[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 120 (Wednesday, September 29, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1737-E1738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN RECOGNITION OF RICHARD HOPKINS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE ROGERS

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2004

  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, on Sept. 11, 2004, teens from 
around the Third District gathered on the campus of Jacksonville State 
University to remember the events of 9/11, and to reflect on the impact 
of those events on their life today.
  One of the speakers that day was Richard Hopkins, an eleventh grade 
student at the Donoho School in Anniston. In honor of his words and in 
recognition of his gift for writing, I am placing his entire speech in 
the Congressional Record so that others may have the opportunity to 
hear his thoughts about that fateful day.
  The text of his speech is as follows. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the 
House's attention to this important matter.

     ``Beyond the Sheer Loss of Life, Why Was This so Important?''

                          (By Richard Hopkins)

       ``This portion of our program will focus on the importance, 
     beyond the sheer loss of life, of the 9/11 attacks and their 
     aftermath. There were a number of significant shifts in 
     policy and attitude in several major areas of American life 
     in response to the September 11th attacks. One of those areas 
     concerns the American populace as a whole, and I will briefly 
     talk about the changes and reactions amongst American 
     citizens. I will begin by focusing first on the general 
     population of Americans, and then moving on specifically to 
     teenagers.
       ``In the wake of the September 11th attacks, America's 
     emotional spectrum was a kaleidoscope of mixed and 
     contrasting feelings. People were confused, angry, hurt, sad, 
     lonely, shocked, and grim. At the same time, feelings like 
     hope, brotherhood, community unity, and national pride 
     began to come to the fore. Since the closing of the Cold 
     War, a sort of Pax Americana had come into existence. 
     Americans more or less felt safe and secure within their 
     own borders, and unaware of any problems around the world. 
     This is not saying that Americans were indifferent to what 
     was happening abroad, merely that these events did not 
     fully emerge into the everyday public consciousness. 
     Instead, Americans began to focus inward in facing their 
     own dilemmas and social issues. Foreign policy and the 
     issues that stem from it became abstract considerations to 
     the average American citizen. They would occasionally read 
     something in the newspaper, watch something in the news, 
     or hear something on the radio that briefly aroused their 
     interest, but only in a displaced and quickly passing 
     manner. Even when events directly involved the United 
     States, Americans could not bring themselves to become too 
     concerned, because they couldn't quite grasp how these 
     happenings directly linked to themselves, their 
     livelihoods, and impacted upon their everyday lives. They 
     had no conscious awareness of why it should matter to 
     them. This is not intended as an attack upon the American 
     people, merely, it is an observation of how to them, 
     everything might as well have been placed in a white and 
     murky fog, because they had nothing tangible with which 
     they could relate their lives to.
       ``What happened on September 11th changed all of that. No 
     longer were Americans dealing with distant facts, of attacks 
     and kidnappings happening elsewhere, far away. No longer did 
     they have to consider something that they couldn't relate to 
     their lives. No longer were the problems to be faced abroad, 
     but instead, they were to be faced within our very own 
     national borders. Instead, they were forced to confront ugly 
     facts that affected their lives in every way. Not since the 
     attack on Peal Harbor during World War II, or more recently, 
     the Cuban Missile Crisis, has there been such a clear cut and 
     direct threat to American lives and properties at home. Air 
     travel has become increasingly restricted. Security at public 
     and federal locations has been stepped up. New laws and 
     regulations have been passed, while new organizations with 
     new responsibilities have been created. The economy has 
     fluctuated, and the prices of everyday goods and services 
     have gone with it. Wherever one looks, one can see the direct 
     impacts of what happened on September 11th. This is what 
     caused the incredible turmoil in the post 9/11 environment. 
     Individuals could clearly see the consequences of an action, 
     and realize how it affected them, and therefore they were 
     able to become passionate and care about it. It has given the 
     average citizen a reason to become concerned and active in 
     today's political environment.
       ``Now, let us consider teenagers specifically within this 
     post 9/11 America. In many ways, a significant number of 
     teens remain unaffected by what transpired three years ago 
     today. This is because, unlike adults, many have not been 
     greatly inconvenienced or exposed to the results of the 
     attacks. Their parents handle travel arrangements, buy 
     groceries, and generally manage all of the details of 
     life that go unnoticed by teenagers, leaving the teens to 
     their own, smaller worlds that still remain detached from 
     the reality that everyone else experiences. However, a 
     great many teenagers have been just as affected, if not 
     more so, as their adult counterparts.
       ``Immediately after 9/11, news coverage showed grief and 
     fear evidenced across the spectrum of American citizenry, 
     including teenagers. Afterwards, however, once fear and grief 
     were reined in, and determination and strength were in 
     control, focus shifted to older subjects and viewers. This 
     meant that teenagers were left behind, with the final images 
     of their reactions displaying a time of vulnerability, with 
     none of the strength and determination that followed for 
     them. Teens have last been portrayed as afraid, or mourning, 
     and have yet been given a chance to truly speak again and 
     show how they have adjusted and thrived like adults have.
       ``9/11 has stirred passions on both ends of the political 
     scale amongst teenagers. Because of the terrible events of 
     that day, teens have put significant thought into what 
     happened, why, how they feel about it, and what should be 
     done. Teens have powerful feelings on a number of political 
     issues, be it the new measures and laws that have been passed 
     in the interest of Homeland Security, to the war on Iraq, and 
     to the United States' Un-relations. Unfortunately, teens have 
     not been given an opportunity to express these feelings and 
     vent this pressure that builds up inside of them. As a 
     result, it is easy for them to become resentful towards 
     adults, who tell the teenagers how the world is and give 
     little thought to asking them if they disagree, or if they 
     would like to respond.
       ``As a result of these pent up emotions and the uncertain 
     environment that was created, many teenagers, especially 
     those that are already troubled, have had increasing 
     emotional problems. Heightened aggression, changing lifestyle 
     and habits, depression, paranoia, increasing isolation, 
     anxiety, and more are symptoms of these problems.
       ``This is why it is so important for Americans to turn to 
     the younger members of our

[[Page E1738]]

     society and ask them ``How do you feel about this? What do 
     you suggest? What would you like me to do?'' This action will 
     increase trust between teenagers and adults, as well as 
     recognize the validity of teen opinions, and help them to 
     express their inner feelings and feel like they are valued 
     members of society. This is crucial, because many of those 
     teenagers who witnessed the events of September 11th are now 
     able to vote, and many more will soon be able to. It is 
     important that they become recognized members of the 
     political population, and not be devalued because they were 
     never given a chance to express themselves or give voice to 
     their beliefs. This attitude cannot be allowed to stand, 
     because it would hamper the ability of future voters from 
     fully forming their political identity, and fulfilling 
     America's dream of a democratic government.''

                          ____________________