Memories of 9/11 and the next generation

I've been having a reflexion for a while now and would like to hear what others think.

When I was younger, maybe 10 year old or so, I was terrified of the news and I remember my parents would always watch them around 8-9 pm so I would see images of the Israel Palestine conflict and stuff like that. I remember at one point I was scared to the point of not being able to sleep. It was when the US were shooting missiles at the Presidential palace in Irak, after the original gulf war and before 9/11. All these events had an emotional impact and are probably what got me interested in politics so young. Then came 9/11 and I remember when it happened, I was preparing to go to a class in my first year of pre-college. Of course I ended up not going to it and watching the news instead.

Now, 9 years have passed and I'm wondering what's happening with the 20 year olds and under that basically were only kids when the planes hit. Are they afraid of flying? Are they incredibly scared of terrorism? I know when I was 15 y/o, terrorism wasn't an issue in the west or european countries that much. I was used to wars being something other countries did, not mine (I'm canadian). Then after 9/11 we started getting force fed terrorism in the news. Terrorism became an excuse for all sorts of political moves, from attacking other countries to instituting more strict regulations regarding security. Is it just normal for them now to have some super-powerful country policing the world? Is it normal to be in a perpetual state of war? Is it normal to pass laws because of terrorism?

I guess George Orwell hit the nail on the head. A handful of groups of countries are forcing a state of perpetual war in order to keep the economy going. An undefeatable enemy.Could the Irak and Afghanistan war be dragging on purposely in order to desensitize the next generation? So that they always remember war and when the next one happens, it's going to be business as usual? So they accept tighter control of their lives? To make them docile? What happens if from now on, the world is in a constant state of war?

The older generations will keep on reminiscing of peaceful times until we all die off and then the next generation will basically be at the mercy of the people in control, orchestrating wars for their own benefit.

Whew, this is depressing!




Wowbagger


Some reading on the subject :

PTSD and children after 9/11 :
ptsd.about.com...

Young children's response to 9/11 :
assets0.pubget.com...

Terrorist Attacks and Children :
apps.cignabh.com... AndChildren.pdf

reply to post by Wowbagger


Moments that define a generation

I made a somewhat similar thread which touches upon my experience on 9/11.

I agree with you. I can remember before all the this terrorist crap which we get daily.

I actually have a friend who is just a year younger than me yet to my astonishment she never knew what 9/11 was! Apparently she was shielded from it, which I find difficult to believe.

I'll always remember 9/11. It was my father's birthday but frankly because of the way the neocons used it as a political tool (and still do, hate against islam, guiliani and his noun,verb, and 911) I would just as soon see it all forgotten by everyone. I'm really sick of it anymore. Sure it was terrible, sure it is an outrage but enough is enough.

reply to post by Kram09


Amazing how it can change from one year to the other. You know, by this time, 9/11 is probably being taught in history classes at high school level. History books probably have all sorts of disputable "facts" about 9/11 in them...

I have to say, some of my friends that don't keep current on the news as much as me are not as aware of everything that happened as a consequence of 9/11. Way I see it, I'm exactly the generation that is on the saddle between remembering and thinking it's business as usual. I still remember peaceful times although I'm getting used to constant war...

The next generations will only remember war if this goes on.

Originally posted by Wowbagger
..I was preparing to go to a class in my first year of pre-college.

in america we call that high school, aye. (sp?)
______________

i was 29 years old that day, sept 11th, 2001. i turned 30 later that year.

i can relate to your parents keeping you from the news when you were younger. my parents used to turn the tv off altogether during the summers. no tv at all. we had a black and white tv until 1984, when we also got cable for the first time, ever.

i'm curious to see some of the answers younger members respond with.

guys, please share. thanks,
et

reply to post by damwel


As much as I would like for 9/11 and everything that came of it to disappear from the collective memory, it won't happen. Like you said, the media and politicians used 9/11 as a tool for a variety of reasons. It's so ingrained in the people's memories that I don't think we'll ever stop talking about it, much less entirely forget about it.

What messed up the next generations might not be the event itself but the handling of the event afterwards.

reply to post by Esoteric Teacher


Yeah well I live in Quebec, so there's a two year period of between high school and university called CEGEP. I was 17 when it happened.

My parents woud not shield me from the news, they would talk to me about it, they would try to quell my fears. There's actually a point where I remember discussing nuclear armageddon with my parents. I was asking them "If one nuclear bomb falls, does the earth explode entirely?" I was maybe 12 y/o at that time. I can't imagine what are the 12 y/o kids' fears now, post 9/11.

That being said, I also remember being the only one from my brothers that was interested and afraid of war, bombs and armageddon, so maybe it's a personality trait mroe than anything else

I was 16 at the time. I remember not feeling a great deal of anger or sadness, mostly confusion. I remember thinking "this isn't such a big deal, is it?" Although I have a form of Asperger's so maybe that's why. Heh, actually there's several reasons why I wouldn't be a good representation of my age group, file this comment in the "Other" category =)

I would like to hear from people that are currently 17-20 y/o about this. So if any of you guys are reading, write up something!