When people hear the common phrase “never forget” on September 11, their first thought is usually about the loss of the World Trade Center Buildings. But “never forget” was not meant to be focused on remembering architecture, but about remembering the lives lost, and the loved ones whose lives changed forever on what they thought would be a regular Tuesday.

 

How America remembers the anniversary of 9/11

New York City honors the lives lost in the attacks with multiple yearly traditions. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum holds a commemoration ceremony where the family members of victims read aloud the names of those killed in the 2001 attacks, and the 1993 bombings. 

The Tribute in Light is a public art installation that illuminates the night sky of New York City in remembrance of the victims. Two bright blue beams that imitate the Twin Towers reach up four miles high in the city skyline. The light beams are assembled on the roof of the Battery Parking Garage south of the 9/11 memorial. 

 

(Photo from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum) Landmarks and buildings across the country make their lights blue to pay respect to those who lost their lives. Over 80 buildings across the country and internationally displayed blue lights this year from dusk on September 11 until dawn on September 12.

 

Firehouses and the FDNY Fire Museum hold annual wreath-laying ceremonies to honor firefighters and other first responders who died during the attacks.

 

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum serves to pay tribute to every life lost in the World Trade Center buildings, and to educate the public about the events that took place. The memorial and museum are located at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, which is where the Twin Towers used to stand. 

 

The two memorial reflecting pools contain the names of victims lost on September 11, and the victims of the 1993 bombing. 

 

Names on the North Pool include:

• Those who died inside the World Trade Center’s North Tower
• Passengers and crew of American Airlines flight 11 that was hijacked and struck the North Tower
• The six individuals killed on February 26, 1993 in the World Trade Center Bombing

 

Names on the South Pool include:

• Victims who died inside the World Trade Center’s South Tower
• Passengers and crew of United Airlines flight 175 that was hijacked and flown into the South Tower
• Emergency workers, firefighters, police officers, medical personnel, and Port Authority personnel who lost their lives
• Victims who died in the Pentagon attack in D.C
• Passengers and crew of American Airlines flight 77 that flew into the Pentagon after being hijacked
• Passengers and crew of United Airlines flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville Pennsylvania after passengers breached the cockpit to stop the hijackers from killing countless lives in Washington D.C

 

The memorial honors the lives of the victims by grouping the victims names based on how they knew each other. Family members, friends, colleagues, flight crews, and emergency units are placed with each other. 

 

On victims’ birthdays, memorial workers place a white rose on the person’s name so they are never forgotten. 

 

Post 9/11 security changes in America

The tragedy of 9/11 changed America in many ways. A well known change was the formation of the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA. Because of September 11, TSA was formed, and they introduced rigorous security screening, and mandatory identity checks before boarding a commercial flight. 

 

Before the attacks, individual airports and airlines had private security to handle screening people before a flight. The non-strict operations was what allowed the hijackers of American Airlines flight 11, United Airlines flight 175, and American Airlines flight 77 to board the planes, despite the fact they were part of a known terrorist group.

 

The devastating attacks caused Americans to lose trust in aviation safety. Federaling security operations for the entire country aimed to reassure the public that commercial flights could become safe again.

 

Another known change to America because of 9/11 was the increase in national surveillance. Digital surveillance tools became commonly used by the government and local authorities. Common everyday tracking used now includes automated license plate readers, facial recognition systems, and localized traffic cameras. 

 

The rise of smartphones and social media after 2001 created massive amounts of data that gives investigators and police access to citizens’ locations and lifestyles. 

 

Modern AI systems connect data bases that used to be separated. This allows government agencies to easily access personal information in seconds (Stateline). 

 

The war on terror

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, former President Bush focused on bringing down global terrorist groups. Starting in October of 2001, U.S military troops went to Afghanistan with the goal of dismantling the terrorist group al-Queda and removing the Taliban government. The war lasted for two decades.

 

The U.S led Iraq war began in March of 2003, and was part of the post 9/11 war on terror. The Bush administration focused on the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who had weapons of mass destruction and supported terrorist groups. Bush saw Hussein as a threat to the United States and its allies (Imperial War Museums). 

 

The war on terror sparked controversy over human rights. The controversial policies included drone warfare and detention policies at Guantanamo Bay (Georgetown University). 

 

The war operations in Afghanistan and Iraq cost the U.S Treasury over 8 trillion dollars. The operations caused 4.5 million deaths and displaced 38 million people in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

9/11 changed the United States greatly, and everyone who lost their life deserves to be remembered and respected.