Most Americans remember where they were on September 11, 2001, when the two hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center. Numerous people recount how they learned of the attacks after getting home from school or work. It’s hard for anyone to forget exactly where they were or what they were doing.

Life has changed for everyone because of these attacks. Some people lost loved ones directly, and everyone was touched by tragedy and fear. Because we are separated by major bodies of water from most of the world, the United States has always been particularly safe from violence on its own soil. When the planes hit the towers, millions of people felt afraid and violated. Nobody knew what would happen next. In many ways, American culture will never be the same.

Why did this happen to us? Knowing why something happens does not necessarily mean that you agree with it. But understanding why things happen, especially dreadful things such as these attacks, is important. Maybe then we can make progress against any future warfare. Below is a list of reasons the radicals participating in the 9-11 attacks, struck:

Religious Reasons
Not all Muslims what to kill everyone who fails to embrace Islam. That is very important to understand. Only a small number, known as extremists, are this narrow-minded and intolerant. There are extremists for every faith and for other beliefs as well. One reason why al-Qaeda devastated the US was because of religious extremism. America’s lack of an official religion and large number of atheists (nonreligious people), enraged the small number of militant Muslim radicals.

Economic Inequality
The United States is by far the wealthiest country in the world. The US gives billions of dollars in foreign aid. Some critics see inequalities in this system that keeps countries poor. The vast majority of these critics use constructive means to speak out against such issues. Al-Qaeda decided that it would be better to use violence as a form of protest against the flaws in this system.

Diplomatic Trouble
Diplomacy is how countries talk to each other. Like with any group of people, countries have enemies and friends; they also have citizens, goals and huge amounts of money. In order to make sure that they get most of what they need, their leaders try to use good diplomacy to make deals and bargains with other countries. In the Middle East, such negotiations are difficult because of the long-standing conflicts between various groups, especially between Israel and the Arabic countries. Everyday, terrorism is used in response to these disputes in the Middle East. Some feel the involvement of the United Sates is unwarranted – that the US government is overstepping its boundaries. Terrorists believe the United States should change its policies.

Since September 11th, life in America has changed. Laws were passed, new agencies set up, and precautions have been taken as protection from terrorism. American anxiety levels have gone up in general. There is a lot of controversy about all of these things. Life now seems full of contradictions; angry feelings are being poured into political debates. With so many opposing messages going around, it’s hard to decide what is important to you. What is terrorism and how can you protect yourself? You’re not alone in wanting simple answers to these complicated questions. Read on to see what WARM2Kids has to say about terrorism.