So basically I'm having difficulty picking "main" primary and secondary sources. There are SO many articles out there on the impacts of 9/11. At this point, I'm pretty sure the main focus of the paper will be how 9/11 affected the national government, its foreign policies, and how the idea of national security changed after the attacks.
As I read, I'm discovering that terrorism is really the main focus of our national security programs, and some articles even state that 9/11 shaped the entire foreign policy of the U.S., although I believe that statement to be arguable and will probably end up debating such statements in my paper. Some articles even discuss how the U.S. hasn't really changed since the attacks. According to them, a lesson was learned, but that knowledge was not applied properly. Obviously, I still have a bit of research to do, as there are literally innumerable sources on 9/11 because everyone old enough to write on the topic was alive when it happened. Everyone experienced 9/11, so it's taking me a bit longer than expected to chisel through these sources and choose which ones will be most valuable to my paper.
So I guess what I'm saying here is that, growing up in the wake of 9/11, I haven't yet found any new information per se, yet I am discovering just how many individual groups had different 9/11 experiences. Muslims, Christians, Americans, veterans, New Yorkers, and probably even cats and dogs all have articles written on the impacts 9/11 had on them. My research questions have changed from, "How did 9/11 affect America," to "How much did 9/11 really affect America?" And this question is way more interesting than I thought. On the surface, one person might say America was totally changed; turned over on its head to never be the same. Others suggest the event changed America, but Americans don't really understand those changes or don't understand what exactly that meant for America. I know it sounds vague and confusing right now, but I'm honestly just now getting into the thick of this, and I don't have many answers, but I intend to find them through my research and explain them in my paper.
Wow! That is quite a topic and I would imagine there is a vast amount of information to be found. Maybe, it would help if you chose one small part and focused on that. I understand the dilemma, as there is way more info on my subject than I thought there would be. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the question about how much has America changed since 9/11 is difficult to answer. I know it is for me and a lot of other members of our generation because I can't remember much from before 9/11. Good luck on your paper!
ReplyDeleteI am very interested in your topic & can't wait to see how everything turns out! I can see how it can be frustrating when searching for information about a topic that is not terribly old. There is definitely an overload of information out there about 9/11 & I can see how that can cause some speed bumps while writing this paper. I am dealing with similar issues! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIt is tough when you lived through it because you don't want to be biased and/or close-minded. You have to trust in your sources and maybe look for other avenues like magazines or pictures to help clarify your angle of attack for your paper.
ReplyDeleteI love your topic and I can't wait to see where you get with it! I wonder if there is a way that you could access international libraries (maybe the UN) to see if they may have more information. I know its supposed to be American but I feel like they might have stuff that we don't.
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