Upon the anniversary of the infamous 9/11 terrorist attack, sociology senior Yvette De Leon gave her thoughts and recollections of the day when this nation opened its arms to those who suffered a low blow from terrorists intruders — a day when the whole nation, united, wept.
De Leon recalls the morning of 9/11 as any other morning. At the time, De Leon was a 12-year-old middle school student eating breakfast in her homeroom.
She says the day seemed pretty ordinary until she heard an announcement on the intercom instructing teachers to turn on TVs to witness the events happening that morning.
De Leon says she was in a state of disbelief when she saw images of the commotion.
“It looked like they were showing scenes from a movie. It just didn’t seem like this could actually be happening,” she says.
After the initial feeling of disbelief, De Leon says everything started to sink in saying, “it was sad to see how people could do such a thing.”
The feelings and thoughts De Leon experienced were those shared by the entire nation. “I felt uneasy about the future,” De Leon continues.
Even though the attacks made it hard to look past anything other than the disaster, chaos and the lost lives, De Leon says she remembers feeling camaraderie and union as the horrid events continued to unfold.
Reflecting on how the September 11 events changed the United States, De Leon says it has made people more aware of their surroundings but also more judgemental.
“Before, people weren’t so quick as to judge because of race or ethnicity,” she says, “and they didn’t see a terrorist in every person they felt didn’t belong. Things have definitely changed.”
De Leon says she can empathize with people who lost their relatives and loved ones on that day and during the casualties that have resulted from the wars.
De Leon’s father, Joe De Leon, is an Air Force veteran who served about four years in the Vietnam War.
“When tragic events like this happen, there is usually a bigger picture of what follows,” she says. “It brings a lot of pain and suffering to people when families are separated and torn apart by the war.”
De Leon says that although it seems as if nothing positive could have emerged from the 9/11 events, some good did come out of it.
Due to the tragic events, she says, “people came closer together and it fostered a sense of unity.”
She adds that it made people realize that the United States is not invincible, and that it is OK to be vulnerable and need help at times.
“People need realization that caution is never overrated because this is not a bulletproof nation,” she says. “They also need to be more aware of what is going on outside their own backyard.”
A decade later, De Leon says she believes, to a certain extent, the United States is safer because people have a realization of what can happen, security has increased and safety information is promoted.
In remembrance of the victims of 9/11 and to commemorate all those who have risked their lives for our freedom, De Leon says she will take time out of her day to say a prayer for all those affected on that day.
She adds of her plans to take time to tell her loved ones how much she appreciates them because, “sometimes we learn to show our love for one another when tragedy strikes close to home.”
