In the video we watched together, In Memoriam: New York City: 9/11/01, we saw some awful images - maybe they were new for you, maybe not.
I'd like you to answer a couple of questions:
1. Pretend you don't know anything about what's happened in the six and a half years since 9/11/01 - just pretend. How would you want America to respond to this attack that left 3,000 dead and over 15,000 wounded?
A few things to think about when you answer this question: Would you respond militarily by attacking Al-Qaeda? Would you respond diplomatically by trying to isolate Al-Qaeda economically and help eliminate the sources of poverty? Would you work to improve America's image within the Arab world? Or is there another alternative? What could Americans have done at home to make a difference? (include some of your notes from the video here).
2. Question #2 - Do you believe that the Presidential candidates will be able to do what they say about Iraq? Why or why not?
Alternate question #2 (in case you don't like the first question #2) - Should we remain in Iraq and stabilize the country, withdraw gradually, or leave as quickly as possible? Why?
The Iraq War is now coming up on its 5th year anniversary and few see an end in sight. Click here for the latest opinions on the war from Gallup Poll : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCAaYzFdrm0 (it's very short -only 1:30 long).
So far, almost 4,000 American soldiers have been killed and over 15,000 injured. The war has cost over $3.1 trillion dollars, and America is in the middle of a recession. Gas prices are predicted to hit $4.00 by Memorial Day (a little over 2 months away) and oil prices keep hitting new historic high prices ()$108 a barrel just the other day - 3/11/08). Americans are divided over the war and how to finish the war.Obama, Clinton and McCain are debating what to do with Iraq and Afghanistan - should I stay or should I go now? Many Americans think that by leaving too early we will leave Iraq as a breeding ground for terror (much like Afghanistan turned into one in the 1990s). Others feel like we need to increase the number of troops. Others feel like that we broke Iraq, we need to fix it.
John McCain: "A greater military commitment now is necessary if we are to achieve long-term success in Iraq. John McCain agrees with retired Army General Jack Keane that there are simply not enough American forces in Iraq. More troops are necessary to clear and hold insurgent strongholds; to provide security for rebuilding local institutions and economies; to halt sectarian violence in Baghdad and disarm Sunni and Shia militias; to dismantle al Qaeda; to train the Iraqi Army; and to embed American personnel in Iraqi police units."
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/
Hillary Clinton: "The most important part of Hillary's plan is the first: to end our military engagement in Iraq's civil war and immediately start bringing our troops home. As president, one of Hillary's first official actions would be to convene the Joint Chiefs of Staff, her Secretary of Defense, and her National Security Council. She would direct them to draw up a clear, viable plan to bring our troops home starting with the first 60 days of her Administration. " http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/
Barack Obama: "Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda." http://www.barackobama.com/issues/
Each of your answers to the questions should be a minimum of 100 words.
This song, "Belief", by John Mayer fits this conflict between America and radical Islam so well:
Is there anyone who / Ever remembers changing there mind fromThe paint on a sign?
Is there anyone who really recalls / Ever breaking rank at all
For something someone yelled real loud one time
Everyone believes / In how they think it ought to be
Everyone believes / And they're not going easily
Belief is a beautiful armor / But makes for the heaviest sword
Like punching under water / You never can hit who you're trying for
Some need the exhibition / And some have to know they tried
It's the chemical weapon / For the war that's raging on inside
Everyone believes / From emptiness to everything
Everyone believes / And no ones going quietly
We're never gonna win the world
We're never gonna stop the war
We're never gonna beat this
If belief is what we're fighting for
What puts a hundred thousand children in the sand
Belief can / Belief can
What puts the folded flag inside his mother's hand
Belief can / Belief can
I felt that this picture of the parents of Marine Sgt. Robert Courtney, killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq on October 30, 2004, fit the song well("what puts the folded flag inside his mother's hand?"). For every number that we hear on the news... "3 American soldiers killed by a mortar attack in Fallujah..." there is a whole group of people behind that one person who was killed or wounded. This is the human cost of what is being done in Iraq and Afghanistan.
64 comments:
1. This is a difficult question because the attack affected America so much. I would suggest not going to war one of the main reasons being that our economy was affected so much. 40,000 people lost their jobs that day and many companies fell to their demise as well. We have lost many lives and it is understandable that we would want to blame someone for this tragedy and get back at them. Although if we go to war we are putting ourselves in a bad situation; we don’t have the resources to do this and could go into a national debt. Another factor that would be good to consider is that lives are ALWAYS lost in wars. We could lose even more people than have already been lost.
2. I think that John McCain will keep his promise of putting more troops in Iraq because I feel as though that is a simpler option. Just keep going what bush has started and 60% of Americans don’t agree with. That’s a great way to get elected right? I think that Obama has the most logical plan for Iraq. Even if we should stay most Americans don’t want us there and Obama is saying that he will gradually be taking out troops 2 brigades at a time and in a span of 16 months they will all get out. Troops are going to stay there to protect our embassy and dismantle any uprisings but that is to be expected. Hillary Clinton is opting for the more extreme. She is saying that within the first month of her election she will get all the troops out. As much as I would like that to happen it is more unrealistic.
Ally
2nd hour
Christy
2nd hour
3/14/08
How would you want America to respond to this attack that left 3,000 dead and over 15,000 wounded?
1. Even this though this event was very terrible, I don’t think that we should have rushed into a war. I think that we should have tried to work things out, and figure out why they had attacked us. If we had have found the people responsible for the attacks before going to war, we might have been able to prevent it. We should have gone and helped them reduce the amount of poverty, instead of spend all of that money, and risk all of the soldier’s lives going to war.
Do you believe these candidates will do what what they say they can do? Why or why not?
2. Yes I think the candidates will do what they say they want to do. I don’t think that the war is necessary anymore, and I agree with Obama’s plan. He doesn’t want to take everyone out immediately. He wants to gradually bring the troops home, but leave some people there to “protect our embassy and diplomats.” I think Obama’s plan is much better than John McCain’s plan because he wants to keep the troops there. I think that Obama will stick with what he said, and if elected president, he will carry out this plan.
If it were back in September 11th of 2001 I would want the U.S. to go attack al-Qaida. I would be angry and would want us to go to war with them because of the terror from the attacks. But first I would want us to try to help with the reconstruction of New York. I would want us to help those survivors of the attacks and try to heal the damage that was done to this country. I would want America to build a memorial on the spot of where the two towers stood. First try to heal the damage that was done, then after attack and search for al-Qaida.
I don’t believe that we should withdraw our troops from Iraq. That would just be a waste of time and still not solve the problem that we still have. We still have to reform or help the government of Iraq to bring peace. If we withdraw our troops from Iraq, then the sacrifice of those thousands of troops who were killed and wounded would all be for nothing. It would make the trillions of dollars we spent into the war all thrown away, it would just make things worse and could lead to Iraq striking back and could lead to even worse terrorist attacks onto this country.
Trevor Nielsen
2nd Hour
As a response to the attacks on 9/11 i believe that we should not respond militarilly because that would cause more problems and cause Al Queda to fight back and it wouldnt solve anything. We should improve America's image within the Arab world so that we would not have as many problems with eachother. We should also respond diplomatically and come to an agreement or negotiate the problems out. Before we make any decisions though we should clean up things in New York and make sure everything is okay before we make any rash decisions.
I believe that we should leave Iraq gradually because things usually work out better if you take your time figuring things out. Since America is in the middle of a recession we should leave gradually. If we dont leave soon then we could possibly leave Iraq open for more terrorism and we want to stop terrorism im Iraq and not leave it open for more terrorism. We basically destroyed Iraq and we shoiuld at least do some cleaning up.
