The State of America Post September 11th Attacks

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Every generation comprises of several unforgettable moments. Such moments include watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon and the tragedy of Pearl Harbor. The haunting moment of the current generation was the September 11th attacks on America. 9/11 was a dramatic event that changed the course of the world forever and kick started the War on Terror. It was such a turning point in history that its effects are still felt today by Americans and the rest of the world. The 9/11 attacks set off a ripple effect that resulted in tighter airport security, the contentious Patriot Act, and negative attitudes towards Arabs.
After 9/11 happened, airport regulations were never the same. In order to prevent such a tragic event from happening again, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act was authorized by President Bush. The sole purpose of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) formation was to avert future terrorist assaults on our nation (Hall 315-327). The TSA had the responsibility of administrating the new security procedures and making sure that these procedures were fulfilled in all 429 commercial airports (Blalock, Kadiyali, and Simon 731-35). The hijackers on 9/11 had managed to overtake the pilots and passengers through the use of blades and knives. They smuggled these dangerous weapons through the airport security and brought them on the plane. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act enacted two main policies so airport security would never be taken advantage of again. The first was the federal government takeover of airport security. The TSA enacted many security measures such as requiring over 100 hours of training for all baggage and passenger screeners. This was a huge change from the 12 hours of training r...

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...013. Web. 12 March 2014.
Hall, Rachel. “Cleared for Takeoff: Air Passenger Efficiency Training in the Post-9/11 Era.” Women's Studies Quarterly 39.1/2 (2011): 315-327. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Hill, Marc Lamot. “Using Jay-Z to Reflect on Post-9/11 Race Relations.” The English Journal 96.2 (2006): 23-27. Web. 20 Feb.2014.
McNeill, Jena B. “The Patriot Act: Does it actually work?” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2009. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Rodriguez, Robyn M. “(Dis)unity and Diversity in Post-9/11 America.” Sociological Forum 23.2 (2008): 379-389. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Serrano, Richard A. “Hate Crimes Against Muslims Soar, Report Says.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2002. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Sunstein, Cass R. “Judging National Security Post-9/11: An Empirical Investigation.” The Supreme Court Review 2008.1 (2008): 269-291. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.

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