War Diaries

For years I have been keeping a journal/diary just for the purpose of talking about what happened on 9/11 and the wars that have since began after it. I wanted to do this so that I have a memory of it, and also so that when I have children I can share it with them. My hope is that they will then understand what it was like for someone who lived through it.

With the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 coming up,  thought that I would share some of my journal entries with all of you.

September 11, 2008

                Today is the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the flight that went down in a Pennsylvania field. While the rest of the world tries to slowly forget—some of us live each day with a reminder of what happened that day and the emotions that were felt. I still remember the confusion, anger, sadness, and the fear. I remember exactly what I was doing and where I was.
                Most of my school seemed to forget or neglect what today is and what it represents. They didn’t stop, or even slow down, to appreciate the significance or the gift we as Americans have called freedom. They weren’t just a little nicer to each other; they didn’t take the time to help each other out. They still rushed through their busy days as though it was any other day.
                It is “Patriot’s Day” in a country that shows little respect for its troops anymore; what does that even mean?

September 18, 2008

                Now that the anniversary of 9/11 has come and gone, America has seemed to forget once again. I don’t understand this at all. We, as a society, can come together one day to remember what happened, the lives lost, and how we felt that day? That’s it? That’s all the empathy we can manage? This didn’t just happen to those directly, personally involved—9/11 affected all of us as a nation, at least it should have.
                Yesterday while driving home from school, windows down to let the cool night air in and the radio blaring from the speakers, I truly saw the beauty of this privilege. That’s right, living in America is a privilege, a gift—not a basic human right! People lose sight of that and take it for granted in today’s world.
                Other countries around the world don’t have that freedom. They can’t have a carefree moment where they feel at peace with their lives, all of the day’s troubles blown away by the wind that is circulating through the car and out the various open windows. AS I thought of this my eyes filled with tears as a wave of many different emotions washed over me. I couldn’t contain this emotional moment. I cried and though of how truly beautiful this country is and how thankful I am to live in a place where men and women, boys and girls, are willing to give up everything to keep us free—even at the price of their own lives! That is a beautiful and extraordinary thing.

September 19, 2008

                Today I started reading “The Freedom Writers Diary” for my sociology class. It is an amazing book and is giving me a whole new perspective on things, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is something I did not expect from this book, of course.
                What are the people over there feeling and thinking about everything? How do they feel about 9/11—not the people who caused it or are part of terroristic groups, but just regular citizens like me? Do they understand our frustration and anger? Do they feel sympathy, apathy? Do they understand why our troops are doing this? Do they realize what the troops have given up or they simply think of them as monsters or murderers? Do they feel we are trying to give them, and protect, their freedom? Or do they think we are taking it away?
                I’ve never really thought about these things before. I’ve only thought of the fact that there is a war, why I believe we are doing it, and that I don’t want a war on our ground. This is probably very selfish of me, but can anyone really blame me for that?

September 20, 2008

                I have discovered something very disturbing and disheartening about this country in which we live—they are selfish, heartless tyrants! We have politicians fighting rather than trying to come together for the good of the country. We have citizens protesting at fallen heroes’ funerals. Worst of all, our troops are ashamed of their service due to the way society treats them.
                This is very obvious at my college. I have had service members in every class I have been in so far and they always feel they have to hide it from the rest of the class. This is very sad and appalling to me. I am proud and grateful that we have men and women who volunteer and are willing to risk their lives to keep us free. They give up everything—their jobs, lives, time with family, time with friends, and sleeping in the safety and comfort of their own beds. They are amazing people who should be respected and honored for what they do.
                What is our society doing while these brave men and women fight for this “great” nation? They are shopping, complaining, clubbing, sleeping around, doing and dealing drugs, getting drunk, and other insignificant, selfish things. I feel ashamed of the United States sometimes—something I never in a million years thought I would ever say. The way they treat our troops is disgusting and they are the ones who should feel ashamed.