Ian Perfitt
US History 2nd hour
1. If I didn’t know anything about what’s happened in the six and a half years since 9/11/01, I would want America to treat the situation with great care and think it through before making any rash decisions. I understand that we should be extremely angered by this horrible terrorist attack, and therefore I would probably respond militarily. However, first I would try to resolve the problem diplomatically. This is a good option, but sometimes it is very difficult to sit down and talk it out, especially when you want to act on impulse. If attempting to resolve this diplomatically fails, the next step is to take military action. We definitely could not let the terrorists get away with the terrible suffering and strain they have forced upon our nation. Americans at home could definitely make a difference. According to the movie, many Americans have been aiding in repairing the damages done to those involved in the attack, but I believe there they can do much more. Americans at home can help by donating money, time, and supplies to those who need it. If we all work together, this problem can be solved. In each city there should be a community effort to help, possibly starting with groups set up to donate supplies and money to the victims of this attack. In the video, the phone calls home in which victims whisper their last words to their loved ones were extremely heart breaking and should help motivate us to start getting involved in the effort.
2. I believe that we should remain in Iraq and stabilize the country until they are able to stand on their own feet. We should try to limit the killing and injuring of people, but I feel like we are helping Iraq build a stronger economy. We are sacrificing a lot of our own people and fighting for the freedom of all, but at a price. I think that Hillary Clinton’s plan to immediately pull out of Iraq is a drastic and terrible decision, because getting out of Iraq so quickly will only cause mass chaos. We should continue to stabilize Iraq, but after our goal is accomplished we should leave them and solve more problems within our nation.
Claire Hayes
2nd hour
Question 1.
I would want America to respond to the attacks from 911 differently then what they chose to do. First off I wouldn’t go to war right away because it has affected the American economy dramatically and now the U.S. is going through a recession. I would find the source of the attacks and stop them so that another attack like this could not happen again. I would work on improving America’s relationship with the Arab world to become allies and to stop fighting amongst each other which would make the United States a stronger country. If we did not go to war then now the U.S. would not have as many economic problems, and gas prices would not sky rocket.
Question 2.
I believe that the United States should gradually leave Iraq for a few reasons. I feel that since we went to war thousands of soldiers have been killed and injured, and many innocent people living in Iraq have been killed. I feel that the United States has disrupted the people in Iraq, and now the country is very unstable and doesn’t have a real leader. Going to war cost the U.S. over $3.1 trillion, and now gas is becoming more expensive and is getting up to $4 a gallon. I feel if leave gradually then we can help rebuild the country and over time we will be able to leave the country.
Stefanos T. 2nd Hour
1.We Americans need to handle the problem like another other problem we face day to day. First we need to state the problem, and who is the reason for it. Second we need to prepare a plan to stop this problem and as well keep it from happening. Next we should pursue our plan and put it to action. Finally once our plan and goal is completely achieved we should leave the country alone and if we achieved our plan the country will be fine. If the country is not alright then we have choose the wrong leader to run our country and our plan for stopping this terrorist attack.
2.I hope that these candidates will do what they say they will do but I actually believe that they are just saying some of these promises to try to make us more entitled to vote for them. I feel that the candidates are also hoping that they will be able to keep their promises but at the same time it’s very hard when dealing with other countries. Relating to President George W. Bush he made many promises to us, the Americans, about the war on Iraq and unfortunately he has not been able to fully keep all his promises. It takes a lot of time and money when dealing with the army and the war on Iraq and one wrong move could cost billions of dollars. I feel that who is president needs to be very careful when dealing with these problems and defiantly need to fulfill there promises when it comes to this war.
Ryan Bertrand
Hour 2
Lorne
2nd hour
I was shocked. I was young when it happened, but now that I’m older I see the bigger picture. I realize that innocent people were killed. And that this was a tragic event in U.S. history. People should be safe wherever we go. I feel secure that our airports are safer and higher security standards. I feel protected by our army and air force. I believe we should pull troops out of Iraq. I believe they should govern themselves, and if they need help we should give them assistance. The U.S. spends way too much money on the war effort, I believe this money can be used for better resources
After September 11 i would feel the same way that everyone elsde did but our decision to go to war was out of anger and revenge. The way that the congress and the president felt was the same way that anyone esle would feel if they lost 3000 innocent civilians and one of whom was their family members. I was in the 4th grade when the 9/11 attacks happened and i didnt know what happened until i got home. I think that the U.S. should have went to Iraq and try to stabilize their country. No matter what we try to do, their will be always be Al Qaeda and terrorists everywhere
Chris Harris
2nd hr.
With the number of lives lost because of the terrorist’s attacks on September 11th, which left 3,000 dead and over 15,000 wounded, I would suggest the idea of not going to war. War kills thousands of people each ear and after such a tragic loss more casualties is the last thing America needs. Another reason I wouldn’t go to war is for our economy, over the past six and a half years our country has spend trillions of dollars on military supplies, and national debt is just another thing America does not need on our plate. War is an understandable outcome, we want to fight back, but maybe if we have a set plan of action, and amount of time we plan on spending overseas instead of a constant guessing game of when it’s finally going to put to a stop.
jessica keyes
4th hour
1. If I didn’t know anything about what has happened over six years since 9/11/01, I would want America to respond to this attack differently then what they chose to do. I don’t believe that we should’ve gone to war right away because emotionally and economically it has affected many Americans. Considering the fact that we have been in war for almost five years now, I think we can believe that the choices we made towards the attacks were not necessarily the best decision. I would have wanted America to think out and figure out what they needed to do and how they were going to do it before they made any decisions about going to war. Leading towards war should be the last resort in a situation like 9/11. It was unexpected and shocking that something like this could happen, I believe by thinking out a solution to the problem of the 9/11 attacks could’ve saved many lives as well as our economy.
2. I think we should gradually leave Iraq. By gradually leaving, we will be starting to help stabilize Iraq. It will help us figure things out, and because Americas in the middle of a recession we should leave gradually. If we were to remain in Iraq, I feel that more and more innocent people will just be dying left and right. Also, troops will be fighting for something that has taken five years to fight over. By having troops gradually leave hopefully it will help Iraq to build and become stronger within it. The least we could do is help Iraq even a little bit, considering we destroyed their country. Something needs to be done because people are just being targeted for no reason. It is solving nothing but increasing the death rates, which leaves their families and friends at home left to suffer for something that could be prevented.
Melanie Shaw
4th hour
1. If I had not known about 9/11 for the past 6 years, I think that the U.S. should have thought a lot more about what to do about the attacks. By jumping to war, it did a lot of damage to the U.S. We should have come up with a series of plans that don’t involve war. War shouldn’t have been our first choice. By going to war, it doesn’t really solve any problems, the terrorist attacks might happen again. During war, we lose many people from our military and it will cost the U.S. a lot of money. In my opinion, war isn’t worth it.
2. Yes I think that the candidates will follow through with their plans because if they didn’t, it would look bad. I think Obama’s plan is the best and is more doable then Hilary Clinton’s. Hilary wants to take the troops out immediately, but said nothing about maybe keeping a base in Iraq. Obama wants to take around 16 months to get the troops out, to finish business maybe and to make sure Al Qaeda doesn’t try to make another base. If we immediately took out troops, then terrorism could possibly start again. We want to make sure that it doesn’t happen again by the most efficient way.
jourdan g
4th hr
Alex Diaczok 4th
1.) If I was the military leader in the US at the time of 9/11 I would have wanted to save as many people as possible. I would use as many troops and National Guard to help save victims of the tragedy. I would also have a group of specialists, investigating the cause of the attacks, to see who was behind all of this. After we had saved as many as possible and we found out an idea of who did it, I would bomb the person/persons/country responsible for the unbelievable act on our soil. I would send a message to world that, if you mess with America that we will overpower you and take you out.
2.) Do I believe that the presidencal candidates will do what they say that they will do? John McCain; out of all three of the candidates he is most likely to complete what he said. His isn’t the country favorite, but it is the most likely to happen, because it is the most logical. Hillary Clinton; She wants the troops out within 60 days of her presidency. This is unreasonable, we can’t just pull out of Iraq that fast, we have to make sure that they can survive on their own, and not go back to their old ways. If we leave and don’t accomplish what we wanted then it would have been the biggest waste of time money, and most important solider’s lives. Obamha; His is more likely to happen than Clintons but is still unrealistic. We have to keep the soliders in Iraq until we have finished what we wanted.
