12/7/1941 and 9/11/2001: Is there a difference?

Looking back on the post I made in week one and seeing where I stood then and where I stand now, there is a huge difference. Over the past month I have found myself with more of a relationship with this war and have been engaged in more conversations with it as the basis. Most recently I attended a welcome home part for my boyfriend’s cousin who has just come back. Her story was interesting to hear and made me think a lot harder on the topic.

Her name is Carrie and she is a doctor in the US Army specializing in rehabilitation. The duty that she undertook over in Iraq was to prep all those so severely injured for the journey home. She had seen the worst side of the war in the faces of those who were injured serving their country. We talked for awhile and she told me that she is still trying to get use to returning to life back in the states. Once incident she told me of was when she was in her local McDonalds and a balloon pop and she ‘dropped to the deck’. Hearing this made me realize how this war is affecting people on every level.

A recent thought was posed to me about the relationship of this war on the American population as compared to other wars/conflicts this country has engaged in and made me think hard about how things have changed but finding myself not understanding why. I am going leave to this post with the thought that was posed to me:

‘December 7, 1941 Japan bombs Pearl Harbor; they attack America on its home soil. In turn America rallies behind the cause and proceeds to fight WW2. It was not just portions of America that back and works for cause it was the whole country.
September 11, 2001 terrorist fly American passenger plans into three of our buildings one of which in our Nation’s capital attacking America yet again on its home soil. In turn we invade Afghanistan to strike back at those who took responsibility for the terrorist attacks. You do not see this whole great nation rallying behind the cause like it so gallantly did in 1941.
Why?’