The Real Terrorists (Part 1)

Personally, I don't like to dwell on such serious and depressing topics, especially so early on in the year. Nor do I share the passion that my classmates have for expressing opinions for such a catistrophic event that had not affected my life directly.  When the tragic event of 9/11 had transpired, I was still attending elementary school at the age of seven.  The biggest dilemma I had as a child in growing up in Alameda was how was I gonna spend my recess!  I was too young to have fully comprehended the full consequences of a human life and had probably the least exposure to the events of 9/11 growing up. That was until we had the discussion in class today.                     

I've watched numerous documentaries and read different accounts of 9/11's victims, survivors, and heroes. Despite what I've seen and heard from the media, I know I can never truly understand the burden and the pain felt by the people effected by 9/11. Also in some way I don't feel comfortable or even worthy of voicing my opinion on a topic I don't know much about--a topic in which I feel like I have not heard the whole truth or who was behind the events of 9/11.

In retrospect of how Americans find 9/11 to be such a great tragedy, the U.S. was not always the greatest nation it is portrayed to be.  Frankly, I am ashamed of our country's past and its involvement with places like Africa, China, Vietnam, and Iraq. 

In 2004, the U.S. turned its diplomatic and military attention to Africa because of the continent’s oil and natural gas supplies and its metal, and industrial diamond resources as well.  (Link for more info: http://mondediplo.com/2004/07/07usinafrica)

 The U.S. had a hand in controlling China during the Opium wars in the 1800s.  When Emperor Dao Guang outlawed opium from being imported from Britain to China because of its highly addictive nature, Britain along with U.S., France, and Italy waged war against China.  Eventually Dao Guang's last option was to sign a treaty that would take advantage of China. The treaty allowed  foregniers to occupy and control key cities like Shanghai which was subdivided amongst the countries. (Link for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars)

The U.S. continuously tries to be big brother for other countries with this superior complex that it has to save others.  The U.S. army's presence in foreign countries has shown in more recent years that they have made situations worse. I believe that the U.S. really just has its interests at heart including its government.  I think that the American media has kept the American people in the dark of what the army has done in foreign countries...