I believe that we should do as Barack Obama is proposing and leave gradually. I think we need to make sure that certain things are settled before we leave, and do it over a period of time. If we do as Hillary says and just pack up and leave, there’s a greater chance of rebellion, and I think if we do as McCain says were just going to be in a never ending war, and the possibility of a draft in the future won’t win over many. I think the war needs to come to an end, and if necessary we should take action again, but right now staying there isn’t solving much.
jessica keyes
4th hour
If i did not know anything about what has happened in the 6 1/2 years since september 11th 2001, i would want to be sure that america responded the right way. I think that i am derfinately not the right person to ask what should be dine, because i dont really know much about the situation, but if i were to make such a big decision that effects our country so much, i would probably go say that i think that i would definately want to react militarily, because i think that not doing anything would send a bad message to other countries, i think that if we were to do nothing and keep our military here, it would make other countries think that we wouldnt do anything to the people who killed thousands of our citizens. i think that if there is ever a good reason to go into war with another country, a terrorist attack killing thousands of innocent people is a good one. also i would want America to act diplomatically to try to isolate AlQaeda so that nothing like this ever happens again.
2.i think that is we leave iraq now, than that would not be so good because i think that we, as a country would look bad, because we came there and started moving things around, and like we were doing allthis stuff and if we just left now, i feel like it would be stupid, and make all the money that we already spent for nothing. i think that if we completely change iraq and tell them how cool it is to have a country like ours, and make all of their decisions for them, when they didnt even really ask for any of our charity, then thats obnoxious, and is too nosy, and they could get mad at us for that. i think that the best solution is to slowly and gradually back out and then we could help thr innocent people with food and stuff, then we could make what we were doing worth while like john mcCain said and not a waste.
Megan W.
Answering this is mostly impossible because not one answer will satisfy everyone. No matter what America choose we would have problems come about because of that answer. If America chose to not go to war and tried to act diplomatic, the terrorists wouldn’t have felt threatened by us, and would most likely tried to hit us again. On the other hand, since we did choose to go to war, these terrorists now hate us even more than before. The answer I would have chosen would have been a mix of both. By sending in some troops we will send a message that we are not weak, and will not stand for what has happened. However, we would also focus on helping remove poverty, because that will show that we care (and won’t cost as many troop’s lives).
I believe that we should leave Iraq gradually. If we remove all of our troops immediately, then we will cause problems. With a sudden loss of troops, the terrorists gain the ability to do as they please. We are the main forces holding them back. If we stop doing anything, then they will begin to attack more often and might possibly gain control. Putting more troops in though is just as bad of an idea. If we put more troops in, we are going to make the terrorists even angrier. They will be upset about us stopping them, and might attack more often to try and get rid of us. Also, by adding more troops into Iraq, we might cause a draft. If that happens, all the usable people in America will be in the army. When that happens we will virtually defenseless. We will be susceptible to attack much more than we already are. If we pull out of Iraq slowly, then we will still have some men to defend us, and will have men to defend our home country.
Rob Salton
4th hr.
Nicole N.
1)
The attack on 9/11/01 that killed 3,000 and wounded 15,000, I would want America to be outraged! That day, our country came together but under terrible circumstances. I would have our country go over to Iraq and try to talk and figure out how to fix the damage they have caused. If worst comes to worst, that I think we should build a strong military and go into Iraq and finish this once and for all. We lost a lot of men and women that horrific day and they don’t know the pain we felt. I would want America to join together and try to move on but still remember the deaths. America could take this chance to rebuild its self and become a stronger nation.
2)
Someone that I choose to represent my country, I would go with John McCain. I think McCain’s appeal is a good one because Clinton’s and Obama’s carries on and doesn’t really solve the problem soon; they just prolong it and hope for the best. I also think that McCain is trying to end this war as soon as possible and get out. He also talks about rebuilding a new nation which I think is important for this country. With rebuilding our country, there would be a better economy, lower inflation, and the people in this country, would come together as one nation.
1. September 11, 2001 was a very sad day in the history of the United States and the world. Around 3,000 people were killed and around 15,000 were wounded. And there are many ways that America could have responded to the attacks on 9/11. They could have fought back like they have, tried to do something government wise or do something economically. I would want America to respond by trying to better their image with the Arab world. Because then they could have worked together to try to do something, instead of go to war with them and cause more chaos and kill/injure more people. And going to war would most likely be the cause of an economic decline because of all the money that would have to be spent.
2. I do believe that the candidates will stick to their plan of either staying in Iraq, leaving quickly or gradually. When one of the candidates become president then the war will become one of the biggest issues for them. But if something dramatic happens then might have to switch plans and do something else. I agree with Barack plan to leave gradually and leave some troops. Because there is no need for the amount of troops they have there right now. But if they leave and keep some then things might become better. And it will help our economy if we send the troop’s home, especially since America’s economy is doing horrible. So the troops should be sent back home but keep some.
-Maher Abou-Rass
4th Hour
Megan k.
4th hour
If I did not know anything about what happened since 9/11, I would want America to respond diplomatically to resolve most of the problems by attempting to economically isolate Al- Qaeda. If that did not work, I would then respond militarily.
I think we should gradually leave Iraq because if we remain there, more soldiers will get killed and injured.
Question One
September 11th was one of the worst tragedies that have hit the United States. Being trapped thousands of feet in the air, wondering which option of death you are going to choose. Knowing your loved one or family is in that building completely helpless and you can’t do anything to save them. Watching the buildings collapse knowing firefighters are dying as well. As a fifth grader hearing that we had been attacked was meaningless to me. I had no clue what that meant. People were disgusted and angry and wanted revenge. But personally I think War is not the answer. I would respond by making peace with the Arabs. Attacking them back is not going to anything but maybe make us feel stronger. If we truly want the chaos to stop, and the surprise attacks devastating us, the United States needs to make peace. If we attack the Terrorist back not only is it going to hurt them but it will hurt the U.S back. Sure they attacked us and killed thousands, but why sink to their level to only make them mad and bomb us. We need to explain to them that this isn’t the way to handle things. Come to an agreement that please both sides. It might be very hard seeing that they have different lifestyles and beliefs. But it would be a lot more efficient and save thousands of solders their lives. It might cost a lot to be traveling back and forth and bringing them here, but it won’t be nearly as expensive as a war. Plus with a war we have no clue how long it would last. It could be a month or it could be years. It also depends what connections they have and what kinds of weapons and amount of money they have. Also if the whole “peacemaking” fails we always have war as an option. It can’t really go the other way around, without surrendering.
Emma Schwartz
4th Hour.
If I didn’t know anything about what's happened in the six and a half years since 9/11/01, I would still absolutely want to attack Al-Qaeda, even if we are risking more American lives. If I had heard about what they did to America, I would be shocked. Revenge would certainly be the first thing on my mind. I think that’s also what most Americans were thinking at the time of the attack because the whole nation was in a state of panic, and when people feel panicked or threatened they can make irrational decisions. Although America’s image of the Arab world would never be the same, I would still want to work hard to improve it so that in the future it could be different.
Matt B.
4th hour
1) I think that after the attack most Americans were very mad. Lots of them most likely wanted to go to Iraq to find those responsible and make them pay. If not they wanted to clean up New York and hope it never happens again and if it did happen again then they would want to take action. If I knew what happened during the time I would have wanted to send troops over there to find Osama Ben Alden (watching that movie really hit me across the head. At first I didn’t know it was that bad and scary for most of the people until seeing it from their eyes). But if we couldn’t find him after a year I would take our troops out of Iraq because there is no reason to continue to run their nation and risk more American lives.
2) I think that Obama’s idea about leaving gradually will work well against the Al Qaeda. If we leave too soon then they might think it is finally safe to come out and make bases again. Yet, if we keep our troops there and make more secure bases then the Al Qaeda might come back still and rebel or the towns people might rebel. If Obama was elected as President it would help America a lot. We would get troops out of Iraq not too fast and not too long. The other 2 have good ideas but their taking it a little far. Not seeing that taking them out or putting them back in will keep the war continuing.
