Essay on How 9/11 Still Impacts Us Today and How We Have Evolved Since Then

September 11th, 2001, will forever go down as a day that changed the world. The elongating effects include: ongoing wars, airline security, economy post and after the attack, and immigration deportation. 9/11, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the United States consisting of a series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks committed in 2001, has affected our society in more ways than one, impacting our everyday lives greatly, ongoing wars, airline security and immigration and deportation, and the deterioration of the acceptance of Muslims. 

One impact of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, is the ongoing wars it implemented. Less than a month after the deadly attacks, the US invaded parts of the middle east. Although these were not directly related to terrorist attacks, we can still believe that part of the intention was to get vengeance. The United States and Afghanistan have been going on after the attacks and are yet to cease. The United States had invaded Afghanistan to attack and destroy Al-Qaeda, meanwhile removing the government that allowed them to live within their borders. The results of these wars destroyed not only Afghanistan’s economy and budgets but The United States also. The Economy post 9/11 has dramatically decreased; however, we are still able to provide for our troops and are on a better track to supporting it. The number of casualties from these wars reached almost 3,100,000 Americans from 2001-2011.

The most obvious evolution of the post 9/11 world that Americans have experienced in one way, is the noticeable spike in increased Transportation Security Act agents, security in the airports, and overall thoroughness in air travel. Today’s airline industry has differentiated from what it was pre-9/11. When the airports temporarily closed for the safety of the people of the United States, tickets were prevented from being bought, and many pilots and flight attendants lost their jobs. Only within the last ten years, the tickets being bought met the same rates they did before the attacks. In response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the government enacted new legislation to increase air passenger security. President George Bush signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act which established a Transportation Security Administration (TSA).  The TSA is an agency created to develop and implement policies to make sure the transportation system is safe. 

Airport security and preventing hijackings are the most important subjects to the TSA, since it was established from 9/11. Security officers that are dressed in uniforms examine people and their luggage before entering the rest of the airport. There are a few ways the security and entrance process has changed throughout all airports in America. Identification is required, the name must match the name on your plane ticket. At certain checkpoints, people of certain ages have to remove their shoes. All baggage will be checked or screened. No liquids are allowed that are in containers larger than around 3.5 ounces. There could also be pat downs administered. Cockpit doors are to be locked during all flights. These requirements and others have been made since the attacks due to the TSA. 

All of these requirements have led to certain problems for passengers and people who are traveling. The TSA has slowed the process of getting to the gate, and onto the plane. Most likely the biggest change for passengers is the long lines because of security checkpoints. Travelers will most likely need to leave their homes one to two hours before their flight to ensure that they will have enough time to get through security and board. TSA check has gotten easier in recent years though, the TSA PreCheck Program allows passengers who have signed in in advance, which is ID checking and fingerprinting, for a faster security experience. 

Not only was the government and systems inside of America affected by the terrorist attacks, but so was the Muslim-Islam community affected especially. The attacks were performed by a Islamist militant group of terrorists named ‘Al Qaeda’. Their main goal was to drive the US military out of Saudi Arabia and other parts on the peninsula by armed violence. Ever since Americans found out about who the people involved were, many started to point fingers at the Muslim-Islam communities. 

Many people have studied the mental health of Muslims after 9/11, even though there’s truly no prior to 9/11 information to work with or base the studies off of.  But after 9/11, there were a handful of studies to work with. Many cases found that the rate of depression and anxiety in Arab-Americans post-9/11 in the US was concerning. These rates were higher than any other minority group, discrimination as one of the causes. A small group from Brooklyn was studied to focus on Arab-Americans in New York after the attack. This study revealed that these people showed fears of hate crimes, and fear of their safety. Many felt unsafe in their own homes. This is just a small amount of the fear many Arab-American and Islam people have experienced. 

9/11, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the United States consisting of a series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks committed in 2001, has affected our society in more ways than one, impacting our everyday lives greatly, ongoing wars, airline security and immigration and deportation, and the deterioration of the acceptance of Muslims. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 will never be forgotten, they will always be remembered. They have affected our everyday lives greatly which led us to evolve and learn from it, and we have come out stronger as a nation.