Virtual Trauma of the 9/11
America’s view of the world changed dramatically, since the events on September 11. It has become part of everyday American cultural life. People take this date as a reminder. On October 25, 2001, the US Congress dubbed September 11 a “National Day of Prayer and Remembrance”; and on September 4, 2002, President Bush changed this sober if unmemorable appellation to “Patriot Day”. The citizens were put in a state of constant danger. They use “911” as an emergency call. President Bush’s point of view was, that instead of mourning and feeling helpless for this day, they should be alerted all the time. This wasn’t a threat that happens only once. Terror is a global problem and it needs to be taken care of. In “Virtual Trauma the Idiom of 9/11” which was written by Marc Redfield, Marc deals with the date 9/11 as a symbol and how it is used. His point on this date and its usage creates awareness. The writer asks this significant question: “What does it signify that a date has become a name?”
On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda organized a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks. The attacks killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others, and caused at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. The impact of these attacks on the worldwide news was huge. By the end of the day, the footages of the events were all around the world. The government and the corporate media were trying to decide what to show or what to censor. People who are trying to rescue the victims or the officials from the region were tense and angry. The nation began to mourn, and around the country, Americans began to commemorate the victims and demonstrate their patriotism. They united against terrorism. Celebrities organized charity concerts.
The aftermath of the 9/11 attack resulted in immediate responses to the event, including domestic reactions, hate crimes, Muslim American responses to the event, international responses to the attack, and military responses to the events. Many Middle-Eastern countries condemned the attacks. Muslim organizations in the United States were swift to condemn the attacks and called upon Muslim Americans to come forward with their skills and resources to help alleviate the suffering of the affected people and their families.
The 9/11 attacks has serious future consequences for the life of Muslims in America or other countries. People started to see Muslims as potential terrorists. Anti-Muslim hate crimes are approximately five times more frequent than they were before 2001, according to the FBI.
Nine days later, on September 20, 2001, in a speech before a joint session of Congress, Bush changed the direction of American foreign policy. He made terrorism its focus. From now on America declared a war on terror. The solution is called the “Bush Doctrine”. Nations often use preemptive strikes in warfare when they know that an enemy action is imminent. America used 9/11 to justify and make an excuse for the invasions of the Middle East. When the U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003, however, it broadened its policy to include preventive warfare. The Bush administration told the public that Saddam Hussein's regime had nuclear material and would soon be able to produce atomic weapons. The invasions have four main reasons: fighting terrorism, containing Iran, securing oil, and defending Israel.
In his writing, what Marc Redfield tries to point out is that the American government doesn’t see this as a terrorist attack. It’s the chance to create an excuse for their future behaviors. They invaded the Middle East for their interests but they are saying that those are just precautions to avoid another terrorist attack. 9/11 was a big deal because it had an impact all around the world. People see the footage of the event on the same day. They witnessed how catastrophic it can be for a country. America made sure that this day will be remembered in everyday life and that people will be ready for another terrorist attack. It caused trauma to the citizens of the nation but also increased patriotic awareness in the whole nation. It has been 16 years since the event but even today, they keep their sorrow and patriotic emotions high to make sure nothing will ever happen again. A whole generation was grown into a mind that Muslims are potential terrorists. After the attacks racism in America towards Muslims increased daily and still keeps going in the same way. Like Albert Einstein said, “It is harder to crack prejudice than an atom.” People grow angry inside of them every year, by remembering the same events all over again. But what if it’s not the right thing to do?
In his work, Marc wants to emphasize that it is not a special day. People should understand that terror is not just a problem for their country. Many countries suffer from it and lose the life of their people in this way. Americans should mourn their loss, and pray for them but the government uses these attacks to keep their financial and political interests. They are using their citizens’ sorrow, and anger to create an army against the world. The important thing about this attack is the impact on the media. That’s why it is considered the most significant terrorist activity of all time.
In Marc’s opinion, things can be seen more clearly. People want peace but are they really trying to find peace? The U.S has only been at peace for 21 years since its birth. People want to suppress their pain because of their nature. The constant remembrance of this day causes people to keep their sores and losses fresh and remain in constant trauma. The whole generation is decaying because of financial and political interests. Where will it stop? Will it stop? When will people understand that war creates war? Maybe one day, they will understand but it could be too late.