Nick Theisen
4th hour
If I did not have any idea about what events transpired in the six and a half years after September 11, 2001, I would want America to respond by sending soldiers to Iraq. As a result of September 11th, the United States has lost many lives from the victims of the attacks to the dying soldiers in Iraq, and it is true that the war is killing many innocent soldiers. I’m not say that President Bush has done well in how he has handled the war, but going into a war with Iraq was the right response to September 11th for many reasons. If we did not go into a war with Iraq, Al Qaeda very well might have kept growing and performed more attacks on the United States. We definitely would need to improve America’s image in Iraq, and that starts with eliminating the terrorists. Getting rid of Al Qaeda is a necessity to keep we, the American’s safe. To attack Iraq would be my first reaction, because when you watch videos like the one we watched in class, it brings to the viewer a sense of anger, and our first thought is to react off of that anger, and fear.
I believe that all of the candidates: John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama all would be able to execute their plans it is just a matter of if they will be successful. The way the war has been going in the past five years, it is hard to tell which plan is the best, but I see where each candidate is coming from with their plan. John McCain wants to send more troops into Iraq, to stabilize the country. This would accomplish our stabilizing goal, but it will cost the lives of many troops. Hillary wants to pull troops out right away, which would save lives, but if we leave Iraq unstable and just “Hit and run” than there is a good chance they will collapse and attack us once again. I believe that a gradual approach by Barack Obama might be most effective: save lives and get out sooner than later.
Jacob Trunsky
4th hour
If I didn't know anything about what’s happened in the last six and half years since 9/11 and I had to decide Americans response to this attack that left 3,000 dead and over 15,000 wounded. I think that I would have taken a similar approach as George Bush by going to war, just not as quickly as he did. Before I declared war I would have sat down with my cabinet and gone over with them what we were doing, why we were there, and what we needed to accomplish while we were there before I sent troops there. I would have done this so that I would be very organized and could tell my fellow Americans why we were at war, unlike George Bush who doesn't tell us anything.
I think that we should gradually leave Iraq and follow Barrack Obama’s plan which includes taking 1 or 2 combat brigades out each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. I also don’t that we should leave permanent bases in Iraq, but I think that we should leave some troops there to protect our embassy and diplomats. If al Qaeda attempts to build a base in Iraq then we should send troops back in to take over the base. For the most part I think that we should remove troops within a year to 2.
Tyler Howe
4th hour
1. After the attacks of September 11th I personally would want America to respond by going after Al Qaeda. I feel like the American people needed a sense of justice and diplomatically cutting them off wouldn’t satisfy that. However I also think that it would have been better to back out afterwards. I understand why people felt the need to punish Al Qaeda but the Iraq war isn’t our place. I think it promotes some of the negative views that led up to the attacks themselves. America as a nation needs to realize that they don’t control the world and need to respect other nations. I just feel like a lot of them didn’t even want our help and it was intrusive.
2. I think that Barack Obama and John McCain would stick to their plans but I also think that Hilary Clinton’s plan is a little farfetched. Getting everything out in 60 days would be difficult and leave Iraq in a state of turmoil. I agree most with Obama’s plan to gradually come out, but still have protection there. I think it is realistic and smart. If we were to just up and leave it would only cause more problems for Iraq and America. I disagree with McCain because I think that it is time we withdrew from Iraq. I think we are promoting negative stereotypes about the US.
Sarah Zamler
Question #1
After the attack of 9-11, I would respond by immediately attacking al-Qaida. I would put myself in the position of a person who was in the World Trade Center at the moment of the attack, or in the shoes of a person who had a loved one in the building. I would make it a life goal to find Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban leaders and make them pay for the injustice done to our country. A violent group such as the Taliban would only think we were weak if we did not retaliate in a violent manner.
TJ Hyland 5th Hour
I think that we should leave Iraq immediately. We have been trying to stabilize the country for five years now. But so far we have really not helped much than to anger the people and kill off our soldiers. Iraq people don’t want us there and by us not leaving they are taking it upon them to make us leave. Also they are killing innocent people with their attacks against the soldiers. Bombs explode and not only the U.S are hurt by Iraqi kids, moms, dads loved ones are also killed You can’t even walk down the street without knowing if the car next to you will explode or a person will pull out a gun. We are getting nowhere. Sure we killed Saddam Hussein, but there are still thousands of his followers who will follow out his actions. There is no way of stopping all of them. If we can’t even get the common people in Iraq to want us to help them have peace and start new, then we might be in Iraq forever. We should just leave and apologize for all the trouble we caused, and hope they don’t attack us.
Emma Schwartz
4th Hour
How would you want America to respond to this attack that left 3,000 dead and over 15,000 wounded? I would try to help eliminate the source of poverty. It is difficult to do this because so many people were affected by it. I think it was handled well for getting people out and keeping the environment as safe as possible. The most people stayed safe that could and calm also. There were many people dead and wounded and the streets were crowded with frantic people everywhere. Considering the circumstances it was handled the best way possible and I don’t think it would have been successful without all the help from local police and firefighters.
Should we remain in Iraq and stabilize the country, leave gradually, or leave immediately? Why? I think we should leave gradually because not all of the country is bad. They should not have to suffer and neither should we . we are at war and it is not good. Many people have been killed in the war already and that many also died on September eleventh. If we leave right away it would catch them by surprise because they would not expect us to leave.we also should not stay long because the war has gone on long enough. We should go gradually.
Marin Haffey
5th hr.
1. After the attacks by the terrorists of September 11, 2001, I think it is important to move in on and respond to the attacks with military force on Al Qaeda. Although it is always good and intelligent to try and solve issues without fighting and try to make peace with each other, but this is not that case. Al Qaeda has launched attacks on the world trade center that are awful, violent, and very in-humane. It is obvious that the terrorists are not willing to deal in peace, but in war. WE need to be strong as a country and show the terrorists that they cannot come into the country and put are people in danger. To help, all Americans could donate money to relief services of the victims of the attacks on September 11, because there are many problems that can only be solved if everyone works together as a nation.
2. Alternate Question: I believe that the only way to keep things safe and in order is to stay in Iraq a little longer. Many people think that we need to leave Iraq immediately. Although we have lost many men, and a lot of money of the United States, it would be unwise and impractical to leave so soon. If we leave now, the different groups of Iraq will break out in civil war over power in Iraq, and eventually lead to global destruction. Since Iraq is abundant in oil and the holder of much of it, we would be taking unsafe risks, such as losing oil, and risk=king the matter of terrorists striking Americans again. We need to stay until things are safe and orderly between the people of Iraq, but not stay there for too long. United States has problems of their own that need to be fixed. We cannot focus on Iraq for too long when we have our own problems.
Paul Sidlosky
5th Hour
Question # 2
I believe that the presidential candidates of 2008 will most likely not do all that they promise. It is likely that they will accomplish one of their promises to us, but I also believe that they lie to win the voters over. Every presidential candidate will do whatever it takes to get into the white house, they make false promises. An example of this is President Bush. During his run for president the second time around, he told us he would do his best to bring back the troops from Iraq. He brought back a handful of soldiers.
TJ Hyland 5th Hour
How I would want America respond to this attack by having to take a stand into what is right and how we are to keep flying and how to keep other people safe from the future before us. As we look back on September 11, 2001 and into my eyes and how I am looking at the video people falling from the building and to that 3,000 people DIED!!!!!! How are we supposed to react, I mean we don’t need all these people keep talking about it we need people preventing it and I promise you that these people probably didn’t want presidents and the free press around them and talking about how bad it what, we need to take a stand we need to have more people checking for any harm that would come to New York and yet even all of American.
When I heard the news, I just sat there thinking and thinking that New York is only but a victim and I am sure that here will be more victims in America and maybe this is yet a warning that we need to stay alarmed we need to keep track on things and we need to be more organized because to me that our little system that we call (is the right thing to do) is not working.
The war to me is doing nothing for America because all we are really doing is saying that we are better than any country in this world and even if we have to fight for it we will and even if we have to bomb your country we will because the statement we are making HELLO IT IS NOT WORKING SO WE NEED ALL OF OUR SOLDIRES TO COME HOME NOW!!!!!!!!!!
