Photo: Anthony Quintano
The attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, were a tragedy. The loss of nearly 3,000 lives is a tragedy. People becoming ill and dying from exposure to toxins released when the Trade Center's twin towers collapsed is a tragedy. The failure of American agencies to put together warnings about terrorist attacks on the United States prior to the 9/11 attacks is a tragedy. The failure of airline employees to act on their suspicious and stop the terrorists from boarding the planes on 9/11 is a tragedy. A war in Afghanistan that has lasted for 17 years is a tragedy.
The ABC report, “While America Slept: The True Story of 9/11,” lays out how the terrorists planned the attacks, learned to fly airplanes and carried out their plans. It’s informative and sickening. There were so many opportunities to stop the terrorists that were blown.
Sept. 11 continues to shape American policy, politics, and everyday experiences in places from airports to office buildings.
No one knows when and if the War on Terror will ever end. It certainly affects the daily lives of all American consumers. So much money is spent on war efforts that domestic programs continually suffer.
