National Reaction to 9/11
Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, the nation entered into a deep state of grief and mourning. American flags were raised in all corners of the nation. Citizens everywhere adorned the pattern on their clothing. Sporting events were postponed, benefit events were organized by world-renowned celebrities and icons, and moments of silence and candlelight vigils were being held all over the country. People flocked together to share their grief and mourn the ones who had died. The nation seemed to be at a complete standstill, shocked by the insurmountable loss. Many people simply did not know how to handle the destitution. Amidst the confusion, people gathered in multitudes, creating a national sense of unity and togetherness.
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To help themselves make sense of all the madness that had occurred, many people turned to faith and religion to ease their pain. Americans everywhere joined in prayer. Citizens also looked to aid the rescue effort in any possible way they could. Firefighters and EMTs from all over the country were sent to Ground Zero. People stood in line for hours to donate blood at their local blood banks. Charities nationwide, established and new, worked to raise money for all people involved in the attacks. Through Amazon.com, the Red Cross raised $3 million in only two days.
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Unfortunately, for some, this grief externalized into animosity and frustration. People looked angrily for somewhere to place the blame, sparking violence towards people of Muslim or Arab descent. Within the first ten days of the attack, nearly six hundred incidents occurred. All across the country, Middle Eastern looking Americans were being attacked and murdered. Anger-filled citizens harassed and attacked Arab-American neighborhoods and mosques for months.
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Political leaders across the nation pleaded for calm. Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York City, urged citizens of New York to go back to their normal lives. At the same time, decisive action against terrorism was also being promoted nationwide. Governor of New York George Pataki also initiated many new post-attack efforts. He initiated New York’s Emergency Operations Center as well as the Office of Public Safety, which is in charge of checking bridges, tunnels, and the water supply in New York. He also created a plan to organize a Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and a World Trade Center Relief Fund.
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At the same time, George Bush was given authority to commence acting in the nation’s defense. Promising an American victory over terrorism, Bush pledged to eradicate terror at all costs. That October, US military operations began in Afghanistan. Consequently, President Bush’s approval rating flew to ninety percent. Leaders of Congress also responded to the attacks, passing a $40 billion disaster relief bill and the USA Patriot Act. This made immigration laws increasingly rigid and gave more free rein to investigators of homeland surveillance activities.
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Even though the amount of anti-terrorist activities and national aid was immense, Americans nationwide still felt anguished and unsettled. Almost fifty percent of the nation reported symptoms of depression and stress post-9/11 according to a study done by the New England Journal of Medicine. Even if an American had not personally lost a loved one in the attacks, all citizens felt that the trauma was theirs too. With streaming news coverage of the attacks and heartbreaking pictures constantly in the media, sharing the nation’s pain was inevitable. Interviews with survivors and victims’ filled the ears of a crumpled nation. Although time slowly began to heal the pain, many people still suffer a painfully fresh horror from that day.
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