In my conclusion we need some kind of miracle to help people understand even maybe the president your system is not working, because the last thing we need is a system, we don’t need a system, we need a miracle we need a new idea, we need trust, because everything that we want to accomplish in American will not be done if we keep fighting and morning and weeping and SYSTEMS.
My name is Lydia Gaiters I believe in trust not SYSTEMS.
1) After hearing about this intense attack on the world trade center in New York City I would stop for a few hours and just think. Think about how in the world this could happen and why our security wasn’t good enough to protect us from this disaster. I can’t believe that anyone in their right mind would think of doing this. A small bombing is bad enough, but to take away lives of thousands and destroy a monument, it’s hard to understand. I also wonder how President Bush will react to this disaster and helping bring the country through its problems.
2) Even before 9/11 the United States has been trying to solve problems throughout the Middle East. Once we realized that Iraq had some major issues, we got involved even more. The United States is spending money that is going to affect the economy’s future greatly. Though it is hard on the country we do need to stabilize Iraq in order to get some peace in the world. It’s said by many that there will NEVER be peace in the middle east, but coming close to it is all we can do. Currently we are trying to stabilize in Iraq but it’s not doing much, so gradually removing troops would help too.
1. September 11th left 3,000 dead and over 15,000 wounded. I think we should have attacked militarily, but at a later time. We obviously were angry and hurt, but we should have found the source of the attack, the purpose, and thought of the consequences of going into war. We had just lost many people, and war only ever brings more loss. We didn’t need more people to die before we knew all of the details. Besides that, hundreds of businesses just “disappeared” literally after the WTC’s collapsed. It is estimated that 35-40 thousand people lost their jobs. Instead of rushing into war, which costs billions of dollars, we should have stabilized our economy before deciding military action.
2. I think that America should leave Iraq gradually, much like Barrack Obama’s plan. If we increase troops, it will not only kill more of our troops it will create national resentment of our government and the Iraq war. If we pull out our troops too quickly though, we can create a zone that is unstable for civilians and a good government. Iraq’s new government is still very unstable, and so are the civilians and politics. Suicide bombers raid their cities daily. I feel that we got ourselves into the mess so we have to help them get out; we can’t leave them hanging like we did Afghanistan. That is why we should pull out gradually, sort of like teaching a child to ride a bike. You lead them up to taking off the training wheels. But if you don’t teach them how to ride and just leave them, they will fall down. If you don’t ever let them take them off though, they will never be able to ride a bike. So, if we gradually take out our troops, but still leave some for diplomatic and embassy protection the situation can get better.
Kelsey K
5th hr
1. After the attack on September 11, 2001, I would not want America to respond militarily. I don’t think that going to war and killing even more lives would solve the problem. Fighting back, instead of trying to come up with a better solution, would only cause Al Queda to become even more angry with America. Because of this, America should try to better it’s image within the Arab world. Once the American government had some time to calm down about the tragic events that happened that day, they could try to negotiate with Al Queda. While America’s first thoughts would be to go to war, I think that the best choice for America would be to calm down, and think our plan through before going to war.
2. For some, leaving Iraq immediately would seem like the best option for the troops in Iraq and their families, in order to prevent loss of life. However, I don’t think that this is the best option right now. If we leave immediately, the government in Iraq would be very unstable, and many terrorist groups might find it a as a place to grow stronger. This would cause trouble for America, because it might result in another terrorist attack on America. Instead, we should leave gradually. This would ensure that there is still order in Iraq, but America’s soldiers would start coming back home, where they belong
Bethany Slon
Everyone thinks that they have a great idea on how they think that the U.S. should respond on the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The truth is that if people were in the situation that New York City was in that they probably would have made the same decisions that the government did. I personally would not have been able to come up with a rational plan of action. I most likely would have done something similar to what our government did do. If I could trace the attacks back to a certain countries government I would probably go to war with that country. The only thing I would want to do different would be not finding an excuse like WMD’s to invade I just would have gone in.
I think that we should leave Iraq immediately. I think that a majority if all of the U.S. citizens want the war to be over. I think that gradually taking troops out wouldn’t be fast enough. I think we need to set a pull out date and stick to it and remove all troops as fast as possible. This would please citizens and save soldiers lives. I think that there will not be a good presidency until the war in the middle east is over.
Frederick Carington
5th Hour
1.I would respond by first, evacuating the area of New York City. Then I would try to find out who was responsible for the attack and what were the specifics of what happened on and around the planes. Once I found that the Al Queda were responsible for the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I would then respond by taking military action. I would send our military to any known places of their existence and arrest them for murder of U.S citizens. Then any responsible for the plans of 9/11, they will be sent to prison for life.
2. Alternate Q I believe that we should not leave Iraq but only keep enough troops so that Iraq isn’t a breeding ground for terrorism. But we should consider the loss of American and even innocent Iraqi lives in Iraq. So therefore I believe that we should stay in Iraq. But spend enough time in Iraq that they would have a stable army and government to defend themselves. Also that they have a well built country that is good enough to live in. Once we establish these things in Iraq and clear almost all terrorism, then we will finally be able to leave Iraq.
Ben Tredwell
Emily Corless
2nd Hour
1.I would not have the military attack Al-Qaeda. It would hard to track them because they are scarcely spread throughout the world and they are very secretive. I would also try and shape America’s image with the Arab world better. I would set meetings with the leaders and try to set up plans with them.
2.No, I do always believe what all the have presidents say. It takes time and money to change things and imply them. It will take time and money to stop the war and continue the war. It will cost America money to bring the troops back. If they stop or continue the war America will still have mixed emotions about it. I would gradually take the troops out of Iraq. The war should not continue but the troops should not leave immediately either. Leaving over time would be better for Iraq. Iraq still has terrorist and they still need help.
How would you want America to respond to this attack that left 3,000 dead and over 15,000 wounded?
If their was an attack that killed many Americans, I would try to find out immediately who caused this attack and would have gone to war with them. Then I would have bombed that country for revenge and to show them and all other countries thinking of attacking the U.S. what to expect if you do. This would show that America can defend itself and make other countries afraid. This may start a world war 3 but it be in memory of all the lives lost in the terrorist attack. This is how I would respond to an attack that killed 3000 Americans and wounded many others.
Should we remain in Iraq and stabilize the country, leave gradually, or leave immediately? Why?
I believe we should leave Iraq slowly. This way we can make sure everything is safe in Iraq and that it’s running smoothly. If we were to leave immediately, this would things may not be running smoothly and it might just fall apart then something worse then it was before the war. It’s also best to leave slowly incase terrorist groups start forming in Iraq so we can arrest them. It’s also important to leave some troops in Iraq in case we get new information about terrorists in the middle east. This is what Barrack Obama plans to do and I agree with him.
robert g 5th
1. In response to the attack I really can’t decide what choice would be right. However, I don’t believe that war is the best choice. You can’t solve a problem by fighting and I have learn that myself but on a much smaller scale. So going to war wouldn’t prevent more attacks, it would only give the enemy one more reason to attack again. The same way that you can’t answer a question with a question you can’t solve a problem with another problem. We’re trying to gain revenge for lives that were loss but we just putting more lives in danger – losing more lives.
2. I believe that we should gradually remove the troops from Iraq. I think war wasn’t the right decision and we should end it because it is hurting our country economically, physically and emotionally. We spend $3.1 trillion dollars on war that we could use to better our country, we have many devoted citizens risking their lives to protect the lives of others and we have families broken and devastated over the loss of their loved ones. And in all the candidates I believe and hope and pray that if elected Obama will do what he says in terms of the war.
Nikita Charles
4th hour
How would you want America to respond to this attack that left 3,000 dead and over 15,000 wounded?
I would want America to respond to the attack that left 3,000 dead and 15,000
wounded. I would find out where the terrorists came from. The U.S. should find out who sent
the terrorists. The U.S. should find out what was the reason for sending the attack. I want the
U.S. to try and rescue any survivors. I think the U.S. should improve airport security. The U.S.
needs to know how to stop future attacks. The U.S. needs to defeat the terrorist using Nato
allies and military support.
