9/11
Speech Contest Winner
October 20, 2006
PSHS
Debate Student Captures First Place Award
Shahrukh
Gaziani, a senior debater at Plano Senior High School, entered
the Patriotism Oratory Contest sponsored by the Traumatic Loss
Institute, commemorating the events of 9/11. He won first place
at the senior high level and a $500 scholarship. Shahrukh presented
his speech at the 9/11 Commemoration at Plano Centre in September.
9/11 Commemorative Speech
by Shahrukh Gaziani
Patriotism.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “love of and
devotion to one's country”. I see it as something more.
I was at school when I first heard it.
“A plane crashed into the World
Trade Center.” I thought it to be a myth. Or perhaps hoped it to be a myth.
But in my 1st period class, my fears were confirmed. I still remember to this
day what my teacher said after reading her email, “the administrators don’t
think that you all should know yet, but I think you have a right to know. Two
airplanes collided into the World Trade Center. A third into the Pentagon.” My
heart skipped a beat. Who would’ve guessed that on that simple day, our
lives would change forever.
The
day progressed and the principal came on the PA system to officially
inform the students of what had occurred. It all seemed
so surreal, tragic and unreal.
The
days following were just as tragic, if not more so. As soon as
I found out that it was “Muslims” that
committed these horrendous acts, I knew my life on a day to day
basis would be more difficult. However, being an devoted
Muslim, I knew what these people truly were, and Muslims they were not. They
were terrorists, nothing more, and nothing less.
People
started coming up to me and calling me “terrorist” and “foreigner.” People
who know me know that I could never be a terrorist. No, I’ve always
been a peaceful person. Islam isn’t about war; on the contrary, it
is about peace. And I’m surely not a “foreigner”, no. I
was born here. I’m American. I have always been American. No, they
would say, you’re
Middle Eastern. You’re “one of them.” It was so strange—I
have always thought of myself as an American.
My
parents were born and raised in Pakistan, but I was born and raised
right here in Plano, Texas. I never
felt a closeness to Pakistan as I did with America. After all America was,
is, and
always will be my country. What has gone terribly wrong when a nation founded
by immigrants begins to isolate its own immigrants, its own citizens?
The
only explanation was fear. Everyone was in a state of fear; fearing
anyone that was not the typical white American; fearing anyone who could
be related
to those people who had hurt our country so deeply.
Most
Americans had become complacent I think before 9/11. No foreign
entity would attack us
on our
own soil, would they? Most of us felt that nothing could happen to America.
No
way. America was too great, too powerful, for anything bad to happen.
But it did happen?
And we were shocked? Was this pride? Was it patriotism?
No,
because patriotism exists during the times of ease as well as the
times of struggle. Sadly,
this attack on America’s symbols of prosperity and defense shook
our sense of security at its core. Anger toward and hatred of those
who harmed our great nation
could be seen and felt everywhere.
I
was caught in the crossfire.
I was an American, but my skin color and my religious beliefs made
me suspect.
Where was I to belong? How could I explain that I too felt the pain
that most other Americans felt. I too loved this country as they all
did.
I too was an
American…
I
didn’t know what to do. No matter what I did,
I would be wrong.
When I said I loved America, they said I’m not American.
When I defend my faith, they say I’m being unpatriotic.
What
was I to do?
That’s
when I began pondering the meaning of patriotism. I had read the
meaning in a dictionary, but love and
devotion to one’s nation didn’t
seem to express it fully. I couldn’t quite put my finger
on what it was, but I knew there was something more to it.
I
began to analyze America as compared to other nations. Americans
proudly
wear that title. They are kind and generous to other Americans.
When
you’re
an American, it’s as if you joined a tremendous extended
family. One in which everyone cares for each other and looks after
one another. However, once
the family felt a stab of pain, hatred spread amongst siblings.
The
terrorist attacks of 9/11 were not intended to only bring down
a couple of buildings, no.
It was intended to bring down this idea of patriotism. This grand
devotion to one’s nation. In bringing down the buildings,
the terrorists succeeded. However, in bringing down the idea, they
failed miserably, because after the
initial shock of it all, Americans began the mourning process.
Once
the mourning began, the typical white American was mourning beside
the Hispanic American and
the Middle Eastern American, the Asian Americans as well as African
Americans. All grieving together, like siblings, after a fight.
Coming together, united
against future attackers. I didn’t fully appreciate this
unity until a very special incident happened.
A
couple of days later, our teacher announced we had a very important
video clip we would
watch. It was a recording of a news broadcast
from earlier
that week.
It was footage from that historic day, September 11th, 2001. It
was on that video clip that we saw all those brave firemen rushing
into
the
collapsing buildings,
risking their lives to save their fellow citizens, their neighbors,
their brothers.
This
is patriotism. You see, patriotism cannot be described with words
because
patriotism is so much more than just words. It’s an idea,
a feeling, a way of life. Remembering the lives of those brave
firemen year after year is
patriotism. Coming together to support one another during a time
of need is patriotism. Overcoming the wounds together is patriotism.
You
could say that patriotism is a love of one’s nation. I beg to differ. True
patriotism is far more than that.
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