We have discussed many difficult topics in this class, and Terrorism is no different, unfortunately. Though it may seem to be a somber topic to end our class with, it is one of the most relevant subjects we will ever talk about, and thus it makes sense to have the necessary conversation about it before we part ways. The last time we discussed the word "terror" was all the way back in the French Revolution, where we defined terror as extreme fear, and in both the Reign of Terror, and now Terrorism, it is the use of extreme fear to promote an agenda of some kind. Though the idea of terrorism had obviously been around for a long time, and the latest incarnation of it has only come about since the late 1980's, it has certainly taken its toll on people. Terrorist attacks can be perpetrated by individual people ("lone-wolfs") of any age, or some organization led by fanatics.
What makes terrorism so bad nowadays, is that attacks can happen at anytime, and anywhere, with the increasingly global nature of our society. The ease of movement through borders, and the ease of transportation, has made it so people can easily smuggle in weapons, explosives, and the like, in order to do the most damage possible. The worst of all is that terrorists who injure or kill innocent people are doing it out of a misguided belief that it will benefit them in some way, or promote a distorted version of an existing religion or moral code. Unlike a building which can be easily destroyed, an idea is not a tangible or physical thing, and consequently is almost impossible to kill.
Let it be clear that there are far more terrorist attacks than we could ever talk about (as the map below shows), and more happen everyday. It almost feels like nothing besides new attacks are reported on the news anymore, so there is already a feeling that it will never stop. Though we will talk about more of these events in class, we will confine our discussion solely to the 9/11 attacks here, due to them being such a documented and prolific example.
What makes terrorism so bad nowadays, is that attacks can happen at anytime, and anywhere, with the increasingly global nature of our society. The ease of movement through borders, and the ease of transportation, has made it so people can easily smuggle in weapons, explosives, and the like, in order to do the most damage possible. The worst of all is that terrorists who injure or kill innocent people are doing it out of a misguided belief that it will benefit them in some way, or promote a distorted version of an existing religion or moral code. Unlike a building which can be easily destroyed, an idea is not a tangible or physical thing, and consequently is almost impossible to kill.
Let it be clear that there are far more terrorist attacks than we could ever talk about (as the map below shows), and more happen everyday. It almost feels like nothing besides new attacks are reported on the news anymore, so there is already a feeling that it will never stop. Though we will talk about more of these events in class, we will confine our discussion solely to the 9/11 attacks here, due to them being such a documented and prolific example.
September 11, 2001
Let us be clear and honest, almost none of us want to talk about this, because virtually no one going through school now were even alive when this happened, so they have no connection with the event like their parents or grandparents do, and many are sick of hearing about it. Both of those are completely understandable feelings to have, but it does not change the fact that we need to have the conversation.
Furthermore, the intention to give a minute-by-minute analysis of 9/11 is not the point of this discussion. We will have one of those in class, and there are videos (like the one given above) which already have done that. What we will be doing is looking at the people themselves, and how they personally felt terrorized by the event. Remember, this entire class has been designed not to bore you with "names and dates," but rather to show the humanity of our past, and death and destruction on a colossal scale should be at least one thing that anyone can relate to on a deeply emotional and personal level.
To actually talk about 9/11 though, when one sits down and watches the raw footage of the attacks (which we will also do in this class), there is a sense of shocking disbelief at the cold commitment the hijackers had in attacking the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, with two planes hitting the former, and one hitting the latter. We believe that the fourth plane was intended for the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C., but we we will never know for sure, because the passengers fought back, and somehow during the uprising, the plane was flown into a field in Pennsylvania.
Furthermore, the intention to give a minute-by-minute analysis of 9/11 is not the point of this discussion. We will have one of those in class, and there are videos (like the one given above) which already have done that. What we will be doing is looking at the people themselves, and how they personally felt terrorized by the event. Remember, this entire class has been designed not to bore you with "names and dates," but rather to show the humanity of our past, and death and destruction on a colossal scale should be at least one thing that anyone can relate to on a deeply emotional and personal level.
To actually talk about 9/11 though, when one sits down and watches the raw footage of the attacks (which we will also do in this class), there is a sense of shocking disbelief at the cold commitment the hijackers had in attacking the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, with two planes hitting the former, and one hitting the latter. We believe that the fourth plane was intended for the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C., but we we will never know for sure, because the passengers fought back, and somehow during the uprising, the plane was flown into a field in Pennsylvania.
A total of 2,977 people died at the World Trade Center and the area surrounding it, the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania. Many of the dead were emergency responders who deliberately ran into the World Trade Centers to rescue survivors, but ultimately perished when the towers fell on them. In the footage from the towers, there are so many clear images of people jumping from the high stories of the World Trade Center to get away from the burning fires and smoke, fully knowing that it would mean their death. It is horrifying, unbelievable, and it makes anyone watching, no matter their age, understand how the rest of us felt truly terrified that day.
What was the goal of the terrorists though? Well, it was to cause as much damage in human life and property as they could, in order to draw attention to their plight, and punish those they believed were their enemies, even if they had to martyr themselves in the process. Though in many ways we were their enemies, as a result of actions we took during the Cold War and years afterwards in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm, nothing can justify what they did, and what they continue to do in the name of their radical beliefs and corrupted ideologies.
What motivates them to do these things, and how can we stop them? Head over to my "Closing Thoughts on World History" section to see a brief ending discussion and commentary on our course.
What was the goal of the terrorists though? Well, it was to cause as much damage in human life and property as they could, in order to draw attention to their plight, and punish those they believed were their enemies, even if they had to martyr themselves in the process. Though in many ways we were their enemies, as a result of actions we took during the Cold War and years afterwards in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm, nothing can justify what they did, and what they continue to do in the name of their radical beliefs and corrupted ideologies.
What motivates them to do these things, and how can we stop them? Head over to my "Closing Thoughts on World History" section to see a brief ending discussion and commentary on our course.