Ground Zero

Photo taken by World's Famous Photos

Ground Zero
America is two hundred thirty-two years old. There have been countless locations in America and outside of our borders that were recognized as historic sites regarding American history and culture. Many of these sites are a couple of hundred years old, such as Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Other sites of historical significance are older than our nation itself, such as the Jamestown settlement, and Plymouth Rock. Furthermore, there are some historic military sites that are actually located beyond our countries borders, such as Normandy, France, which are historic sites for remembrance of American sacrifice and heroism during World War Two. The list of places that are designated for their significance in American history continues to grow. One of the most recent historic sites, and the most significant one in my lifetime is Ground Zero. I had the opportunity to visit the Ground zero site in July 2007, while on a visit to Columbia University in New York City. Standing at the Ground Zero property was an experience that affected me in a profound way by getting me to think of the value of life, and by making me more aware of myself as an individual, an American, and as a member of the global community.

Ground Zero is the term referred to the plot of land in lower Manhattan where the magnificent twin tower skyscrapers known as the World Trade Center towers once stood. This site will forever be recognized as both an American and a world historic site. It will not be remembered so much for the awesome engineering feats of building towers over one hundred stories high, but instead as the pile of rubble that they were reduced to in the matter of hours on September 11, 2001. This act of terrorism changed American culture as we knew it prior to the attacks that day at Ground Zero.

Even though the term Ground Zero refers to catastrophic damage such as the center of a nuclear bomb explosion, it doesn’t seem appropriate to describe that hallowed ground in New York City. Perhaps it is because the word zero makes us think of something without value or full of emptiness. It almost seems disrespectful to the thousands of people who lost their lives there and the millions of Americans and people throughout the free world who suffered through the sadness and tragedy of those terrorist attacks. When I stood at the site and looked at the relatively small piece of property that seems too small to hold the huge towers that once stood proudly there, the land appears as a site of emptiness. However, it is far from empty in terms of its historical and cultural significance. After looking at the site for a while and recalling the events that took place there, that small piece of land eventually gave me an understanding of the magnitude of that historical event and how greatly it has changed our American culture. I recall having feelings that were filled with many emotions, and made the events of September 11, 2001 seem very real and personal to me as I observed that site.

Standing and observing Ground Zero affected me as a person. I felt a great sense of pride that I am an American. For the first time in my life I realized that I am part of something much larger than my small community in which I live. Standing there and recalling the events of September 11, 2001 caused me to question my own character and how I may have reacted hat day. Many of the firemen, policemen, and others present that day risked and even gave their own lives to help others despite their own fears and the obvious dangers they faced. There were heroes buried in that vacant lot, as well as many more innocent victims who must have been confused, terrified, and feeling helpless as they suffered from the senseless terrorist attacks that day. The realism of visiting that site will stay with me throughout my life. I’m sure that some day I will return there, and there will probably be other buildings and beautiful landscaping where there was dirt and unfinished land. There will probably be monuments there as well that recognize the site and describe the events for people of future generations to visit. However, the impact of the devastation of September 11, 2001 will never be as real to me as it was when I was staring at that vacant lot during my first visit there.

While observing Ground Zero, it also created increased feelings of anger towards the enemies of America and the American way of life. I grew up learning that America was the greatest country in the world, with a way of life that promoted freedom to go where you want and do what you please, as long as it was not illegal. There was little fear of being attacked by terrorists or other enemies, and I was made to feel safe and protected by the armed forces. Seeing the World Trade Center site made these thoughts and ideas seem questionable. Although America remains the leader of the free world, as well as having the strongest military, American life changed after that day, as The War on Terror began, sparking many debates and policy changes regarding war, security and freedom. This became most evident to me whenever I went to the airport to travel by plane for the first time last year. There was a lot of talk about what you are and are not allowed to take on the plane, as well as airport regulations for passengers. The adults that traveled with us referred to September 11, 2001 on several occasions as we talked about the flights and airports. Security was intense, filled with checkpoints and searches, and will probably always be this way in the future. This is just one of many examples of how the events of that day changed American culture, and affected me as an American.

Although Ground Zero is American soil, it is a place that changed the ways in which each of us as Americans relate to the people and countries of the world. My generation and future generations will have to face the challenge of working hard to identify what countries and peoples are our friends, and which ones are our enemies. This will cause many more people to work for the government in security, intelligence, and international relations positions. We have to consider ourselves as Americans first, but remember that our country exists in a global economy that forces us to relate to many foreign peoples and countries. It is easy to think of the towers falling to the ground and want to isolate America from the rest of the world so that we can protect ourselves. Unfortunately, we cannot do that, so we must see ourselves as members of the world community and find ways to protect ourselves from our known and unknown enemies. At the same time, we also must stay positive and work at being successful in a world economy, while trying to make the world a better place for all of us.

In conclusion, standing at the site of Ground Zero in New York City was an experience that affected me in a profound way by getting me to think of the value of life, and by making me more aware of myself as an individual person, as an American, and as a member of the global community. The act of terrorism on September 11, 2001 became much more real to me as I observed that historical site and thought about the profound effects that seeing those awesome towers, full of innocent people, burn and crumble had upon all of us. It instilled fear in all Americans that day, which has lasted to the present day, thereby changing our American culture. Most of the historic sites of American history recognize events that occurred long before I was born, and they make the history books seem more real. However, Ground Zero happened in my lifetime, and visiting that place was an intense experience that changed me as a person because the issues related to those attacks are still present in our society and affecting our daily lives as Americans and as citizens of the global community. As a result, it can be argued that for those of us living today, Ground Zero is one of the most significant historical sites in America.