The view of 9/11 has changed drastically over the past ten years, especially in the way it has been portrayed through the media. When this tragic event first struck America, scenes of the horrific crash into the World Trade Center were played repeatedly on news stations throughout the world. However, ten years later, the light now shines on those who lost their lives, more than on the attack itself. As Wagner-Pacifici and Schwartz write in “Commemorating America’s Involvement in Vietnam,” the goal of the Vietnam War Memorial was to “promote unity by separating the event from its men;” I believe this is what the media is trying to do today with the 9/11 attack and its victims (395).
Even now, after ten years, I can still picture the footage of the attack and remember where I was at the exact moment of receiving the news. Although I do believe 9/11 has revealed the true patriotism that America is capable of, I cannot help but remember it as a tragic attack that cost many innocent people their lives. I think it is absolutely necessary to remember those that passed during the attack; however, I believe that by separating them from the attack itself, the media is romanticizing the true impact that 9/11 has had on American lives.
On the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the array of news media that I viewed spoke largely about the victims of 9/11 and the American bravery and patriotism that has been shown following the attack. An article (below) in the New York Times, which includes several interviews from families of victims, portrays this shift in media from the attack itself to the victims of the attack. This shift is exemplified by a family member who states in the article that, "Rather than attending 9/11 family hearings or ground zero rallies, she determinedly focused on honoring F.T.’s puckish spirit" ("Living With Loss"). Although 9/11 resulted in the loss of innocent lives and has unified many Americans in our fight against terrorism, it has also sent several troops and civilians overseas. Rarely was there a word spoken about the actual plane crashes or our current situation that has been the cause of these attacks. In order to fully represent the event that was 9/11, I believe the media should speak of the victims, not separate from the attack, but connected to it, as well as speaking about the outcomes of the attack, including both positive and negative outcomes. Until this happens, the sacrifice of those who have lost their lives, and the impact of 9/11 as a whole, will continue to be trivialized.
