A mission statement by Eliana Bernstein
September 11, 2001 started off like every other morning. My father would wake my siblings and I up, and help us get ready for another day of school. Every morning I would complain to my father about school and beg him to let me stay home. We had the same argument every single morning, and every single morning I would lose this argument. My mother was already on her trade to New York City for work. The only vivid memory I have of this day is being let out of school early. Both of my parents came to pick my siblings and I up from school. All of the other children were being picked up by their parents as well. Everyone was very quite walking home, but I was ecstatic to be out of school. I was skipping and singing and laughing while everyone silently walked home. As a six-year-old girl getting out of school early was a dream come true. Over the years I learned this dream was in fact a nightmare. Growing up I learned that the reason I was let out of school early was because of the terrorist attack that occurred in New York City. Islamic terrorist hijacked four passenger airlines. Two planes were flown into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center. A third plane was crashed into the Pentagon and the fourth plane was targeted for Washington D.C but crashed some where in Pennsylvania.
Terrorism is one of the most visible forms of conflict that results form the clash between religions and ideologies. The idea of terror and terrorism began during the French Revolution that created a new way of thinking the enlightenment. However the definition of terrorism does not include the government and/or military action it is only politically motivated violence created by sub-national groups. It is targeted to non-combatant targets and is usually intended to influence an audience. Essentially terrorism is a socially defined form of violence, basically saying when you see the action you just know it is terrorism it doesn’t need to be explained. For example the bombing at the Boston Marathon this past year, everyone just knows it was an act terrorism.
The attacks that occurred on 9/11 created a new idea known as ‘war on terror’. This is a global conflict redefining political conflicts and creating the idea that everyone is potential at war. It blurs the line between civilian and solider. It gives off the vibe that a terrorist attack can happen whenever and wherever. Whether someone is riding the tube home or going on a family vacation they are never truly safe. Yet people go on with their daily lives putting faith into their government to keep them safe and hoping that is enough.
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