Fifteen years ago, the United States wasn’t officially engaged in any wars. Few of us had ever heard of al-Qaeda or Osama bin Laden, and ISIS didn’t even exist.
We deported half the number of people we do today. Our surveillance state was a fraction of its current size. And — perhaps hardest to believe — we didn’t have to take off our shoes to get through airport security.
America’s involvement in the War on Terror — prompted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks — resulted in a dramatic change in our nation’s attitudes and concerns about safety and vigilance.
Teach with the Lowdown
Suggestions for nonfiction analysis, writing/discussion prompts and multimedia projects. Browse our entire lesson plan collection here.
Lasting impacts of 9/11 lesson …show more content…
Held indefinitely, prisoners were denied access to trials or legal representation, and subject to brutal interrogation techniques . By 2003, there were more than 650 foreign inmates at the facility. Critics have long pushed to shut Guantanamo down, calling it a gross violation of basic human rights and a stain on America’s image abroad. And although early in his first term, Obama vowed to close it — and has significantly reduced the population (there were only 61 inmates, as of August) — Guantanamo still remains open, a result of of intense partisan gridlock.
After 9/11, budgets for defense-related agencies skyrocketed: Homeland Security’s discretionary budget jumped from about $16 billion in 2002 to more than $43 billion in 2011. Meanwhile, the budgets of the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration and Border Patrol have all more than doubled since 2001.
In the last 15 years, millions of young U.S. soldiers have been deployed overseas, thousands have been killed, and many have returned home with debilitating physical and mental …show more content…
Heck, prior to 9/11, some airport security teams even allowed passengers to take box cutters aboard (the supposed weapon used by the 9/11 hijackers). Any knife with a blade up to four inches long was permitted. And cigarette lighters? No problem!
In the wake of the terrorist attacks, airport security underwent a series of major overhauls. And a service that was once largely provided by private companies is now primarily overseen by the Transportation Security Administration.
Created in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the TSA is tasked with instituting new security procedures and managing screenings at every commercial airport checkpoint in the country (although, private contractors still operate at some airports). It marks the single largest federal start up since the days of World War II. The agency is authorized to refer to watch lists of individuals who could pose flight safety risks.
Although advocates argue that the changes have made air travel vastly safer, the additional security steps have also tacked on a significant amount of travel time for the average passenger, while infringing on privacy rights and, in many instances, increasing scrutiny of minority travelers, particularly those of Middle Eastern descent.
IV. Big
We deported half the number of people we do today. Our surveillance state was a fraction of its current size. And — perhaps hardest to believe — we didn’t have to take off our shoes to get through airport security.
America’s involvement in the War on Terror — prompted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks — resulted in a dramatic change in our nation’s attitudes and concerns about safety and vigilance.
Teach with the Lowdown
Suggestions for nonfiction analysis, writing/discussion prompts and multimedia projects. Browse our entire lesson plan collection here.
Lasting impacts of 9/11 lesson …show more content…
Held indefinitely, prisoners were denied access to trials or legal representation, and subject to brutal interrogation techniques . By 2003, there were more than 650 foreign inmates at the facility. Critics have long pushed to shut Guantanamo down, calling it a gross violation of basic human rights and a stain on America’s image abroad. And although early in his first term, Obama vowed to close it — and has significantly reduced the population (there were only 61 inmates, as of August) — Guantanamo still remains open, a result of of intense partisan gridlock.
After 9/11, budgets for defense-related agencies skyrocketed: Homeland Security’s discretionary budget jumped from about $16 billion in 2002 to more than $43 billion in 2011. Meanwhile, the budgets of the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration and Border Patrol have all more than doubled since 2001.
In the last 15 years, millions of young U.S. soldiers have been deployed overseas, thousands have been killed, and many have returned home with debilitating physical and mental …show more content…
Heck, prior to 9/11, some airport security teams even allowed passengers to take box cutters aboard (the supposed weapon used by the 9/11 hijackers). Any knife with a blade up to four inches long was permitted. And cigarette lighters? No problem!
In the wake of the terrorist attacks, airport security underwent a series of major overhauls. And a service that was once largely provided by private companies is now primarily overseen by the Transportation Security Administration.
Created in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the TSA is tasked with instituting new security procedures and managing screenings at every commercial airport checkpoint in the country (although, private contractors still operate at some airports). It marks the single largest federal start up since the days of World War II. The agency is authorized to refer to watch lists of individuals who could pose flight safety risks.
Although advocates argue that the changes have made air travel vastly safer, the additional security steps have also tacked on a significant amount of travel time for the average passenger, while infringing on privacy rights and, in many instances, increasing scrutiny of minority travelers, particularly those of Middle Eastern descent.
IV. Big