The Post-9/11 Generation

On September 11th, 2001 my brother Bradley was a mere 12 days old. As my mom watched the tragedy of that day unfold across the our television screen, my brother was bundled in a blanket snoozing. Little did my brother know that his life, and the lives of many other children from the post-9/11 generation, would be so shaped by an event that he will never remember.

Bradley recently turned 10, and with the anniversary of the attacks so close to his birthday, I was curious about what he understood and thought of 9/11. When I asked him what happened that day, he said "The twin buildings blew up because Bin Laden didn't like America."

I've thought about his answer over the past couple of days, and while I find his statement precious in its naiviety, I realize that he truly has no concept of how his life has been impacted by an event that seems so foreign to him.

Consider the profound differences between life as we knew it before September 11th, 2001 and the world in which the post-9/11 generation has been raised:

WAR

Children around my brother's age have no memory of America not being at war. War was a foreign concept to me when I was a child. I remember my Papa telling me stories of the Vietnam War, or reading of others in school history books. I never "felt" the impact of America being at risk of attacks by foreign enemies. I always felt protected. Bradley does not have the false sense of security I did. America at war has been a reality for him since birth. 

Airline Security

Gone are the days of looking out an airport window and seeing your loved one's plane take off a runway. At most airports you practically have to say goodbye in the parking lot due to access restrictions and heightened security. This is normal for the post 9/11 generation of children. They were never able to go through terminals or eat at airport restaurants if they weren't flying. September 11th has redefined what "normal" nuisances are in travel. Full body scans, pat downs, taking off your shoes, random bag searches and hand wipes are nothing new to these children. However, those of us who once knew a time when such measures would have been thought unnecessary are still having to readjust and re-familiarize ourselves with what security procedures are.

National Security 

My brother has never been cognizant of a time when there were not color-coded threat levels indicating the chances of a potential terrorist act. The Homeland Security Advisory System, which began in 2002, has been a constant sight on our television screens - a bright red and orange reminder of how things have changed. 

And whereas the thought of terrorist strikes on our country felt unlikely and alien to us before 9/11, we hear word of credible terrorist threats fairly often today. Our children have grown up, and will continue to grow up in an age where danger isn't easily forgotten. 

It's up to those with memories of the pre-9/11 world to help explain to the post-9/11 generation why this way of life is necessary. We have to teach our children what happened that day, and how those moments affect how they live in the present, while also keeping in mind that maintaining our young people's sense of security is crucial. We have to inform, but not frighten. In the end, the moral of the September 11th story is that America was still standing when the dust cleared, even if the towers were not. 

Our children's American isn't the country we knew growing up - but it's still America.