STAFF EDIT: One year later, take action

It has been one year. A year to the day since the “second day of infamy.” A year since everyone, from journalists to politicians to everyday American citizens, pronounced the world as we knew it over and said America would never be the same.

But how much impact did 9/11 really have on the way everyday Americans live their lives? Was 9/11 an event that changed the ways we think and act, both toward each other and the rest of the world?

One year later, the answer is both yes and no.

9/11 changed the way Americans in general, and college students specifically, think about the world. The terrorist attacks forced college students especially to be more cognizant of the world around them.

Since Sept. 11, all Americans have had to grapple with questions like, why do they hate us? and, how can their hate be so strong? Americans have had to define who “they” is and find out where and how “they” live. Americans have learned about the mountainous terrain of a region half a world away and heard harrowing tales of death and destruction, survival and loss.

Truly, America has broadened its horizons. No longer is the geography of the Middle East a mystery. Awareness of the conflicts between Israel and Palestine and India and Pakistan is higher than it has perhaps ever been, and more Americans are now able to hold informed opinions and participate in dialogue about those conflicts. Americans are more aware now of political turmoil in Latin America, famine and poverty in Africa and economic hard times in Southeast Asia than they were one year ago.

But that does not mean we have acted.

Overall, America has failed to capture the outpouring of emotion and support seen in the weeks and months after 9/11 and use it for broader good. College students have not had to or been asked to make the sacrifices asked of previous generations.

World War II defined a generation. Our grandparents were shipped off to war an ocean away and forced to fight an evil never before thought possible. Their selflessness and sacrifice earned them the title, “The Greatest Generation.”

The Vietnam War defined a generation. Our parents made sacrifices to proclaim with all their hearts their aversion to America’s fight against Communism. They passionately fought in and worked against an unjust war.

But 9/11 may not end up defining our generation. What sacrifices have we been forced to make? Americans still consume more than 25 percent of the world’s energy and drive gas-guzzling SUVs, even on the smooth and flat streets of our cities. Consumerism is back to normal and, despite economic hard times, Americans continue to assign deep value to spending huge amounts of money on all sorts of unnecessary things, while much of the world survives on less than one dollar per day.

American unilateralist attitudes are now more widespread than ever in recent history. In the past year, we have refused to join an international war-crimes tribunal, failed to join more than 150 nations in trying to lessen the effects of global warming through the Kyoto Protocol, and continue to contemplate military action against Iraq, despite the loud disapproval of our allies.

In short, America continues to be an irresponsible global citizen. Our leaders failed to capitalize on the outpouring of compassion after 9/11, instead opting to pat us on the back and stroke our injured psyches.

In the weeks and months following Sept. 11, we were told repeatedly by President Bush that we are a good nation. The only way to fight terror, we were told, was to continue as though the Twin Towers had never collapsed, go back to work, go to the mall and continue life as usual. Late night comedians joked “we’re gonna shop ’til they drop!” But there were few calls for introspection and little mention of self-sacrifice.

Here on the Boston University campus, the messages were much the same. President Jon Westling decided against canceling classes, saying “the important business of teaching and learning should not be held hostage to terrorism.” Other leaders urged students to defeat terrorism by continuing with their lives as they were before the attacks.

Though those messages of defiance, while calming in the hours and days following the attacks, were not enough to answer the calamitous events of Sept. 11. In many ways, 9/11 was a golden opportunity for leaders to urge Americans to think about their actions and work to help those less fortunate. BU’s and America’s leadership could have pressed civil service, volunteerism and works of charity. But, in large part, they failed.

Today marks a renewed opportunity to look within ourselves and reevaluate our actions. Let the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11 rekindle the passions we felt during the days after the terrorist attacks. Let us direct our energies toward working with other nations and improving the world for all human beings. Let us really look at why many nations hate us and work to correct our flaws.

We have broadened our worldview intellectually over the past year. Now let us take that increased awareness and act both at home and abroad, for those who are sad, for those who are angry, and for those who don’t have a voice.