I'm really not sure what exactly I am suppossed to write about so I thought I would write about the biggest thing that has been on my mind these days, and that's September 11th. That morning I woke up and things didn't seem any different. I put on my I love New York shirt and went to class. Truthfully, I was very dissapointed with the people here at UT and how they acted that day. People in my freshman seminar were actually really rude about it. The tower played American Songs for about 10 minutes and they were really mad about it. It was   getting in the way of our discussion.   WHATEVER!!  We should have been discussing September 11!!  One girl in the class said,   Who cares!!  People die every day!!  We kill people in Afganistan every day and we don't hold memorials for them!!    I personally was outraged by that comment. How disrespectful for her to say that on a day like that. That night I went with my friends to the memorial at the tower. We stayed for a couple minutes and then proceeded to walk to the capital building for the memorial that was held there. It was awesome. To be standing there next to my friends, people that I loved, and listen to the songs and here the speeches was very emotional. To hear the bagpipes play and see the fireman and the policeofficers. And then a fire man talked about how when they lose a fireman they ring the firebell, so they did that. The whole crowd stood in silence while it rang. It was very powerful. You couldn't help but stand there and think about the officers in New York who had gone into the world trade centers, doing their job and knowing that they could be killed but WANTING to go in anyways. I had to think about all the families who walked around for days not knowing if their family members were dead or alive. Walking from hospital to hospital praying that they would be there. And in the weeks after, hoping that they would even find them dead, just so there would be some closure and they wouldn't have to wonder anymore. At the capital, the police or whatever it was also shot the rifles off. I forget what that is called but that was also a very powerful moment. In almost every person in the crowd's eyes there were tears. You couldn't help it. Then the whole crowd sang God Bless America. Hearing this and looking out over the top and seeing all these people of all different ages and sexes and races holding their american flags up above their heads and just singing GOD BLESS AMERICA was absolutely amazing. I knelt down where I was and said a prayer to thank God for my family and my friends and for the fact that was SO blessed. I picked up the phone and called my mom to tell her that I love her. My family is the most important thing in the world to me and if I lost any of them I don't know how I could even go on. When it was over, two huge beams of light shone up from the back of the capital building to represent the twin towers. It made me think about the pictures I had seen from ground zero of the towers of light they had there. A very powerful sight. The man who was talking over the microphone said that the two huge lights that were shining behind the capital were both there in Pearl Harbor on December 7th. That was an amazing thought to me also. It was also very symbolic to show that the two lights had managed to withstand something that horrible and are now representing hope after another great American tragedy. However, this was a tragedy but not just that. In fact, it brought america closer than it has been in a really long time. I saw a commericial that gave me the chills. It was a video shot of a row of normal looking houses in a normal looking American city. The voice in the background said   On September 11, 2001, terrorists tried to change America forever.   The screen faded out, and then it slowly faded back in. The same houses were there but this time every house had like 5 or 6 american flags around it. In the yard, in the windows, hanging from the roof, just everywere. The voice said   They succeeded.   I think that is a perfect way to say what September 11 has done for America. Yea, so many people lost their lives, but people in AMerica are showing pride that they haven't shown in a long time. At this point in my life, I am VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN.