Can't Justify Radicals

The tragedy of 9/11 hit close to home for everyone who considers themselves Americans. It didn't matter if you were related to anyone who was murdered that day. As Americans, we were all able to feel sympathy for the thousands of lives lost. I can still remember that day like it was yesterday. I was sitting in my junior high Algebra class when there was a knock on the door. One of the Office Aides signaled for me to come to the front office. I did not know that only moments before, as the image illustrates, that thousands of people were losing their lives because of misuse of our commercial aircraft. As soon as I walked through the glass doors, I saw Amber, my brother's girlfriend, holding her blood shot red face crying. I did not know what was going on, but I felt a sudden wave of fright come over my body. She then told me about the terrorist attacks and since my brother was in the military, it was expected that he was going be shipped off somewhere. At the time, we did not know who the actually terrorist were. I'm guessing as soon as news broke out about the attacks, the military began to prepare to take immediate action. I did not know anyone that was on one of the planes or anyone that perished in the World Trade Center, but I was personally affected by the tragedy because of my brother's military involvement.

There is speculation about who is the actual blame for 9/11, either the actual individuals that planned and executed their plans or individuals from our own government. The only people that are responsible for the nearly 3,000 deaths on September 11, 2001 are the radicals that flew planes into American buildings. The image shows the faces of all the victims of that horrible tragedy. How can we not blame them for all of those faces of mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons? They made a conscious decision moments before they executed their horrific plans knowing what the results would be; no one should take responsibility for their choices. From reading Enemy At Home by Dinesh D'Souza, it is my understanding that the hijackers felt very strong about their decisions. They felt that they were honoring their religion. D'Souza also gives an explanation that the hijackers could have been manipulated "through incentives such as the promise of an eternity in paradise attended by seventy-two virgins" (D'Souza, 38). I'm not trying to take up for their actions, but they had a psychological belief that they were doing something for the greater good. They were so devoted to their cause that they began to distance themselves well in advance from those that they cared about, which shows they knew what they were doing and to what extent the impact would have. It's as if they were giving their loved ones enough of time to adjust to the fact that they would not live much longer.

Another reason why we should acknowledge that terrorist groups were responsible for 9/11 is that they took time and strategically planned out an attack that would damage America at its core. These men came from above average backgrounds; some were even educated and trained in the United States. "9/11 required a degree of imagination, precision, and coordination of which insane people simply are not capable" (D'Souza, 34). To not place the responsibility on the hijackers and those who helped plan the attacks would be totally wrong. These men were well aware of what they were doing and how bad it would affect the American people.