“Today,
we’ve had a national tragedy.” President George W. Bush addressed the World
Trade Center attack on live television soon after it occurred. The somber tone
that he uses effectively conveys to Americans the severity of that day in history.
When I
reflect on the day September 11, 2001, the only memory that I can recall is my
brother and I returning home from school and our mom telling us what happened.
I didn’t fully understand until I saw the footage on the news—a tall building,
engulfed in smoke and flames. As a four year old, that image conveyed to me
more than words that this event was a tragedy.
This
pivotal day in American history can be described in a few different ways
depending on the audience one is writing to. Because I was so young when it happened, the event was not initially scarring,
but as I’ve grown up and learned more about the attack I am very troubled by
the reasons behind it and the damage that it caused. I would say to my peers
that the most troubling aspect of 9/11 is the amount of innocent people who
were hurt by either directly losing their life, suffering an injury, or knowing
of someone who was a victim. In actuality, all Americans are victims. The
attack was targeted at the nation as a whole, so everyone is impacted by it.
To address
Americans who can remember this day clearly, I would describe this tragedy as a
turning point in American society. Fourteen years later, terrorism is still a
major issue in the world. In my writing, I would need to be certain of my facts
because this group technically has more authority on the subject due to their
age. Like we discussed in class, if I do not establish authority on the topic,
the audience will take offense and my argument loses its value.
To focus on the other party involved, addressing an
audience primarily from Iraq is an uncomfortable task. Avoiding the use of
offensive language would be a challenge for an American describing the reasons
behind the attack. Again,
to maintain credibility, I would need to not allow stereotypes to invade my
statements.There is much to say when writing about a tragedy, especially an event that is so relevant to my life. Depending on the audience, the tone changes. The degree of sensitivity used varies depending on the group. However, the opinion should not change to accommodate the beliefs of the group, but the manner in which the speaker’s opinion is conveyed should avoid offensive language. Tragedies affect people in different ways, so it is essential to respect one another when stating our own opinions.
I like the point you made about maintaining credibility by not allowing stereotypes to invade you statements. Would you incorporate possible changes the world has made since 9/11 in your writing to peers? And how we can continue to improve our global safety?
ReplyDeleteI would write to my peers about the changes because reflecting on those and learning from the past could affect the future. To make changes going forward, we must understand mistakes and triumphs made in the past. And to improve our global safety, our country should establish positive relationships with other countries.
DeleteI agree with what you said about how the level of sensitivity changes for each group one is addressing. But, I think no matter who the audience is, this event should be spoken about sensitively because it is still a troubling subject for so many people. Also, I agree with how you called this event a "turning point in society." I thought those were accurate words to describe it to people that remember it.
ReplyDelete