Remembering September 11th

Being here in the United States has a different feel for the tragedy of September 11th. I remember when this happen, my family and I were having a holiday in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and during breakfast the next day, we saw the news on TV. We didn't know what really happen or how serious the whole thing was. Innitially, when we saw the flashbacks of the plane crashing onto the twin towers, we thought it was some kind of show.

Only after watching it for a little while longer did we realized what was happening. But even then, it really didn't hit us. When we got back to KL, I had some friends who told us that they were watching television that night itself (the time difference is that it was during the night when it happen!) and the show suddenly stopped and there was this news showing the twin towers crashing down. Some kids actually thought it was Gozilla in the making.

But today, my university had a memorial service. And listening to the students and faculty talking about how it was like being in New York itself when it happen really changed everything. Its not far and away anymore. It is not something that we hear on the news, feel sad for a while and forget about it the very next minute. These are people that were actually there when it happen. They actually knew someone that lost their lives in this tragedy. They experienced the smoke and the smell of burned flesh which lingered on for weeks without end. They were actually people that were glued to the news in hope of finding survivors in the rumbles of the twin tower.

These were actually real people. Not someone that we see on television. It was so surreal for me. And it truly made me feel the impact of the aftermath of September 11th. How much sufferings and sadness it brought to people.

However, what actually to people get from through incidents like this? Is it to form anger and hatred to whoever that did all this? I felt that after the memorial service, it is not important who was behind the September 11 attack but what can we do to prevent it from ever happening again. Such incident brings intense suffering to every possible human being on earth. But what can we do as a human being to stop it from every happening again? What can we do to stop violence from happening again? This event happen because of anger and hatred but are we going to reciprocate it with anger and hatred too?

It has been 6 years since September 11th 2001. And slowly, the memory of this event is diminishing. People are starting to forget the seriousness of this event. It is not about who was behind this attack, but the fact that it was an attack of violence towards humankind. It's not important who did it, but that innocent lives were lost.

What are we going to do about it?

So many innocent lives and families were torn because of this incident. It gives you the perspective that life is so important. Every single one of us is important. What can we do to respect and value everyone?



This is something that we truly have to ponder upon.