September 11th, 2001 is a infamous tragedy that transformed America into a much more cautious nation. Before the terror attack on 9/11, a lot more responsibility was given to the people in trade for certain freedoms. People could walk with their loved ones, and friends up to their gate to watch them depart. They could carry normal portions of shampoo and other liquids. I found a quote from Jason P. Stadtlander in the Huffington Post that really struck me. He wrote that after 9/11, "we couldn't afford to be innocent anymore." This represents freedom with responsibility because before 9/11, they had precautions to prevent anything bad from happening, but did not assume that anyone was guilty of crime before being convicted. After 9/11, it is almost like we cannot afford the risk, so we have to go through an outrageous amount of security before we are finally accepted as innocent. After all these check points there still are many watching eyes to see if anyone does anything suspicious. It is meant to keep us safe, but almost feels as if they are assuming that we are guilty before we commit an offence. Now we have to go through a lot of security check points which forces us to show up in 1-3 hours in advance to our flight.
After I did research on September 11, 2001 I have realized that freedom with responsibility does not work on an individual basis. Most people in America have done nothing to make themselves suspicious enough to be put through so much scrutiny in the airports, but the actions of few have made it so all of our freedoms are reduced. The government decided that it gave too much responsibility to the people so it took away some freedoms. We the people of the United States are looked upon as a large group. We all individually and as a group represent the American people, and when the government decides how much freedom is to be given to us; it is decided by looking at us as a group. September 11th changed how freedom with responsibility works in America , and the nation will never be the same.
Megan,
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy that you included a quote that stuck out to you, and used it to help further your analysis of this historical event. These are the types of tools I want to help your fellow classmates use to develop their arguments; it's a powerful thing that is so simple to include. I enjoy reading your own personal connections and thinking about the complexity of 9/11. Your comment about the "assumption of guilt over innocence" is spot on. That feeling was truly something we as Americans had to learn to become more familiar with every time we entered any sort of government building or run facility. But, it is arguably a "good" freedom to give up for the greater good of everyone else...something I am still grappling with myself.