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."
No, sounds like the overwhelming majority support Bush along with the teacher....except for little tyler, who will probably grow up to me a U.N. volunteer.
.........or a U.S. Senator.
"I wouldn't risk my life for something dumb like a war," Tyler said.
I see a book tour in his future with Cindy Sheehan as one of his speakers.
LOL! Send Tyler his blue helmet right now, but I guess that's not the type of U.N. volunteer you were talking about.
That's what I thought. I was just about unable to stop crying through the entire film. It just brought back so many memories and I was so moved by the bravery of these men and their families.
>You misquoted me. I said "age has almost nothing to do with it."<
:o) I stand corrected. Yes, I suppose there have always been those who prefer to keep the blinders on. Even I have to take a break from all the events which keep tumbling over us each day anymore. I always thought that if we had had another severe depression in the '60's, we could have turned back the high taxes and runaway inflation. People would have had time to enjoy their families and get their priorities properly listed, like God and Country. But I can only hope that come a major attack on this country, all Americans would stand up and fight in his own way. Let us pray that it won't take that much, but I fear that it is truly a case of either us or them. :o(
Unfortunately, 9/11 didn't seem to do it.
They're 12!!!
Pretty ridiculous, isn't it?
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