Opinion: On 9/11

Image Credit: Matteo Catonese

22 years after the initial event...the impacts of 9/11 are still being felt today. We are in the throws of what is probably the most turbulent time of this century. Yet much of the issues that we are reeling from in this day were built off of the consequences of the actions taken decades and even centuries ago. What happened in New York City, Arlington, and Schenksville were all examples of some of the most terrible acts that could have been done to another human. The terrorist attacks were supposed to make an example. Some people called them a demonstration against colonialism and capitalism. Others saw them as the heinous acts undertaken by an entire collective. The stories often highlight the losses that were suffered. What we are witnessing though is happening in real-time. The ramifications of the policies that have been influencing the world are still happening.

As I am writing this piece, I am thinking about the impacts of that day. I was six-years-old and attending school in northeastern Pennsylvania when I first heard the attacks. I could recall the adults being completely horrified. Many of them were taking turns watching the classrooms so that they could go and catch the news coverage at the principal's office. It was something that many of us didn't realize was going to impact us for years to come. When you ask me about 9/11 and the world before...I can tell you I remember faintly what it was like before everything changed. I can also recall witnessing all the new changes that took place that were supposed to instill a sense of safety and security. Now that I am getting older, I am reflecting on the gravity of those decisions. Ultimately, their failure to address the more prevailing issue.

9/11 was used to justify two wars in which the United States led the rest of the globe. The War in Afghanistan and the War in Iraq collectively came to be known as the War on Terror, and led to the loss of an estimated 900,000 people and a collective cost of $8 trillion. The residual effects from this conflict have also carried over into our daily lives. With one of the largest surges of refugees we have ever seen in the world thanks in part to the War on Terror. We are witnessing the gravity of some of humanity's darkest moments being played out by those who claimed to be protecting our rights and our liberties. The institutions established and the agencies created to enforce them often have been the subject of tense scrutiny, with good reason. One only needs to reference Guantnamo, Abu Ghraib, and even measures such as New York City's 'Stop and Frisk' policies. Not to mention the international practices of espionage that have violated the individual rights of various parties around the globe-- including heads of state and American citizens.

Some people have made the argument that the War on Terror is a collective effort to stop terrorism and the radical ideologies behind them. Yet when we look into the realities of the world that we are living in, there is something to be said. In the United States alone, domestic terrorism is on the rise and it is being perpetrated by a variety of ideologies-- all of whom have one idea in common. They see themselves and their collective identity and their practice as superior to others. So much so that they are willing to negate and to partake in the elimination of those they feel are inferior. Between 2011 and 2021, there was a major act of terrorism in every U.S. state. In 2018, I was studying outside of Pittsburgh when news reached my ears about the murders of several congregants at L'Simcha Synagogue. Since then, the controversy behind the War on Terror and the impacts it had on the world are showing. Radical ideologies have used entire platforms to persuade others that the elimination of entire groups of people is necessary. Meanwhile, political parties-- including those in the U.S.-- use fear-mongering and false information to rally people behind their causes and to vote for their party's platforms.

The ramifications of the War on Terror have had global consequences. Nations that partook in it are also now reaping the results of the harvest. The casualties of those who were impacted by the war and the innocent that were lost have only served to radicalize more folks who are choosing to fight alongside these groups. This in turn has surcharged and radicalized countermovements and stoked fear into the hearts of civilians as well as soldiers. We have created a world where people are more terrified than ever before, and it is because much of the time and money we spent on a War on Terror has led to the widespread neglect of the basic functions of our nations and the services that their people actually need. The costs of the War on Terror have been too high.

Make no mistake, I do not believe that the War on Terror was entirely rooted in a falsehood. There is no doubt that there are some sinister forces at work that would see the demise of nations that are championing freedom of thought and expression. Those people are using the cause of decolonization and economic equality to champion their own positions of influence. We must be more critical of the information that we are encountering. Yet if we look at the information with critical thought and a concern for what is the truth vs. the story we want to tell...we would see that everything is more complicated than either of us would care to admit. What we find is a world that has been ravaged by the same conflicts which have been tearing us apart for centuries. Instead of bringing people together we have pushed them even further apart. We made everyone less relatable than ever. The wave of technology that boasters our preconceived notions about the world and specifically caters to our tastes only adds fuel to the fire.

Terrorism does not care about your social position or your category. It exploits those who feel dispossessed and empowers the worst that our species is capable of. What we are encountering is a question of philosophy disguised as identity. If terrorism only had one religion or nation in mind, then only that one would be partaking in it. Yet we can see that it is being perpetrated by entities around the globe...by those who claim to be anti-establishment and by those that are supposedly pro-order. We are also sacrificing the very things that we claim to love and cherish to see ourselves as the victors of these conflicts. Our freedoms are being hindered, our rights are being rolled back, and even the hostility between our communities is growing worst.

Truly, what the War on Terrorism has created more terror and opportunities for neglect, abuse, and oversight. Rights and liberties of individuals and communities are overlooked in the name of maintaining law and order. Entire communities are surveyed at levels that are disproportionate to their peers. We are also witnessing the failure of various institutions and their leaders. Instead of being accountable to the overreach, these leaders are celebrated. If the conflicts we endured over the past twenty-two years were really about ending terrorism though, we would be doing our part to promote better communication, better performance, and engaging in more ethical ways of conduct. If we are truly concerned about violence against our communities, we ought to be looking inward and seeing how we can do our part to be a solution to the problem. It is not where we stand in times of comfort, but in times of challenge, that determines the quality of a person's stance.