There was a time when it was said that everyone remembers where they were when John F Kennedy, then US President, was shot. I do. More recently I’d imagine that you’d say the same about 9/11. Such momentous events do tend to stick in the brain and provide a reference point against which we can recall the details of our lives.
I remember 9/11. I was in the US at the time having arrived in Las Vegas for a trade show the night before. And as usual when I flew to the US I woke early and used the opportunity to go to the gym before breakfast. As I walked in I saw the live TV of the second plane going into the Twin Towers. At the time I had no idea what was going on, I thought maybe it was a disaster movie or similar. It was certainly a disaster but as I learned what actually happened I began to understand what it would mean for the US and the world.
Of course it ruined the trade show. They’re normally upbeat events, especially in the US, with lots of old relationships being renewed and new ones made. But not that day. It was dreadful.
Outside all air travel was stopped which meant that people with plans to fly out could not and those with a need to get away rented cars and when the stock of these was exhausted they bought new ones. Hotels to their credit extended the special deals which people had secured and you just did your best to make the best of a bad situation. At dinner on the first night a group of a dozen or so of us were so morose that one of our members urged us to cheer up with a ‘God bless America’ toast. As he said he didn’t like New York but this was an attack on his country.
I got a flight out three or four days later and remember one big scrum at the airport where the check-in area was just one big queue. That took me to Dallas from where it was surprisingly easy to get a flight back to the UK.
Much has been reported about President George Bush’s first reaction to the news of the attack. He was visiting a primary school at the time and appeared to not know what to do. Perhaps he was criticised for that but maybe he was just taking time to digest the news and to ensure that any response which he might order would be measured and appropriate. Later he came across as a unifying statesman:
When visiting the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C., on September 17, 2001, he emphasized the peaceful nature of Islam and urged the public to protect their neighbors:
“The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace.”
He also reminded the nation to treat fellow citizens with dignity:
“…our nation must be mindful that there are thousands of Arab Americans who live in New York City who love their flag just as much as the three of us do… and that as we seek to win the war that we treat Arab Americans and Muslims with the respect they deserve.”
I’m not sure that the current US President could be expected to respond in the same way.
9/11 did of course change the world and since then of course we’ve had the Afghan war, multiple regional flare-ups and the conflicts in Iran today with little evidence that the fundamentals that gave rise to 9/11, whatever they were, have been addressed.
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