Twenty-three years ago today, four planes were hijacked by al-Qaida, an Islamic terrorist organization. Two planes hit the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York City, one plane hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virgina and a fourth plane, headed toward Washington, D.C., did not reach its destination due to its passengers’ heroic intervention. These attacks killed approximately 2,977 people, although the death toll continues to increase from diseases caused by the debris, especially among first responders.
This loss extends even further to the unimaginable number of people who lost parents, siblings, colleagues and friends, and it is important not to forget this day to memorialize these losses.
It is also important to remember 9/11 due to the profound effects it continues to have on the American people. The loss experienced in the wake of this tragedy injected fear into American society. With the scope of terrorism reaching American soil, people grew skeptical of one another, fearful of the outside world and distrustful of their government.
According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Americans who believe the government does the right thing all or most of the time increased from an average of 42% in the immediate aftermath of the attacks to an average of 54% in October 2001. However, in the decade since, that number has fallen, dipping to an average of 17% in October 2011, and has not climbed above 25% since January 2007.
The fear embedded in many parts of our society has turned to hatred, largely appearing in the form of Islamophobia. Between 2000 and 2001, the Pew Research Center found anti-Muslim assaults went from 12 incidents to 93, and 296 Muslims were victims of anti-Muslim intimidation in 2001. This hatred has yet to subside and has even surpassed the levels seen in 2001 on many occasions.
It may be easy to believe the events of 9/11 are in our past, especially for those born after the attacks. However, the impacts are still present with us all today, and we must remember how they continue to shape our lives and country even now.
