Hillcrest School was a short ride from home, yet it was enough time for an oblivious fifth-grader to hear every single detail of this catastrophic accident. He was dropped off outside the school and made his way to his classroom, hearing televisions blaring from every room. As he made his way farther down the hall, the news reports changed. By the time he reached his classroom, the huge accident surfaced into a massive terrorist assault.

Five years ago, our country was faced with severe devastation, which has brought upon a violent desolation that lingers still today. America has been faced with adversity many times, yet it has prevailed, always changing for the better. The events that have followed the 9/11 attacks might not be for the better.

It seemed the entire world joined hands to mourn those who were lost on 9/11. However, this chain of friendship was broken when our country’s soldiers swiftly invaded and destroyed the Persian Gulf countries that were thought to have harbored our enemies. Hard as our government tried to keep their delicate society of innocents intact, they could not stop the inevitable.

Meanwhile, that fifth-grader from Hillcrest was changing as well. Although he did not grow up with such butchery outside of his front door, he was finding it harder to resist the carnage on the news. He could not go downtown on a Saturday afternoon without seeing protesters of the war or could not help but notice the drastic ascension of gas prices. In a world where every weekday is code red for terrorist activity, one finds it increasingly easier to become immune to violence and death tolls.

If there is one thing that has changed that once-innocent elementary student, it would be the fact that he was slowly able to discover the fact that the “greatest country in the world” might not be as great as he had once imagined. Since 9/11, the United States, although stronger than ever in its defenses and military tactics, has become more vulnerable. Somewhere in this uphill battle against terror, our government has lost sight of its humble beginnings and the views of its population.

Prejudice reigns supreme in this new “New World,” and it is obvious why violent theocracies have intent to destroy America. On the other hand, our government could merely be fighting for the survival of our way of life in a world that is constantly changing. Everyone has their own opinion regarding what’s wrong with America. However, they can all agree on one thing: There is a drought in this Garden of Eden known as the United States of America, and that fifth-grader from Hillcrest will never be the same again.