Justin Laffer
5th
How I would want America to respond to this attack that left 3,000 dead and over 15,000 wounded would be first to make sure that everyone was alright. After that I would give a television response to everyone in the United States to tell them what had just happened. Then i would talk to the Secretary of Defense of what we should do for a counter attack. I would then respond to the military by attacking all of Al-Qaeda's terrorist bases. I would then isolate all of Al-Qaeda's military weapons and eliminate the source of poverty. After that I would send supplies to the the Arabs that need it the most to show that we are helping out the Arab's by making their home a better place and giving them support when they need it. America could help out New York by having rescue mission and supporting people who might of lost their homes to the world trade center collapsing on their homes. I would also visit New York in support for being the first place attacked by the terrorists.
Jake Cramer
After the September 11 attacks I would want America to respond by increasing defense against the terrorists and not necessarily attacking back right away. I think our goal should be to gain peace with other countries. America should consider the fact that this is just about the worst thing to happen to the U.S. and it needs to be taken care of seriously. When it happened there was nothing to do to stop it. I think some sort of punishment for Al Qaeda would be appropriate in this instance. It was a disaster and killed so many people and it made a huge impact within our society. I wish that there was something Americans could do at the time or if there was a way to prevent anything like that from occurring again. Now that it is over I think the whole country should focus more on security and safety because it was clearly not important enough to us before. It was too easy for terrorists to get away with attacks like that to the point where it was completely effortless. If we want to improve our image the way that other nations see America then it will require some hard work definitely.
I really don’t think we should withdraw our troops from Iraq. We should stay there because our country is a team and we need to stand up for our people. I believe having the troops there is making us stronger and it shows that we are willing to fight for unity and peace and not let other countries get away with destroying us. Since the September 11 attacks we have been extra careful about defending our country and not letting something that bad happen again. It is important for us to stay and not give up. In the end I think it will be better for the U.S. and can only make things better. If we leave now then it wouldn’t be for any reason and the time and money spent so far to help our country has been a waste. We should make our time there well spent and use our motivation from terrorist attacks to defeat our enemy.
Leah Nagel 4th
1. If I had no knowledge of previous events I would want America to respond to 911 with our military. I would want to send in our troops to isolate Al-Qaeda and arrest them with as little impact to Afghanistan and Iraq as possible. I would be concentrated on the terrorists not the country because it was the terrorists who attacked the World Trade Center. I would try to isolate Al-Qaeda as quickly as possible and get out of the Middle East before the conflict escalates. At home American security would increase dramatically in order to keep another bombing from happening.
2. I think we should withdraw from Iraq gradually. If we leave the country too quickly then it will likely collapse and terrorists will have an opportunity to rise, putting America at risk for another attack. However we should end the war in Iraq by leaving as quickly as possible. There have been too many casualties in this war and it has ruined our relationship with other countries. It has also caused our country to go into extreme debt which has brought the value of our currency down. We have been in Iraq too long and now it is time to leave but we have to leave gradually.
Robbie Lewis
5th Hour
I would want America to respond to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in various ways. First I would expect that the state of New York and New York City would get as much firemen, police officers, and even citizens to help out with the searches for people under all the rubble and cleaning up the site of the World Trade Center towers. Second I would expect the U.S. government to shutdown all airports and cancel all flights in and out of the US so nothing else can happen. Lastly I would not want to send any troops or military officers overseas to fight back because our economy wouldn’t be the best and I wouldn’t want anything to happen to our troops.
I feel that we should remain in Iraq for a while longer while we stabilize the country. Once we have Iraq stabilized I think we should withdraw troops out slowly so that we can keep that stability in effect. I think this is better then pulling the troops out right away for various reasons. One reason being, that they could come and attack the U.S. with nuclear weapons. Another reason is that Al-Qaeda can become bigger then ever without our troops in Iraq stopping them. That is why I think it would be safer leaving our troops in Iraq for a while before starting to take them out.
Andrew Littlefield
5th Hour
1.If I had no knowledge of what has happened in the six and a half years since September eleventh I would react to the situation differently than America did. I would try to strengthen or power within the Middle East by gaining more allies with countries we previously left alone. We would need to improve our image as well. If we work toward a better image there will be less of a chance of a terrorist attack. I would have sent diplomats to the countries harboring the terrorists and reason with them. If the countries continue to harbor terrorists and I got enough support from allies I would take military action.
2. I think the U.S. army should stay in Iraq until the country is stabilized. We should send more troops to Iraq until the country is ready to have us slowly take our troops out or just stay there forever. We could build a base there once they get stabilized and just stay there and make Iraq our ally. If we took our troops out now the last five years were a complete waste of time because the country will fall back into turmoil and terrorism will take control of the country again. We need to stay in Iraq until the job is done or everything is lost.
Matt Bergin
4th hour
Question #1
If I knew nothing about the post 9/11 situation and America was attacked by terrorists, I would want the government to respond rationally. First, they should consider the goal of the attack and why the terrorists have this goal. The reason gave by Osama bin Laden himself was Al-Qaeda was angered by the western presence in the Middle East and their support for Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They didn’t attack us because they hate our freedom or our women’s skirts are too short. It was because we were taking away their power in the land that was rightfully theirs. So considering this, the logical move would be to give them back what is theirs and remove all American troops from the Middle East. It would prevent future terrorist attacks, improve relations with the Middle East and make the Middle Easterners happy. We did the complete opposite. We surged the number of troops in the Middle East over the following years further angering the oppressed people. Then we decided to compensate for this increased anger and aggression with increased security. Though this heightened security may have prevented a minuscule amount of attacks, it also dramatically limited the freedoms of every American, and freedom should never be traded for the illusion of safety. So to sum up the answer to this question, what should America have done after 9/11? The exact opposite of what they did do. The only one that wins on the path we took is America’s thirst for power and control.
Question #2 (alt.)
I think the best plan for ending the War in Iraq is to pull our military out gradually over the course of nine months. Once America announces a date for being out Iraq, violence there will decrease greatly. When the terrorists realize America is starting to comply with some of their requests, they will begin to lower their hostility towards the west. We shouldn’t have been in Iraq to begin with so leaving is the first step toward improved relations with the Middle East. America should not withdraw immediately because that would create a mad rush for power between the different Iraqi groups. It’s better to let the Iraqis (with minimal U.S. assistance) put a government in place and distribute power correctly over the course of nine months than to start a civil war.
Stefan Rush
4th Hour
1. I think that America should have responded peacefully, but hostile. I understand that it is hard to just “do nothing” when so many lives were taken and so many people were deeply affected, but if you look at the situation in Iraq and all of the middle east at that point, an invasion seems like a bad idea. In the past 100 years, America has thought of itself as the world’s big brother, imposing democracy on people everywhere, and this has brought terrible repercussions starting about 30 years ago, which culminated in the attacks on 9/11. Many Islamic fundamentalist were and are still very opposed to the way America almost forces its way into foreign cultures. Now, you can look at this from the point of view that, by invading Iraq we can secure it economically, institute a government that is democratic (and that is friendly to America…), and create an overall peaceful state. But, in the end, an invasion would only anger fundamentalists and radicals even more, specifically those who engineered the attack on the World Trade Centers. I believe the correct way to address the situation would be investigate the hijackings; figure out why we did not catch the terrorists before they boarded the planes. Retaliation should be out of the question, but we could ask foreign countries for assistance in catching the terrorist organization responsible. Other than that, I think America should have “sat this one out” and let the events of the world unfold by themselves.
2. I believe that we should withdraw gradually from Iraq. When you consider Iraq today, we should have never invaded it in the first place. Today, while the country is currently stabilized, relations are at an all time low, oil is over $100 a barrel, and fear is at an all time high. We are in quite a conundrum, when you think about it. America today is in a very similar situation today that it was with Iraq 20 years ago. We came in and funded the Iranian military to fight off the soviets, hoping to destroy the Soviet regime. And then, in the blink of an eye, we left, leaving Iran in economic and social turmoil. 20 years later, we see the repercussions of these naïve actions. So now we are in Iraq, a country that we invaded to overthrow an unjust government, destroy the terrorist organizations that were responsible for 9/11, and secure foreign economic investments, specifically oil. So now we come to the question: when do we leave? And should we leave? Well, we can’t leave our army in Iraq forever, b/c that is not feasible, but the question still remains, when, and how? I believe that going to war with Iraq was a bad (and rash) decision, and that we need to get out ASAP. With that said, the current state of Iraq is so that leaving immediately would lead to similar repercussions like those from Iran. I think that the best solution is to withdraw gradually so that we can preserve the security that we have implemented so far, while still slowly withdrawing our troops. There will undoubtedly be more consequences to come from this war (high oil prices are just the beginning), but both America and Iraq need a fresh start, and a gradual withdrawal is the best solution.
