Visiting ground zero: A belated trip to the brink

I must admit, I wasn't fully prepared. Even after more than six months of anticipating how I would feel when I actually saw it, the first sight still left me dumbstruck. In truth, nothing I could have done beforehand could have completely prepared me for the carnage of Ground Zero. You won't understand until you've seen it. Downloading pictures off the internet and watching "comprehensive coverage" on CNN really cannot compare to actually seeing the destruction firsthand. September 11th is still a gut-wrenching memory, and visiting the site immediately brought much of the pain of the attacks rushing back. However, despite the pain, the trip to the towers was well worth it.

Visiting the site was an immensely positive experience, for visiting the site helped me realize just how insignificant my problems seem in comparison and has given me a new perspective on the human cost of September 11th. My trip to the World Trade Center ultimately displayed the triumph of the human spirit over evil, and I view it as an opportunity that no conscientious Princeton student should run away from.

Last year during a trip to New York, I remember standing at the bottom of the World Trade Center and trying to imagine just what would happen if the Towers fell down. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would look like, and to this day I can still hardly believe someone actually succeeded in knocking the Towers over. The Trade Center plaza was one of the most majestic, awe-inspiring sites that I have ever seen, a testament to free societies and the rewards hard work can bring. Now the beauty and grandeur of the Towers is no more, replaced by a cacophony of twisted metal, heavy equipment and mangled ruins. Admittedly, the scene is not as graphic as during the weeks following September 11th, and the rubble now sits several stories below ground instead of several stories high. However, a horrible sense of loss still pervades the area. Block after block is filled with memorials, which give solace to the living and serve as tribute for the dead. A cloud of dust still lingers over the site like a pall, and scarred buildings and shattered windows on buildings even blocks away remain to show the true extent of the devastation. Many stores are boarded up, the livelihoods of their owners destroyed along with the lives of those trapped in the towers. The acts of a few evil men will continue to have repercussions on millions even years from now.

A trip to Ground Zero is a highly emotional journey and will likely help personalize the devastation felt by those closest to the conflict. A reason to visit the site is to see just how strong our country really is and not through some clichés about how America always pulls together in times of need. Despite all the sorrow, there is a sense of fraternity flowing through the site unlike any I have ever seen. I felt a sudden need to call my family and to try to convey to them the gravity of the moment. In fact, that urge was very similar to why I am trying to convey the same gravity to you now.

Every time a rescue or construction worker came out of the site gas-masked and covered in dust, I felt an overwhelming urge to shake his hand and commend him on the service he was doing for us all. Every time I saw a police officer patiently giving directions and answering questions, I felt proud that I belonged to such a great nation. This was not "Braveheart" patriotism; this is a chance to experience a very powerful mix of sorrow, hope and pride firsthand.

Another reason to see the Towers is to re-examine one's views towards our foreign policy and the war on terror. Experiencing the scope of the disaster firsthand can have a profound effect on political views. Visiting the World Trade Center is important for those on both sides of the "War on Terrorism" debate, because it reinforces the fact that America needs a balanced and evenhanded foreign policy toward the world's problems. Anyone with a "Not in My Name" sign still hanging in their window would do well to attend, because seeing firsthand that so many real people died in the attack might give them insights into just how demented people can be and how there is a pressing need to ensure that another September 11th is not encouraged through inaction. Unilateral pacifists might discover that such idealistic principles largely disappear when faced with such insidious evil, and actually seeing the site might reconnect them with the realities of terrorism. At the same time, war hawks should visit the site to remind them how a small band of determined terrorists can destroy so much, and that indiscriminate use of force is our enemy, not our friend. Force alone cannot hope to protect us; it can only make us a bigger target.

The terrorists have dispelled the myth of American invincibility, and because of our newfound vulnerability there is an even more pressing need to solve problems with American policy. Only through a moderate, balanced approach to the conflict can we best hope to avoid another September 11th. Seeing the consequences of failure to stop terrorism firsthand can help remind us that this is a life-and-death struggle that we cannot afford to lose.

Yet the best reason to visit the Towers is to put one's own life in perspective. The moment I saw the scope of destruction and amount of sheer suffering that had become of the towers, my own insignificant problems simply melted away. The problems of everyday life seem so small once one realizes how much needless death was caused less than a hundred miles away. People always criticize Princeton students as self-centered and trivial, and in some sense we are all guilty of that. A visit to the site reminded me of just how lucky I am. It might do the same for us all.

In a way, it is pointless to talk about the trip. It is probably not possible to fully describe my feelings in words, and if it is possible then I do not possess the skill to do so. It was a profound experience, one that I will carry with me many years from now. September 11th was likely the defining moment of our generation, the day when the world really did change forever. The towers are gone, and so is the world that they stood in. Visiting the site and paying homage to the victims will help us to remember the tragedy and to realize how important solving the problem of terrorism has become. More importantly, a visit can us help solve our own problems through a more well-rounded perspective of what is really important in life. David Sillers is from Potomac, Md. He can be reached at dsillers@princeton.edu.