The Positive and Negative Impacts of the 9/11 Attacks on the United States

Charities, humanitarian organizations, and mission trips are all examples of small groups of people who strive to benefit the world with considerable impact. These groups spring from feelings of kindness and compassion towards other people in dire need. Indeed, many of these organizations have made significant impacts on various parts of the world and continue to do so. But if positive impacts exist, can’t there also be negative impacts from individuals concerned with a different emotional and reasoning basis? Now, although many small groups of people can have a significant impact on the well-being of the world, some groups of people have similarly made a negative but significant impact, just as nineteen Muslim hijackers did in the tragic September 11 attacks on America.

The catastrophic event of September 11, 2001, is not the first time al Qaeda has attacked America. Nevertheless, the assault stands out most significantly as the most terrorizing and impactful damage to America’s well-being and security. A small group of individuals – nineteen Muslims concerned with the establishment of their Islamic religion and rebellion against American control in their country – hijacked four flights with the intention of crashing them into America and killing its citizens. Three flights succeeded in crashing into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. As for the fourth flight, passengers took matters into their own hands and, thankfully, prevented the airplane from killing anyone else aside from themselves. As a result of the attacks, however, 2,996 people died, over 6,000 were injured, not to mention the severe impact on countless families who lost loved ones. Yet the physical effect was not the only damage inflicted on America. The mental effect spread across the globe like a virus.

The international impact of the attack came in forms of action and emotion, such as the taking of new precautions paired with strong feelings of distrust. In the aftermath, suspicion and hatred sprang up all across America towards any Muslims and anyone who looked like a Muslim. One man, mistaken for a Muslim, was even murdered. Apprehension also arose between Muslims and non-Muslims in other countries, nearly all of whom sympathized with America and her loss. Furthermore, many countries began passing anti-terrorism acts in response to September 11, with the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act being the first terrorist-related act Canada ever passed. Additionally, airport security heightened, and America switched security control from the airports to the government, causing concern regarding methods of inspection and individual privacy. The list of changes goes on, but to sum up, no one can live without a degree of suspicion or fear anymore because of the attacks on America on that fateful day.

In conclusion, depending on what kind of concern a group of individuals has, they can certainly make a significant impact on the world. Yet the impact will either be positive or negative. Some groups work for the well-being of our world, while others cater to self-interests or are dedicated to individuals with malicious intentions. In the case of the September 11 attacks, nineteen Muslims were so dedicated to their country and religion that they sacrificed their own lives to take the lives of others and, of course, strike fear into the heart of the world. Nineteen hijackers changed the world for the worse, and that impact is undeniably significant.

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