Five years after 9/11

Yesterday marked the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy in 2001. Even though I don't live in the United States, in Holland the media were full of the news as well. Nearly every TV station broadcasted a movie or documentary about the events, and the Dutch newspapers were all over it as well. It seems so odd to me that it's already five years ago. I remember so very well what I was doing when the news broke, that it doesn't seem so long ago. When the first plane hit the tower, I was in class. A friend of mine called me on my cell phone after which I hurried to a bar to watch CNN, just in time to see the second plane crashing. I remember thinking this would be the beginning of World War 3 and being so scared of a nuclear conflict. Of course, none of that happened, but I do think it's safe to say the world hasn't exactly become a safer place to live.

What I find really strange, is how many people seem to be firm believers of the conspiracy theories nowadays. Of course, I have to admit all this really came in handy for the Bush administration, but to think that the US government actually killed 2800 of its own people to justify wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? I just don't buy into that. Still, I heard on the news yesterday that only 40 percent of the American people still believe in the 'official' story, and many more seem to be getting doubts about what really happened that day.

Whatever you may or may not believe, I do think it's good to have a bit of a moment each year to think about the death of all those people, and to just remember what a horrible thing has happened only five years ago.