Just a few days ago, marked the 7th anniversar
y of the commemoration of the September 11 attacks.Thinking of the 9/11 incident, my mind is filled with great intensity and sympathy for those who have witnessed and also suffered or even died most undeservedly on that very day. To most Amercians I am sure, this day was definitely unjustified. There is no reason for anyone to possibly destroy a city that has done technically, no wrong! If there be hatred, is a bomb a fair solution to resolve such a conflict?
From this article, I see how the Americans have created a certain perspective toward the government and the whole reminiscent affair of the September 11 attacks.
"New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said September 11, 2001, when Al-Qaeda-hijacked airliners demolished the Twin Towers and also crashed into the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, was the day the United States "broke." The anniversary, he said, was about "New Yorkers, Americans and global citizens remembering the innocent people from 95 nations and territories that lost their lives that day." McCain and Obama - due to visit Ground Zero, after the official ceremonies - declared a truce and suspended advertising. "There will be no speeches," Democrat Obama's spokeswoman Linda Douglass said. "This is going to be a moment when politics are set aside.""
From this excerpt, the jounalist expressed the day when the attacks happened as "the day the United States "broke"". This has set the tone for the whole article- one that is sombre and full of anguish. Here, I infer that the Americans have commemorated this day as one that will never be erased from their minds- one that perhaps, is not forgivable and awaits justice or even revenge.
And for this, even the democrats have declared political truce! It just shows how this "tragedy" has shaped the Americans' perception of this very day, September 11. Thus, this is an example of how perception is shaped through an experience, and they have communicated it through the tone of this article and even the political truce that was declared.
"Victims' relatives, some choking on tears, read out names of the dead. A string quartet, alternating with a classical guitar and flute, played mournfully in the background as the litany unfolded. Survivors, who wore white ribbons pinned to their chests, often broke off to add brief tributes. One fought to control himself as he condemned the "cowardly men" who killed his loved one. A woman managed a smile as she called to her deceased husband Chuck, saying: "Until we meet again may God hold you in the palm of his hands.""
This description of the setting on that day has allowed me to visualise how the people actually felt. It is a scenario of high intensity in which there was crying, cursing and longing for their loved ones. Even the environment is one that evokes emotions with the mournful music played and the white ribbons that were pinned on their chests.
Personally, I have never related to this whole affair of the September 11 attacks. To me, it was just a tragedy that happened, possibly one that could be similar to any other natural disaster in the world. I understand the sadness, but I could not actually read into how the Americans actually felt until I read this article. I think I am convinced of the unworthy lost they have experienced from how the writer has pieced this article. It is true how I can start feeling abundantly about this affair as my cognitive schemata (influences of my personal constructs and punctuation) goes into action.
From here, I also see how the Americans cannot let go of this event as it is of great intensity to them. It also has evoked unstable emotions that has triggered their psychological state of mind.
Truly, it has been seven years since the fateful catastrophe occured, but such depth of pain and infliction cannot be healed by just time or justice.
5 comments:
True enough, this tragedy brings sorrow and pain to the Americans. We will never to able to perceive 9/11 in the same way as the Americans as we did not personally encounter this kind of devastation. However, we are able to empathize with them, thanks to news reports and speeches. The tone itself serves a great purpose in relaying the anguish of the Americans. True enough, the memory of the 9/11 event will never be forgotten for many generations to come.
hmmm...
sad...
but it's all in the past and let's not desensitize ourselves by thinking too much about it. we're human, we evolve and we become stronger.
history tells us all about pain, but history also tells us tales of victory and discovery. (now now shouldn't you kids regret hating history classes? i enjoyed mine)
the funny thing is that, the pain of one is a relief of another. if you guys feel sorry for the 9/11 tragedy, we should also have empathy on iraq and afghanistan.
what would you feel if someone invaded your home, much less singapore? if you're living in the east (personal space), probably people from the west (public space) wouldn't hear of the news unless it was death related.
the media may be overloaded with americanism but we should look over our shoulder for our asian counterparts as well. people in asia are still suffering from the tsunami and sars attack.
peace out, and We All Know One.
hey fiona,
your insightful post reminded me of my own latest blog (coughshamelessplugcough ahah!) entry- about how powerful the tool of mass communication can be. if not for the media, we wouldn't have heard of the 9/11 incident so impactfully, and your entry would not have been as well. :)
though i'm not american, i can empathize with the victims (though i'm sure it's just a fraction of a fraction). i can't even begin to imagine the pain they had to go through.
indeed. 9/11 is an incident that was engraved into everyone's heart.
even though we are not there to experience the hurt, the pain, and the loss that the victims and their families have felt, through the media, we have a vivd idea of what took place.
through the tv, the newspapers, radios, magazines etc etc, we got to know about world news. media is a powerful tool in transmitting data and firs-hand news. now, we even have the internet to access to even news from all over the world!
i remember what strike me the most when the sichun earthquake happen was the stories of the victims that was published in the newspapers. many of these real-life stories often bring heartaches.
great sharing.
Till today, I can remember the exact time and details of what was happening around me, as I watched the Twin Towers crumble. It was the night before my History O'Levels exam, and I was studying. I was in my old house, in Tampines. It was about 8:30 P.M. or so, and my eyes were glued to the television.
The impregnable world superpower - the country that helped to crush Nazi Germany, Mussolini's Italy, Fascist Japan, as well as 'contain' the Korean War, the Middle Eastern crisis throughout the 1960's to 80's, was just hit by two planes. It looked like a movie; people were covered in dust and ash, and running away from the catastrophe. People in suits, covered in ash, running in Manhattan, not a sight you'd see everyday.
It changed the world, it changed everything. Politics, society, economies, even the fundamental questions of humanity were shaken.
It has shaped our perceptions, in every way possible. Look at how people view Arabs in airports. Or the feelings of unhappiness certain people in Saudi Arabia feel, in regards to the huge American base stationed there.
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