9/11: Then and Now

Today marks the twelfth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers. The aftermath of the of what happened on that fateful day affected America immensely. People were scared, people were mourning and lastly people were patriotic. Patriotism filled the air and people supported America and their president more than ever before. Flags flew left and right, and no one wanted to take them down. 

Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv

Twelve years after the event things seem to be different. Leading up to September eleventh this year I heard an onslaught of jokes about the attacks, victims and attackers. And only once did I hear someone reprimanded the joke teller, instead everyone else just laughed along. Some people may think its "Too soon" to joke about it, others would believe that it is fine to make the jokes. I personally believe that the 9/11 attacks are something that should be never be joked about. September 11th, 2001 was one of Americas darkest days and in the months after that no one would have made a joke about it. Yet now, twelve years later, what makes it okay to joke like this?

Every year, I remember having a moment of silence for the remembrance of all the innocent Americans who died that day and all of the heroes that had gone into those burning buildings in an attempt to save people. Today was the first time that the school I was attending did not have a moment of silence, the only time I even heard people mention today was the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was during history class. As depicted in the picture above, which I found in a New York Times Article, its almost as if September eleventh now is just a blurred remembrance of what actually happened twelve yeas ago.  Is it okay that people have seemed to move on and think lightly of the attacks? Should there still be public recognition for what happened? Why do you think that twelve years afterwards things have suddenly started changing?