Posted on 08/24/2006 9:56:44 AM PDT by dukeman
REMEMBERING 9/11 FIVE YEARS LATER
SARASOTA COUNTY -- Five years ago, Tyler Radkey was one of 16 second-graders at Emma E. Booker Elementary School reading the book, "My Pet Goat," to the president of the United States.
Like his classmates, Tyler, then 7, didn't understand what was happening when Bush's face turned red, after an urgent whisper in his ear, and why he suddenly had to leave the room.
His first inclination was that Bush had to use the bathroom "really bad."
When they learned later that morning what had happened, the young students struggled to grasp the historical moment. Many had never heard of the World Trade Center.
But over the past five years, Tyler and his classmates have grown up and they now have a more mature understanding of Sept. 11.
With a crush of attention they have come to expect as another 9/11 anniversary approaches, the former Booker Elementary students were brought together by the school district Wednesday for interviews with the media, including the Herald-Tribune, the Associated Press, CNN and ABC.
The students reflected on events of five years ago and spoke of President Bush's leadership, the security of the nation and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I think about (the terrorist attacks) every day, and I don't think I should have to be scared walking around," said Byron Mitchell, who was a fifth-grader in the library when Bush addressed the nation on Sept. 11 and is now a high school sophomore.
Natalia Jones-Pinkney, who was selected to ask the President a question on Sept. 11, said if she had the opportunity again she would want to know: "Are we ever going to be safe again?"
"It doesn't feel safe all the time," said Natalia, now 12.
Tyler's views have changed as well. After he shook the president's hand, he said, he was impressed with Bush. But after years of watching the news coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan, Tyler has a different opinion.
"He can do a better job," said Tyler, now a seventh-grader at Booker Middle School. "Since he came (into office), there's been wars and people killed and other awful things. It's just not right."
Not all the students were critical of the president.
While Bush has been criticized for waiting nearly seven minutes to take charge after he was told the nation was under attack, students who were there defended his reaction.
"He did what he had to do," said Stevenson Tose-Rigell, who was in fifth grade and in the media center with Bush on 9/11. "You can't judge a man on seven minutes. It's not like he could get from Sarasota to New York City in seven minutes to save someone."
The footage of the President Bush continuing to read with students at Emma Booker Elementary after learning about the attacks was widely publicized in Michael Moore's film, "Farenheit 9/11." But some of the students haven't seen the film. Tyler said his parents don't want him to watch it, though he plans to see the movie when he's older. Teacher Sandra Daniels, who was leading the class, won't comment on Moore's film, but says she thinks Bush did the best he could that day under the circumstances.
Being a part of the historic day appears to have only slightly influenced the students' future aspirations.
Stevenson wants to be a entrepreneur, a musician or an athlete. He no longer strives to be a banker in New York City. Tyler would like to play football or work as a defense attorney; he's pretty certain he would never sign up for the military.
"I wouldn't risk my life for something dumb like a war," Tyler said.
The students and their families also seem to have a sense of pride about Booker Elementary's role in Sept. 11. Tyler's mother has a picture of him reading to Bush hanging on her bedroom wall. Stevenson has the picture of him siting behind the President in a safe place.
But the children struggle to understand their place in history and how a day that was supposed to be a celebration of their improved reading scores changed so quickly.
"I got to be a part of history," said Stevenson. "Not that it's a good thing, but it happened."
Yet it is a day that will probably connect the students forever, some say.
"I feel we are all bonded because we shared that experience," said Michael Andrews, 15, a sophomore at Booker High School. "We all have the same feeling -- why did this happen -- and that feeling will keep us together."
Their former second-grade teacher Daniels agrees.
"It's their life. They were there," Daniels said. "They are in the pictures with President Bush and on the news. They ought to be celebrated for their work in reading and what happened the rest of the day -- that's the part that hurts."
It is incredible. What else will they believe?
ROFL, I noticed that also. I see it all the time now, John Michael Anderson-Wicker. It is just going to get worse when the hypnenated's mary other hyphenated's.
{Music playing-Bridal March}Now introducing Mr. & Mrs. Alan Chambers Guilford-Patterson-Montgomery-Phillips-Tinkerton-Buddafuko
When I saw this story in my morning newspaper (a NYT paper) I thought it could have been slanted even more negatively against Bush. The upcoming TV stories should be interesting.
9/11 and the following days were weird here in Sarasota. First, they scrambled to fly the President out of the local airport and some folks were concerned that he might be a target here in our town. My wife teaches school and some of the parents picked up their kids early out of fear.
And most people outside of the area don't know this, but we had a strong hit from tropical storm Gabrielle on 9/13. Many people lost their power for four or five days (very frustrating when you know your country is under attack).
On a personal level, I was eating lunch with my elderly mother in her home on 9/12 when she began to have what appeared to be a heart attack (turns out it wasn't). I called an ambulance and rode with her to the hospital. In the emergency room I sat next to her bed, watching split screen news coverage of the fallen Twin Towers and storm coverage of the approaching Gabrielle. I thought, "Terrorists. Tropical storm. Heart attack. What's next?"
It was a time like no other.
I somehow doubt he came up with that line on his own. At that age, he's spewing whatever his parents told him to believe. He could still be redeemable someday. :)
The Herald Tribune was better when it used to be privately owned by the Lindsey family. It really is editorially out of touch with most of its readers. There used to be an independent evening paper in the mid 60s, but there really hasn't been anything to rival the HT for circulation since then. Perhaps someday.
To the liberals - this statement will be further proof that the public school system is not doing its job.
At the time, I lived in El Segundo, California. It's mainly an aerospace community, right next to LAX airport. So close, in fact, that when I was home, I could routinely hear the planes power up as they started to head down the runway for takeoff. It was so quiet for a few days (because of the planes being grounded) that I was praying for some noise. It was eerie. I lived behind a pub, and hardly anyone was there. It was Tuesday, so no talk about football...except for maybe the Redskins, Giants and Jets...no talk about baseball...they didn't play for a while, either. And since it was not long after Labor Day, many of the streets still had the patriotic signs and flags up.
I literally lost it almost everytime I saw one, or heard the National Anthem, or God bless the USA. I still tear up, thinking about it now.
Wait til these kids grow up, get married and have kids with 4 last names. When those kids grow up they'll have kids with 8 last names.
At that rate by the year 2206 people won't live long enough to finish saying their last name.
Tyler [Radkey] would like to play football or work as a defense attorney; he's pretty certain he would never sign up for the military. "I wouldn't risk my life for something dumb like a war," Tyler said.
"Tylerrrr! You've got a phone call...someone from something called the "National Lawyers Guild" wants to talk to you about being an intern. What's this about, honey?"
LOL! This is my daughter Madesson and her last name is available on this little 1 gig identichip.
Great story.
You could probably do a pretty good book of tales from that day if one hasn't already been done.
Another film they should see if World Trade Center, Oliver Stone's amazing story.
Very out of touch...As long as the New York Times own it....What helps them is the snowbirds who come down and buy it....I am just glad they cannot vote....
>Age has nothing to do with it. The majority of Americans no longer has an appreciation for the price of freedom.<
Age has a great deal to do with it. The majority of Americans have either been educated since 1959, or have bought the "news" (party line) they read and see. The "me generation" were taught virtually no American history, nor were they given heroes to live up to in the government schools. Then they were fed the "hard stuff" at the college level. So is it any wonder they have no appreciations for the price of freedom?
I agree with your point about the "me generation." But there's plenty of the other generations out there who have also forgotten the price of their freedom. It's not just the young'uns.
That's all I'm sayin.
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