Two years later

One year might have been too soon.\nLast year the ramifications of the Sept. 11 tragedy were still being realized as military confrontation divided the nation and heightened national security sparked concerns about invasion of privacy.\nCritics blasted the government for its lack of preparation prior to the attacks, and people still couldn't escape the harrowing visions of that fateful morning.\nBut while time is said to heal all wounds, for some Americans the continued violence and lack of closure has made the tragedy even more difficult to deal with. Two years after the attacks, many people still feel the same as they did on the one-year anniversary -- when the consequences of Sept. 11 were still surfacing.\nIU President Adam Herbert said that although the shock of Sept. 11 is gone, the event and memories must always remain close in order to learn from "our false assumptions of our common man."\n"There are some events in human history that you just cannot forget because they are a reminder of our vulnerability," Herbert said. "This is one of those events." \nSophomore Beth Connelly said the aggression that has been generated in the last year in the aftermath of the attacks, including the U.S. military's involvement in Iraq, has only made matters worse. The Iraqi conflict has already resulted in the deaths of about 300 U.S. soldiers. \n"Everything has been building on top of one another," she said. "The extra time has made it harder because we haven't had any closure. We really haven't even made much progress (in the war). People just keep dying."\nConnelly isn't alone. Over the past two years, Sept. 11 has made such an impact on doctoral student Bryon Grohman that he doesn't even look at the buildings on campus the same way.\n"Whenever I go near Ballantine Hall I just see this huge building surrounded by hundreds of people, and I can't help thinking that it could be a target," Grohman said. "(Since Sept. 11) I've always been much more aware of the possibility of danger."\nBut since last year a degree of normalcy has returned. The overwhelming need for Americans to display their patriotism seems to have faded. National security has continued to remain high over the past two years, but people are becoming used to it. \nThe tolerance people have demonstrated toward the limitations on privacy has left Connelly frightened as to how closely Sept. 11 will continue to affect Americans.\n"People seem to be numb to all the changes, which is kind of hard to swallow," she said. "It's scary to think that this tragedy will affect us on a day-to-day basis for the rest of our lives."\nDespite the problems that have risen over the past two years, the extra time has nonetheless given some a chance to heal old wounds.\nThe memories are still vivid and the emotions still painful, but the initial shock from Sept. 11 has started to recede. Today, Connelly said she'll think about where she was two years ago and pray for the people who were more closely connected to the tragedy. \nShe has more hope for the third anniversary.\n"I can only hope and pray we can find peace and that no one will ever have to experience a tragedy like this again," she said.\nFor young Americans like Connelly and Grohman, Sept. 11 is becoming to them what Pearl Harbor was to their grandparents.\n"We always want to get beyond things and bury them so we can move on," Grohman said. "But (today) reminds us that's not always the best choice. We need to remember."\n-- Contact senior writer Colin Kearns at cmkearns@indiana.edu.