THE CELEBRATION
On the tenth anniversary of 911, America celebrated its security. As always, the 911 holiday was a solemn occasion. But this year, over one million people gathered at the Ground Zero Memorial for a commemorative event. It was the first time in many years that very large crowds were allowed to assemble in public places, so the people were thankful.
It took a decade to build the Fortress at tremendous cost and sacrifice, but America was now secure in its belief that there would never be another September 11, 2001—ever again. Once, by coincidence, simply the nation’s standard emergency phone number was now adopted as a symbol of America’s quest for security, and an annual tribute to all the casualties and impacts since that tragic day in history. It served as a rallying point as well as a remembrance. No one could ever forget, because America would never be the same.
Although it was officially designated as “Patriot Day”, September 11 became commonly referred to as “911”. Although New York City had become the symbol of the terrorist attacks and the initial focus of the traumatic impact, over the years all of America was affected. The sacred grounds of the World Trade Center would serve as a permanent monument of 911, but every city
and town had changed. This was a different nation in a new world. Life and business returned to New York City, once considered the most popular and, arguably, the most important city in the world— now officially the financial center of the Federation.
America had been gripped with fear for a decade, but now that the Federation was established and stabilized, it provided freedom from fear. The American Federation is a strong, impenetrable Fortress State—secure, but isolated. America is still a democracy, but with restricted freedoms. It is still a world power; much larger and stronger than before, but no longer a world leader. The period of US world dominance that began with the fall of the Berlin wall on October 9, 1989, ended on September 11, 2001.
It was only a few months after the fateful attacks that most people began to feel that the war on terrorism would be an isolated and short lived chapter in American history; like the Gulf War or the war in the Balkans. But it proved to be a major landmark in history that ultimately changed the geo-political landscape of the entire world and the very nature of American life—forever. The Star and Stripes now waves proudly as the banner of unification and security of the American Federation, spanning the entire Western Hemisphere, and stretching around more than half the globe. Few would have dreamed that such significant changes would occur to the world at the very beginning of this new millennium—and so quickly! But everything changes more rapidly in the 21st century. Communications are instant. News is available in real time, all the time, everywhere. Wars are television events. The 911 attacks were live on TV for all of America to see and indelibly print those unbelievably horrific images into their memory. Advanced technologies changed the nature and speed of warfare. Rapid technological advances routinely revolutionized the lives and expectations of people. The changing values of populations made people more impatient for results. It is not surprising that changes can occur rapidly in this 21st century world. But who would have believed they could be so dramatic?
Not everything moves quickly however. The “War against Terrorism” that was launched in response to the 911 attacks proved to be an undertaking that is now expected to last decades, not a few years as originally imagined. It took years to even begin to build effective intelligence networks for infiltrating and eventually destroying terrorist cells around the world. It took ten years to build the Fortress, but the terror and evil that evolved over hundreds—even thousands—of years could not be completely eliminated in such a relatively short span of history. As the American Federation celebrates its security, it also recognizes the price it paid and its continuing challenges. This is no longer the USA, and there is no turning back.
All rights reserved © 2002 by Henry P. Mitchell