Tyler Friedman
5th Hour
1) I would like America to respond to the 9/11 bombing by attacking the group that attacked us. Which they did, but i would've liked to see the American Army be used more effeciently and effectively. More troops should've been sent in the first time to get the job done. Killing the terrorists should've been priority number one. Then if that worked well with few civilian and U.S. casualities, we could then try to fix the government. We shouldn't have been trying to be conservative and we shouldn't have sent in just enough troops to get the job done, because they obviously didn't.
Alternate 2) I believe that we should leave Iraq as soon as possible. We've been trying to stabalize their government for a long time and it's not working. We should just accept defeat and get out before more soldiers die. Also, since the majority of Iraqi citizens don't want us there, we shouldn't be there. We allready showed that we're a good country and all that, now that we're spending billions of dollars and loosing thousands of troops, we should get out. The iraqi war is essentially becoming a less extreme Vietnam war. Some concepts are the same, both of the citizens don't want us there, but yet in both occasions, we're there to try to help them. Of course, the body count for the Vietnam war is alot higher and the conditions are alot worse, but still, the comparison is undeniable.
Raphael Eqziabher
5th hour
1. The terrorist attacks on September 11 were a tragic day and affected the life of so many Americans. America needs to respond to these attacks to help prevent something similar to this happening in the future. I think America should increase homeland security to make sure that America is safe on the inside. I also think that we should send troops to prevent the terrorists from being able to fight back against America through the form of terrorism. America also needs to increase the security in airports and on airplanes to prevent terrorists to be able to hijack airplanes and use those as terror devices. America should also special train forces to react and respond to terror attacks.
2. The candidates of the presidential election this year are saying that they will do many things to help America become more safe and to prevent terrorism in America. I think that the plans that the candidates have are good plans and will help America. But I don’t think that the candidates will actually be able to pull them off and apply their plan to America. I think this because they are saying that they will do so much when most of what they are saying cannot be pulled off because of the condition that America is in right now. Their plans are too dramatic for the amount of time that they want to apply their changes to America.
Jason S.
4th hour
1) If I knew nothing about the September 11th bombings, I would want America to stay calm. I would probably send the military over to attack Al-Qaeda. I don’t think that it would be reasonable to try and rationalize with them and solve the poverty of the members of Al-Qaeda because they have already signed their allegiance toward Osama Bin Laden. I don’t think that even if we could solve the poverty that the members would be fine to leave alone and trust them to no longer be in with Osama Bin Laden. I would have also wanted to try and show the Arab world that we can be helpful people, and that we aren’t trying to take over the world. I would not have made the decision to try and take over the Iraqi government though. This caused a lot of tension with the Arab world, and started the Iraqi War.
2) (Alternative Question)- I think that withdrawal from Iraq is definitely needed. We are just causing unneeded tension with the countries in the Middle East. If I had the choice, I would remove the troops gradually. If we did this than we could still stabilize the country a little, and help fix what we’ve ruined in war. I would remove a few stations at a time. I would also leave a few stations over in the Middle East to try and keep Al-Qaeda under control and to patrol what was going on there.
Katie B. -2nd Hr.
1)1. What happened on 9/11 was one of the most terrifying and inhuman attacks in history. The way Al-Qaeda dehumanized individuals was heartless. If I had the choice of retaliating against these terrorists, I would respond diplomatically by trying to isolate Al-Qaeda economically and help eliminate the sources of poverty. We should not sink to their level by committing violence to solve problems. We are better than that, and violence does not lead to nothing. If we were to fight with brute force, it would only provoke them to initiate more attacks on innocent people. If we search for the terrorists, and isolate them economically, they would have no way to fight back and we could put them behind bars. And during these courses of action, we should help eliminate the sources of poverty in the Middle East, so we can gain the people’s trust and support in fighting against these terrorists. In addition, they will sense our sincerity, that we earnestly want them to know we care.
2) (alternative question)
I think we should leave Iraq gradually. The years spent fighting and trying to find the terrorists have cost us the uneeded deaths of about 4,000 American soldiers. Leaving the war would be the best option because as we’ve seen over the years, our assault and invasion of Iraq have not led to much success. We still haven’t found Al Qaeda. We should gradually pull out because we should keep checking and scouting the area without use of violence, to make sure the people are safe from harm. It will lessen the chance of our troops death, and death is the last thing we need right now.
John Cassetta
US History 4th Hour
Question #1
If I was in the president I would handle the situation as going to war with Iraq, but I think I would have probably gave the united states to the chance to cool down and then I would have made my dission that would have been best for both countrys. I think that United States going into the same year that the twin towers went down. Going into war so soon, I think that it would have been more personal than anything. So many soldiers would have to go into war after this tragitiy. I think that we need to stableise the country first and then make the desion going into war.
Gina Kalabat
5th Hour
#2) - Should we remain in Iraq and stabilize the country, withdraw gradually, or leave as quickly as possible? Why?
Should the U.S. stay in Iraq or leave the country. I don’t think anyone knows the answer now that we are in Iraq. I think that slow withdrawal may be the best way to leave. We need Iraq to become a strong country so that they can protect themselves, and not have terrorist train or grow strong in their country. We need to show the world we are strong and willing to fight. If Iraq becomes strong and free it will be the best for the world. Only history will show if we made the right decision.
Justin Laffer
5th
Ryan Lyles
2nd hour~
Q1: I would want america to respond to the 9/11 attacks by responding diplomatically and to try to help eliminate some of the sources of poverty. working to help poverty in the middle east would also in turn improve america's image within parts of the arab world. Helping one part of the arab community would spread throughout the rest of the world and hopefully lighten the bad mark that the arab people have set torward america
Q2: The American troops should return home and leaving the war should happen gradually. So far in the war, we have stabilized the country more than it has been in the past few years and our troops are still increasing its level of stabilization. If troops stay in Iraq to stabilize the country, there will be more increased costs on founding the war and supporting the shipping and supplies for American soldiers. Over 3 trillion dollars have been spent on the war and if the war continues on, these expenses will only increase over time. If the war would at least be cut and troops be brought home, maybe some of these costs could be cut a few billion dollars to save money and circulate it back into our own economy.
How would you want America to respond to this attack that left 3,000 dead and over 15,000 wounded?
After September 11, 2001 I would want America to respond to this attack with much support for those that had loved ones pass away on this day. America would also have to accept the fact that there would be much more security at airports and other populated places, it would be a hassle, but well worth it. In my opinion I think that a lot of Americans would want for us to go into Iraq and bomb them or do anything we could to them, but I think if we do all of that it would just get us into much more trouble than we already are in.
Should we remain in Iraq and stabilize the country, leave gradually, or leave immediately? Why?
I believe that we should stay in Iraq until we know for a fact that there will be no more bombings on their part. Once they stop we would stop so it is on them to decide when they will get us out of their country. When we are in Iraq stabilizing the country it is a smart thing to do because we don’t just want to leave and let them think that they can do whatever they want to do without us doing anything. Also if we just leave gradually it wouldn’t work for sure because they could just pretend to work with us and once we leave they could just go and bomb us.
Derek M.
5th Hour
1. What would I do? When I first saw the attacks on the world trade center back in 2001, to put it plainly, I was scared out of my mind. My fourth grade teacher turned on the television and exposed a room full of little kids to the big bad world. Then I was confused and angry. Now I realize that there could have been a chance for a change. If there was a chance, just the slightest chance, to go back and fix the events in time that would prevent the horrible catastrophe that forever changed America’s lives, who wouldn’t take it? If America could have made a stronger, more peaceful connection with the Arab forces, and instead of attempting to help; if America wouldn’t have pushed and pushed, trying to make things better for them, maybe then none of this would have happened. I think that the only way the attacks on the world trade center could have been prevented, would be if America had left the rest of the world alone and focused on making are country better. If Al-Qaeda had come to us asking for a change, then maybe then things would be different.
