Important Dates for My Generation (continued)

 Continuing with the four dates most important for my generation:

 

Sept. 11, 2001.

The Terrorist attacks by Islamic Zealots

 

         Europe and other countries had been experiencing airline hijackings, bombings, and terrorist attacks by several entities, but increasingly by Al Qaeda.   The US had its home-grown attacks, the most significant of which was the Oklahoma City bombing.   For the most part, though, US citizens felt safe.   Alert to deteriorating areas when traveling, but generally safe at home from terrorism.

         

All that changed on the morning of Sept. 11.   We were not safe, after all.

                  

Anyone alive then  recognizes how things changed after that.  Security at airports became strict and invasive and you’d better not complain.   The Patriot Act affected us all.   Edward Snowden leaked secret intelligence papers that shocked us, much like Daniel Ellsberg’s  theft and release of  the Pentagon Papers.

                  

Listing all the changes would take far too much time and far too much space.   Let me say only that things have changed and I hope our security is better.

 

         We abandoned several wars from Vietnam in 1975, Iraq in 2011, and Afghanistan in 2021, leaving all with our tails between our legs.  The implications of those “defeats” still hurt even though we are glad our warriors are no longer dying there.  

We have tried to make amends to our surviving Vietnam war veterans for their  abysmal homecoming reception.    

         

The mood of the country has been pummeled in the last decade.  The hate and lies and rancor and accusations in our politics is horrendous.   It’s no wonder some good candidates refrain from public office.  Many of us have avoided the news outlets, not only for bad news, but also because we’ve lost trust in them. 

 

The tumult of Trump’s first presidency affected us all, regardless of whose fault it was. Now, we are heading into another Trump term and many do not look forward to it with hope.

         

It is entirely possible that my final three paragraphs might be transplanted into a description of a new era.    Maybe the starting point of that era will be Jan. 6, 2021, the date of the so-called insurrection at our capitol building.

(There will be one more post in this series.)