Where were you on Sept. 11, 2001? The answer to that question recalls a moment in time ingrained in the minds of a generation.
Five years ago on that day, the world stopped in its tracks and glued itself to the TV: America had been attacked; the twin towers were collapsing; loved ones were unaccounted for; and the future was uncertain.
Today, the war on terrorism continues: America remains entrenched in Iraq while Afghanistan lingers on the fringes; traveling is tighter than ever and terrorist attacks are an ever-present threat. For many, the future of a post-9/11 world plagues people more than thoughts of the crashing towers.
The La Jolla Village News, sister publication to The Beacon, interviewed 13 people on the streets of La Jolla “” from a 10-year old who felt unaffected by the incident to residents who have lived through Pearl Harbor “” to determine how locals perceive the attack and the world five years later.
While none of the residents interviewed had been directly affected, all agreed that the terrorist attack changed the world: In America, security has tightened and is no longer taken for granted, Islam has become a major focal point, Afghanistan and Iraq have since been invaded and the U.S. is embroiled in an indefinite “war on terror.”
David Overturf described the war as an elusive pursuit
“It was an act of war but not from a country,” Overturf said. “It was kind of like boxing shadows. What do you do?”
Susan Yetiv, 76, said she believes that we are living in “a terror world.”
“They want to harm the West and they want to harm everybody who is not like them,” Yetiv said.
Twenty-three year old Lauren Smith celebrated the unifying effect the attack had on America and the influence the U.S. has had in opening the door for women to vote in Afghanistan.
“That is unbelievable progression. From one day being in the house undercover to voting is a really fast change in however few years that was,” she said.
Ryan Johnson, also 23, was more critical of the aftermath.
“I think that people are looking to fix things that are pretty hard to fix. It just made things more chaotic everywhere,” Johnson said.
The assault has also transformed many people’s perspectives of Islam, according to Jeff Smith, 24. Fourteen-year old Haylie Garrie added that people are far more judgmental of Middle Eastern people, which she believes is “not good.”
“And that’s too bad because obviously these are extremists and there are all types of extremists of every denomination of every religion,” Jeff Smith said.
He added that he is surprised that more terrorist attacks haven’t occurred in America in the past five years.
“More than anything I’m real anxious that in an effort to make a statement, the terrorists will try to strike again,” he said. “And I’m actually surprised that it hasn’t happened, because part of terrorism is fear. And on days when you know that security is heightened, and they do things to say, “Look, we still can do this,” that instills more fear.”
For many, 9/11 jarred people into seeing the world with new eyes. While some grasped a new understanding of Islam, others became more inquisitive about the federal government and its foreign policy, and national security entered the forefront for others.
Twenty-five year old Lindsey Hassett believes that an ounce of prevention is in order as Americans go about their daily lives.
“We have to live our lives with more caution and skepticism and more scrutiny of other cultures. It sort of changed that dynamic,” Hassett said.
Overturf felt that 9/11 awoke him to the violence of Islam.
“From before I didn’t realize that there was such a violent religion, like 10 percent of [Islam] is very embracing of the violence. That was interesting and scary,” Overturf said.
The terrorist attack raised Jeff Smith’s awareness of the many conflicts and struggles in the world. Yetiv was shocked that the U.S. government and the FBI knew nothing about the attack and the terrorists who were living in America. Johnson said he grew more interested in the government.
“It made me think about how our government reacts to stuff that happens. It just makes you think about the government,” Johnson said.
For 23-year old Porter Smith, the terrorist attack solidified for him that America is always going to be involved in a spiritual battle and that he has a part to play in that.
“I know that America has always been targeted because we stand for freedom,” he said. “We have the freedom to worship who we want to worship and to do what we want to do. Most of that freedom is from what God gives us and what the people who founded the country stood on.”
Seeing or hearing about the planes flying into the World Trade Center five years ago was, at first, a surreal experience for many. Johnson said that he thought it was a joke on the radio. When Porter Smith’s little brother woke him to tell him about the attack, he said he figured a small plane had crashed into a building. However, feelings of alarm and thoughts of “what next” quickly followed the initial shock.
While the interviewees said that they will take time to remember the victims, none plan to formally commemorate the day.
“We’re not looking back anymore,” Porter Smith said.
For those who would like to participate in a 9/11 memorial, a Freedom Walk will take place Monday, Sept. 11, starting at 9 a.m. The 2-mile “America Supports You Freedom Walk” will start at the Veteran’s Museum and Memorial Center, 2115 Park Blvd., and proceed through Balboa Park. The walk will take place continuously from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., so that walkers may take part anytime within that window. For information, visit www.operationhomefront.net/sandiego.