I remember hearing that “the twin towers fell down” during a class change in seventh grade. Not only did I not have a clue what the twin towers were, but I also assumed that no matter what they were, my daily life would be less than affected. Only one of my teachers addressed the conflict that day, but the discussion she directed has stayed with me. She helped us understand that whether or not we were intimately connected to any victims of the disaster, the attack was directed at America, and as a result, at all of us. My mom picked me up from school that day, and I spent the night doing my homework in the company of my parents and the television news.

At the time, I studied the goings-on with the naive curiosity of a preteen. I understood that the attacks were supposed to have shaken me, but I hadn’t seen the reality in my day-to-day life. I was not aware of the nationwide differences over the interpretation of this event or of the hostility and violence that many in this country directed against people who were perceived as Arabic or Islamic. At my age and in my geographical placement, I believed that the national response to Sept. 11 was united, strong and just. Studying September 2001 with more maturity and distance, I now understand that there were multiple reactions, driven by multiple political and ideological agendas.

Five years later, I have built my adolescent identity without much recognition for my American citizenship. The realities of the effects of 9/11 are now more apparent to me, as is the actuality of the attacks. Now, as I board a plane and am forced to throw away my water bottle, I wonder how vulnerable my life actually is to terrorism. Every “Support Our Troops” magnet, every “Neighbor for Peace” poster I see on my way to school makes me a little more conscious of how the conflict in Iraq affects our lives. I appreciate the ideological and political divisions between war supporters and protesters, and I value the American right and duty to question established policies.

I have come to believe that the common denominator for all political activists, Republican or Democrat, agnostic or religious, dove or hawk, is a concern for the welfare of America and the people of the world. Our government would not thrive if not for constant debate among the American people. I believe that the freedom to object to U.S. foreign policy and the liberty to support it is the value that makes America the strong nation it is today. An active engagement with the decisions, policies and actions of the nation is our responsibility, our opportunity and our strength as one people.