2. Thinking rash, I would have stormed Iraq and bombed the hell out of everything in sight based solely on frustration, anger and hatred. However as a Leader, one cannot lean on rash gestures. A leader should contemplate fully on what the countries (both ours and theirs) best intentions would be, and what the effect going to what would have. America acted out of anger when we first went to Iraq. That anger broke a country and ruined lives of people across the world. We hurt here, while they were hurting there. In my opinion we broke the Middle East. As a responsible nation, no matter how much we hurt, and miss our troops, we have to make up for our brash behavior and fix the mess we made. If we leave early on and don’t fix the mess, much like the saying an eye for an eye, how do you suppose the Middle East will like us in turn? It is our responsibility to make it to the end a fix a nation that is suffering from our actions as well as theirs. That is what I think we should do.
-Angelina Bertoni, 5th hour.
After September 11th I was deeply disgusted and heart broken. My reason being is because when I was in 4th grade and I was young I did not no that are country was so hated. I didn't understand that so many deaths were caused. Also the way people reacted also hurt me to. So many people lost love one's. I didn't know that were so many hard decesions to be made after the attack. Overall i hope that are country never has to go through the same tragic incident again.
Tommy Syrkett 2nd Hour
1. How I would want America to respond is I would want them to find out who attacked us. Then I would want them to go and attack Al-Qaeda. After we go an attack Al-Qaeda I would want The United States to go and help The Arab world understand where were coming from and let them know why we had to invade their country. Also I wouldn’t want them to have any hard feelings toward us. If we couldn’t find the person eventually I would want the U.S to come out of Iraq and try to rebuild the city and apologize.
2. I think we should try and stabilize the city of Iraq. I feel this way because we did go into their city and create chaos so the least we could do is try and stabilize it. After we got Iraq to a pretty stable place I would want our troops to come home. Also I feel if we come home we could use our money towards different things because the war does cost so much money and I feel that more and more innocent people are dying the longer we stay over there.
Amber Stewart
1. My first reaction I would have is to attack them back directly. They clearly have attacked us and ruined the lives of us Americans .I think that during this time that the Americans would be so hurt and full of emotion that they would just want everything to be over. They wouldn’t want it to escalate more because it is just putting more Americans in danger and at risk for getting killed. America’s economy is not the best. We have already spent so much money over in Iraq and the longer we stay the worse the economy gets. Overall I don’t feel as if we should go to war.
2. I don’t believe anything till I see it. So for right now, No I don’t think that the presidential candidates are going to come through with their plans for Iraq. I think that Barack Obamas’ plan is the best one because he plans to withdrawal the U.S soldiers from Iraq gradually. They’ll be home in 16 months. If they have been their almost 5 years, 16 months is nothing to them. Unfortunately some soldiers would be left behind only to protect the U.S. Embassy, but I mean if they don’t who will?
Rae xoxo
2nd hour
1. My option without thinking would be simple. I would attack with everything I’ve got and give nothing back. But that is not only unreasonable but also selfish. Taking the whole thing in to prospect, even with out the knowledge of past events, I would have isolated the economy of Al Qaeda. By financially helping the economy not only does American rise above the morality of selfishness and inhuman acts, but also demonstrating the fact that as much as America may have made errors in the past, the future however will not be sunken to such childish levels. By resorting to violence we not only give into the inhuman acts that were thrust upon us, but we also consequently give in to them as well.
2. (second choice) I think that we should most defiantly stay in Iraq. We started a war there and it is our moral duty to finish what we started. Though like a child on a play ground, Al Qaeda came into our sandbox and obliterated are castle, there is still no right way to condone the violence we began against them when fighting back in a war that most defiantly changed the world. America must finish the war in Iraq, help rebuild and re- organize the country and then withdraw slowly leaving the rest up to them. If we leave to soon there is no way we can ever peacefully work out a relationship with Iraq if we leave an obliterated country in there obviously incapable hands. If we leave to soon, much like a past article has stated, we will create a breeding ground for terrorism and set a chain of events in motion that will eventually lead to a re occurrence of events much like the September 11th 2001 tragedy.
-Angelina Bertoni 5th hour.
How would you want American to respond to this attack that left 3,000 dead and over 15,000 wounded?
After the terrorist attack I would want America to respond to this attack on the World Trade Centers on September 11, 2001 that killed 3,000 and wounded over 15,000 more people by responding in a way that would protect America and show support for those people who had friends and families wounded or killed in the terrorist attack. The U.S. should show they mean business and show to other terrorists that you do not want to attack the United States of America.
Should we remain in Iraq and stabilize the country, leave gradually, or leave immediately?
I think that we should remain in Iraq until it is very clear that there is no longer a chance for our efforts to be destroyed or for new al Qaeda strong holds to be built. We would not want to leave immediately because that would cause a sort of chaos that could destroy all that we have worked for in Iraq, such as peace and a democratic government. Leaving gradually would be the second best choice for our government because it would prevent chaos and wouldn’t ruin all the effort we have put into Iraq.
Phil BOlton 5th Hour
1. After leaving so many people dead, why would we want to cause more fighting and more death? I just think war is so pointless when talking gets the point across better. Fighting back would just start a war. Going into war that quickly without enough knowledge of the reasons we were attacked and when it is unnecessary is the worst move we can make. War is supposed to be the last resort, not the first. Besides, we had our own problems in our country. We were just attacked! We needed to help people who lost family and property. Making sure everyone affected by the attack gets help and is safe is America’s number one priority.
2. I actually do feel that the candidates will do as they say when it comes to leaving Iraq. It seems obvious that the majority of Americans do not support the war and want to get out. I think the candidates want to get out of Iraq just as much any other American and will just as they say. I like Hilary’s idea of ending military engagement in Iraq immediately as opposed to staying for 16 months, taking troops out slowly. The longer we stay there the more we can get sucked in and I think cutting military engagement will cut our strings from Iraq much more smoothly and quickly.
Michael Guz 4th Hour
I would want the U.S. to first try to figure out why we were attacked in the first place. I don’t think the first thing we should have done was to attack Al-Qaeda being that we really didn’t know what was going on in the first place. I think that we should have realized what was going, and then we should have taken the steps necessary to make it right. Because now, when we look at it from where we are, our economy has been messed up because of everything going on. That’s what war does. I would have preferred for us to have been sure of all our sources, before we waged an unnecessary war. I think the better thing would have been that after we found out who they were. Just to drain them economically, instead of trying to kill them all off, an then try to fix them. American are always trying to fix and change what we think is wrong. If it works for them then I think we should leave them alone. I’m not entirely sure if there was another alternative for what was going on, but if there was, I sure wished we ha found it before we got into this mess. And no, I don’t think that any of the candidate will be able to do what they say about Iraq. First off we’re in too deep already. If we pull out too quickly now, then we run the risk of the entire country collapsing, them hating us even more, and then deciding to bomb us again. If we don’t pull out soon though, we might get attacked anyway because we really shouldn’t have gone over there in the first place. So I think we should leave in a gradual pace, not to slow, but not fast enough for them to think we’re abandoning them.That way we can give them a head start on getting themselves together with jus just an backup help. I really should have been like that from the star, but hey, that’s life right?
Alexandra Anderson
1. In the 9/11 attack I would of still wanted the country to go the middle east and find and terminate the terrorist. But the one thing that I would do better is not make it a focus on one country, I would have troops go into different parts of the middle east and search for an terrorist activities or any weapons of mass destruction.
2. I think that Obamas idea for the is the best out of al the candidates by he is going to take his time moving out, and not rush it like Clinton is planning or staying in like McCain. I also agree with his policy by he is not planning on keeping any troops after we leave or making any American territories’ to keep an eye there.
Kathy K.
Post a Comment