When The Nation Shown Its Patriotism

When The Nation Shown Its Patriotism. Mixed Media piece by Yvonne West. 2021

The 911 attacks happened as if it occurred yesterday. Many working jobs or in school were told to return home early. We packed as commuters and school students’ buses and trains heading home only to learn the world trade center in New York City was bombed and flight 93 high jacked. The images played over and over again the entire afternoon into the evening on every television channel from cable to regular broadcast networks. For days we were stunned at the image of the plane crashing into the building toppling down and the many people who died. There was sadness, fear and anger. Many of us tried to cope and at the same time shown patriotism displaying the American flags on the windows of cars, hanging outside of porches or even sport them on clothes as some would around Memorial Day or July 4th. It was during a time we decide to show its pride in America as others long have done whether they fought in the military or has a love for its country in spite of the opinion’s others have of it.

At the time, I was in college taking courses at Community College of Philadelphia and recall a janitor walking up and down the hall looking inside classrooms while I was in a morning English class. He shouted something at the professor as she conducted her lecture and the other students noticed getting her attention. He shouted "Stop Teaching The School Is Closed!" The professor stopped her lecture and went outside to approach the gentlemen asking him what he was telling her. It was when she learned that the campus was closed, and everyone needed to leave. All of us were given our homework assignment and sent home. I remember hearing someone say other campuses were closed including its main campus downtown on Spring Garden Street near Philly’s center city. As I walked to the bus, I was hoping it is not a disastrous situation where the world was coming to an end as my mother predicted. I thought she could at times be crazy. I boarded the bus at Broad and Olney seeing commuters and school children scattered all over waiting for a bus. Finally, I was able to board a bus the route 18 with school kids and commuters packing it. There the driver not so friendly demanded passengers pay their fare though not everyone could move around due to the bus becoming crowded. People near the fare box swiped their cards. The driver sternly eyed me standing on the steps of the front doors near commuters and school children waiting for me to pay my fare as if I was one of the school children being defiant getting over. I tried to swipe my card but couldn't due to the fare box surrounded by passengers making it hard for me to reach it. One female school student near the fare box kindly offered to swipe my trans pass. I gave her the card and she swiped it and then handed it back to me. Soon, I got off the bus at my stop and walked home seeing my mother sitting in front of the television. I was shocked to see her home from work early but wondered at the same time what was going on in New York as seen on the television screen a midst of smoke and people scurry covered in dust while some were given oxygen by paramedics. I learned that the world trade center was bombed. It was intense that day and everyone was fleeing and running scared. I recall how the country changed where security at airports became tighter than ever. At only 18 going on 19 years old in college, I never thought I would be seeing anything horrific where lives came to a stop. My mother and Aunt had to change their vacation plans due to their flight to Los Angeles becoming canceled after the 911 attacks as other flights were. Instead, they boarded the Amtrak train to New Orleans. My mother was going to stop at nothing to travel since it is what she loves to do. Her and I went to Canada over the summer. Also, she received an employee discount since she at the time worked for the company Amtrak as a full time refunds clerk.

It was somber well into the fall and winter where children had nightmares, those in Muslim communities experienced anger from those who felt they were responsible for Americans living in fear to people not wanting to celebrate Halloween taking children trick or treating because of Anthrax. There were reports of Anthrax in candy brought back to stores. Christmas was just as sad. I recall my mother sharing a story my aunt told her about how downtown center city Philadelphia at the Christmas Village people traditionally attend didn’t have the spirit. During that time seen people hang American flags from windows of cars across from Sixers flags that they also hung on the other side of the vehicle's windows in Philly as the city went through a sixer mania where the team consisting of A.I (Allen Iverson) was playing the LA Lakers consisting of the late Kobe Bryant who was born in the city and lived in the suburbs outside of it. The Sixers unfortunately, lost to the Lakers that Spring but the city still hung its Sixers flags next to their American flags after the 911 attacks. The piece When The Nation Shown Its Patriotism a mixed media piece reflects that memory of the pride people held as they cope with loss hanging American flags. September 11th is a day a lot of us including myself cannot forget but survive as we did the Covid-19 pandemic.