In the summer of 2013, I rented out the Jessica Chastain film
Zero Dark Thirty,
which depicted the capture and death of Al Qaeda leader Usama bin
Laden. This being the first R-rated film I ever watched, I was
unprepared by how gruesome it was. Even so, when I wasn't cowering in my
seat, I took a certain comfort in knowing that the CIA would always
swoop in and save the day from the bad guys like UBL. I painted a
picture in my mind that Americans simply crushed the people who
threatened our glorious nation - there was no other alternative. Of
course, it didn't occur to me at the time just how many lives were lost
and how much money was actually spent in order to track down the
terrorist, but I was only 13. And besides, we all need a little fantasy.
After all, what is life without it?
Looking back, I can now see that my naive innocence allowed me to
peer through the looking glass and into a better world where bad people
don't do bad things. If they did, they were caught and punished
immediately. Unfortunately, that portal into another universe has now
been clouded by the extreme terrorism that happens all too often.
 |
| My perspective through the looking glass has been forever altered |
After this summer, the global events that have made the deepest impressions on me are, in chronological order: the Sandy Hook shooting, the Brussels bombings, and the Nice terror attacks. From those events, I learned the following: that the world is full of unstable people who are intent on hurting others; that gun control is vital (I'll save that topic for another day); that the "good guys" of law enforcement cannot always save us; and that terrorism is closer to us all than we think.
I was in Nice, France on the 13th of July this year, a mere 24 hours before the devastating terror attack. Late into the night on the 14th, I watched the news in horror as I recognized each of the landmarks that were now swarming with the injured and the dead. I had been to the same pier where Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel robbed 86 people of their lives; I had seen the same hotels, the same restaurants, the same beach as this heinous man had. It was in that moment that I realized terrorism touches us all, whether or not we want to acknowledge it. -MC
I really like the way you mimiced Vowell's writing style but also giving it your own flare with the experiences that you had. I had no idea that you were in France during the time of the attacks, but it must have been kind of haunting. That really does show that terrorism can be anywhere and that we can't take protection for granted.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting post Michelle! I like how you transitioned from being naive to the world of terror to now understanding what the world is like, similar to Vowell's understanding of what a patriot is. I agree that being sheltered in Troy hides us away from the dangers of the real world. It must have been terrifying witnessing the terrorist attack in France while you were in France.
ReplyDeleteThis post is really moving. I can not believe that you were in Nice so soon before. Times like those are eye opening in that it makes you think "what if" so much. What if you decided to visit for one extra day? I can not imagine the feelings that you must have felt
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