Ten years ago, at 9/11, I was on a class trip to Italy. Yes, you read right, I’ve basically been on holyday!
When a day after the attacks one of my classmates ran around, frantically shouting that the WTC was down, no one took it serious. We probably didn’t listen because the guy was a fool.
My classmates and I just asked: “So what? They’re just buildings – okay damn big skyscrapers – but they’ll be rebuild and people will forget.”
I’ve certainly been too naive back than.
Ex post I recognize that people were afraid be the next target. Being Venice in September however, there was no reason to wonder where all the other tourists have been to. Since no one of us knew Italian, we had no access to radio or TV. No one was up to date informed.
At some point however, we had to wait somewhere: Standing around, doing nothing, is a drag for every pubescent guy. Soon my eye caught a glimpse at a newsstand. Papers from all over the world pictured in bright colors the deaths of 3,000 men and women on front page. It was then, that we realized the scale – and still didn’t care. Newspapers were uncool und and sooo last century.
Just like my classmate – who couldn’t convince us, about the importance of that incident – I think that the importance of the USA for the world has promoted the attack: It was not the message that was important for me back than, it was the messenger.
Have I been the fool back then? Am I a fool now?
I now conclude my study of politics. Not because of 9/11, but because phenomena like it change our perception on the world. Today – exactly ten years later – there is a local election going on. I therefore perform the most sanctuary act of democracy, by joining the poll as a voter. And while I put my cross on the sheet, I think about Norway’s way to handle terror.
Where have you been that day?
