The events of Sept. 11, 2001, remain clear in the minds of many Americans. The attacks brought out both the best and worst parts of humanity.
In the weeks following the attacks, many Americans felt a sense of community.
“There was a strong sense of patriotism in the immediate aftermath: support for the government, support for the military,” said Joe Melusky, a Political Science Professor at SFU.
At the same time, however, people were suspicious of each other and their surroundings.
“The government began focusing more heavily on security and counterterrorism,” Melusky said. “They [the attacks] led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.”
SFU History Professor Denise Damico said that U.S. relations with Middle Eastern countries became more strained following the attacks.
“The long-term consequences included the U.S. getting involved in a series of conflicts in the Middle East.”
Safety became a top priority for many Americans post 9/11. People became more concerned about who was entering the United States.
“There have been changes to immigration and border security, particularly for people coming from countries that are potential sources of terrorism,” Melusky said.
As some Americans became increasingly suspicious of people from countries in the Middle East, other U.S. citizens advocated against this heightened suspiciousness.
“There was a lot of talk about not stereotyping all Muslims or people from the Middle East,” Damico said.
Melusky said that the tragic events of 25 years ago inspired people to do good.
“When those towers were on fire, many people were running to them to help,” said Melusky.
Damico stressed the importance of always remembering what happened on Sept. 11, 2001.
“Part of the role of history professors like myself is to make sure that when we say ‘never forget,’ we mean it,” she said.
The 9/11 attacks killed 2,977 people. At the World Trade Center in New York City, 2,753 people were killed in the North and South Towers.
At the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, 184 people were killed. Forty passengers and crew members were killed when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Four of those killed on Sept. 11, 2001, were Saint Francis alumni.
Frederick Kelley worked on the 104th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He graduated from SFU in 1966.
Mary Ellen Tiesi, a 1984 graduate, worked on the 105th floor of the South Tower.
1989 graduate Larry Senko worked on the 102nd floor of the North Tower.
Robert Zampieri, who graduated in 1994, worked on the 92nd floor of the North Tower.
Damico said that, while the emotional weight of the attacks remains heavy, it is still too soon to understand their full impact.
“We’re still making sense of it a quarter of a century later,” she said.
