in the process making a dent on America's icon of economic, political and military might - the sun still came out the day after and the air still carries the smell of blooming flowers in the field. There is always something to appreciate and be grateful of even in the dark of night.
That is not to say that nothing has changed since that fateful day of September a year ago. The world has since turned around and many things are different in so many ways. Financial losses were staggering as the economy went south. On the other hand the awareness of this country's vulnerability and mortality awaken the people and leadership from the lethargy of overconfidence and now the most powerful country on earth has emerged even stronger from the experience. It also enable a president with a borderline win during an election proved the stuff he's made of in the sternest test of leadership there could be.
Among Asian Pacific Americans, a poll conducted by the online publication PoliticalCircus.com among its readers indicate that for the ethnic community who has always been struggling with the notion of being a "perpetual foreigner," the attacks had a more significant impact on their daily lives.
On the subject of economy, close to half (46.7%) of the 350 respondents in the survey claimed to be "very concerned" about it, 47.7% were concerned, and those not worried, 5.6%. Of the total number, 7.6% lost their jobs since Sept. 11 with 66.7% blaming their misfortune to the downed economy while 11.1% on supposed discrimination. Of those surveyed 3.7% claimed they are now better off than before Sept. 11, 62.6% said they are worse off, and the remaining 33.6% had no opinion.
Ironically, while the United States had since recovered from the battered economy as a result of the September act of terrorism, a much more daunting upheaval soon had it in a spin again. First came the accounting scandal involving the giant Enron followed shortly by the subsequent crash of its auditing firm Andersen. Before the American public had time to digest the big blows to corporate integrity, WorldCom, Adelphia, and ImClone followed suit. At least with the terrorist bombing the public had somehow recouped a sense of well being after the Al Queda troops and the Talibans were largely routed. The recent economic scandals, however, made a deeper wound on the public's confidence on Wall Street in a manner even the downing of the Twin Towers was unable to accomplish.
Globally, America had strengthened its military and economic links with other countries and even made inroads on some it had no relations before. And amid raised security alerts talks abound of taking on Iraq's Saddam Hussein next. Also in the name of security additional restrictions have been adopted, which naturally don't sit well with civil rights advocates.
One endearing result of the Sept. 11 debacle is that many Americans have since discovered a heightened sense of patriotism, loyalty and fealty to the flag. As the former Vietnam Prisoner of War, now US Senator John S. McCain said, one must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build this nation and promote freedom around the world.
Created on ... September 12,2002