It’s been exactly 15 years since the terrible attacks of September 11th, 2001 which not only killed approximately 3000 people but also changed our lives immeasurably regarding our daily routine. Besides being the largest attack on the civilized world in the history of this planet, 9/11 was one thing: shocking. Coming out of the Bill Clinton presidency, which was labelled by a booming economy, peace, and American's being mostly happy with their lives, it was the first time that America realized that it is attackable.
In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, life as we knew it was shut down. Television was airing nothing but news and coverage of the attack, people were scared of getting out of their houses, and policemen and fire fighters had to risk their lives every single day by going back into the smoke and rubble that were left by the World Trade Center.
Even though, life went back to “normal” a week after the attack, we had to realize that the world will never be the same again. Frankly, there is no path back into the world we lived in before 9/11. The attack changed our daily routine in more than just one way. President Barack Obama described it in a speech he gave after the successful assassination of Osama Bin Laden (“The empty seat at the dinner table..”) but also in ways we don’t realize on the first sight.
However, ever since the attack, security has been our main concern wherever we go. Now, we are not allowed to smile on our passport photos anymore, security checks almost equal a strip down, and kids aren’t allowed to take a look at the cockpit anymore. Furthermore, the way we think about each other has taken a different direction. While people were optimistic and mostly friendly to one each other before the attack, we’re more skeptical now. In addition to being more skeptical, we are more scared as well. When we see somebody looking suspicious or acting suspicious we might leave the scene or hide in a secure area.
9/11 has also changed the way our enemies think about the western world. While terrorist attacks barely occurred before this crucial attack, terrorists now aren’t afraid anymore of attacking some of the biggest cities in the world. Especially, in recent months the Islamic State wasn’t afraid of attacking cities such as Paris or Brussels. Strictly spoken, 9/11 also created the Islamic State. If New York and Washington wouldn’t have been attacked in September of 2001, the United States would not have started the war in Iraq, which was responsible for the foundation of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
While 9/11 had many bad influences and will go down in history as one of the darkest days ever, we also have to look at the bright side: The city of New York, the western world, and the United States proved in the aftermath of the attack that democracy, liberty, and freedom can’t be taken down by godless terrorists. As Dave Letterman said in his first monologue after the attack (which was the first regular television show to air after 9/11): “If you didn’t believe it before, you can absolutely believe it now. New York City is the greatest city in the world.”
