By Sal Montemurro, Webmaster & Staff Writer
This year marked the 20th Anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, a day in which our country was faced with great devastation. The day started off as a normal day until 7:46 a.m. CDT, when American Airlines Flight 11 hit the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York. Shortly after, the south tower was hit by Flight 175.
Just as Americans thought the horror was over, a third plane, Flight 77, hit the Pentagon. A fourth plane was hijacked, Flight 93, with the hijackers planning to crash it into the U.S. Capitol, but the passengers interfered, stopping the hijackers by crashing the plane in an open Pennsylvania field and sacrificing their lives. That day almost 3,000 Americans died while the rest of the country watched in horror, wondering if they were next, leaving many Americans with feelings of uncertainty.
Now why does something that happened 20 years ago still matter today? It’s important to remember that it still affects people today. Survivors face the aftereffects caused by the fire and debris, such as cancers and burns. While others still suffer emotional effects due to trauma or the loss of a loved one. For some, it’s a family member who’s been greatly impacted or the fear of another attack.
9-11 matters because it still impacts the lives of many Americans. The day reminds us that no matter how strong our country is, we need to be there for each other because you never know what life might hurl at us.