Today marks the 14th anniversary of 9/11. A
question arises among many history teachers in the U.S. “How do we teach 9/11?”
In years past, there was no real reason to teach 9/11 to high school students
because many were old enough to remember what happened. Since there is no set
curriculum to teach about 9/11, teachers have used it to lead into discussions
about Afghanistan and the war on terror.
To understand the causes of 9/11, one has to
truly understand the reason for each target the planes crashed into. Each
target was an essential part of Modernity. If all parts were successfully
destroyed, Modernity (and the West) would fall. The Twin Towers were selected
because they were the centers of trade and capitalism. The next plane that hit
the Pentagon was intended to eliminate the center of the U.S. military.
Luckily, the plane crashed into the recently reinforced outer wall so the
damage done was much smaller than it could have been. The fourth and final
plane landed in a field in Pennsylvania, it was intended to hit the White House,
the Capitol building or even Camp David. Destroying any of these targets would
have destroyed a big part of the government. With all of these institutions
destroyed, Modernity would fall as well as the West.
History about 9/11 should be taught through
analysis and evidence. It should not be taught through close-minded assumptions
such as, “they hated our freedom”.
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