Bikeman: #5

Tom Flynn’s journey slowly ends as the second tower is crumbling down. Before this moment, Tom Flynn feels as though it cannot get any worse, but to his amazement, more lives are taken. He explains, “The pain will come later for all who are here. The pain will come later for all” (68). His surroundings do not feel real and as time progresses, more events occur that create a feeling of shock. Mr. Flynn is unable to fully experience the emotions that he should be feeling because he is shocked at what has happened. Most people who were informed about the terrorist attacks were extremely shocked, but as time elapsed people began to realize the enormity of what had occurred and the pain set in. The feelings that Americans shared forced us to become united as a nation and become stronger than ever. This tragedy allowed conversation for some and a chance to help for others. Tom noticed that “we are one now, we must look out for each other, care for each other. We are one now, fellow citizens in a city crushed by anguish and agony. We are one now” (73). The attacks caused the United States to unite with the common interest of helping others and seeking revenge against the terrorists.  Many people in America were supportive of the war because people felt as though we needed to fight the terrorists back in order for everything to be okay. This overall feeling of revenge may not be the best option because it can cause more harm than good. The war in Iraq has proven this because we have lost innocent lives and we have lost an endless amount of money funding the war. Many conspirators believe that the United States Government orchestrated the September 11th attacks in order to have a reason to go to war. This clearly gave the United States a reason to go to war and definitely caused more American citizens to support the idea of war. The general public will never know the underlying intentions of the United States government. The impact that the attacks have on people will not change and the effects on Tom Flynn will be eternal.