My "Two Cents Worth": My reflections of 9/11: Fourteen years later

The day was 9/11/2001. I was a student at our local community college and had a class later that day. I decided to go to my Mama's that morning with my little girl, who was only 19 months at the time. I was helping my mom out, dusting the living room, when the news cut into the program that was on. The news crew was reporting that a plane had flown into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. I can see it now, just like I am watching it all over again. I saw that second plane on the right of the screen. I saw it crash into the second tower. I yelled out to my Mama about what I had just saw. A short time later a third plane would crash into the Pentagon and then a fourth into a field in Shanksville Pennsylvania. I remember being so scared. I didn't know what was happening, I just knew we were under attack. I had to leave that day and go to my college class. I remember kissing little Grace goodbye and crying all the way to school. I just wanted to stay home and be with her. I knew that the America of my childhood was gone and that was such a sad feeling. I knew at that moment how the country felt when they got the news about Pearl Harbor in 1941.

As I look back now, fourteen years later, I can also remember how united our country was. The Congress stood on the Capital building steps and sang "God Bless America". There was so much love for country and first responders. Patriotism was everywhere to be seen, flags were flying, people were pulling together and it seemed as if the country was one. People were flocking to churches and looking for God like they had not done in years. We had a President that stood up, took charge and lead our country. We showed the world that they may hit us, but they could not keep us down. We showed that American strength that helped us win our Independence. The same strength that we leaned on after the attack on Pearl Harbor and during WWII. That American strength that had brought us through so much heartache and devastation.

As I sat here looking back I can't help but think about how our country is now, I do not see that same country I did fourteen years ago. Now I see a country that is more divided than I can ever remember. I see a country where people are being killed just for being a police officer. I see a country in which people are judged by the color of their skin and not by their character. I see a country where the citizens can only think of what is good for themselves. I see a country who has almost entirely turned her back on God. I see a country that calls good evil and evil good. I see a country that seems to no longer care about one another. The leader of our country now supports the very ones who attacked us. He is giving weapons to those same people. What is to keep them from attacking us again? Absolutely nothing. Fourteen years ago America was asleep, she was shocked awake by a tragic event,and now seems to slumber again. It saddens me that I see my country in this condition and I wonder what will happen to us next.