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Thanksgiving After 9-11 |
Stuffing,
turkey, mashed potatoes, and family talks are all a part of every
Thanksgiving. Family movies
and football are usually the centers of interest.
This year was different because of our recent terrorist attacks on
September 11, 2001. The mood
was a bit more somber, the conversation constant, and the focus shifted.
There was a cloud of melancholy over our heads, but some sunshine
managed to break through with the yams.
My brother and his father are
the biggest football fans I’ve ever known, but even they could see the
bigger picture this year and at least turned the game on mute.
We all actually sat down together and watched some CNN, expressing
our feelings about our nation’s current situation.
Everybody was grateful just to be there rather than more material
things. Senior Jenna
Manheim thought that this Thanksgiving was different in that,
“people were more appreciative of each other because we’ve seen what
can happen.”
The terrorist attacks have
everyone frazzled and hurt in some way, but there were a few good things
that came out of the horrible event.
Right now, people are considering fire fighters and police officers
as role models more than sports stars.
People are trying to spend more time with their loved ones, being
more careful and courteous, eating less, spending less, and supporting
their country…heck, people are even complimenting President Bush, and
who ever thought that would happen. When
asked if his Thanksgiving was any different this year Junior Devin
Enderle said, “ Yeah, I think that families were a little closer
because of what happened and they enjoyed the time they had together.”
It is sad but sometimes people
need a violent wake-up call to open their eyes to the world that doesn’t
revolve around them. We all
need to stand together as a nation, but we should have been sporting
American flags long before Osama bin Laudin tried to crush our pride.
“I was glad to have my dad (in the military) home for
Thanksgiving and I was truly thankful for having a family”, says Junior
Ricky Reaser.