Yasmine Artis

Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1102-058
7 April 2015
The hard part is officially over. At my writing conference I received a good
amount of positive feedback along with a good amount of things I could alter within
my paper. I decided to leave the structure of my paper the way it is and to attempt
to link my finding more so that it flows better. There were a few grammatical errors
that have been made note of and fixed. Overall I feel as if I have completed one of
the biggest challenges I have been faced with educationally. Writing this paper has
made me more confident in my abilities.
---------------------------------------------------While writing this thesis paper my mind was everywhere. It was extremely
hard to stay focused. Im not sure if it was because I was worried about the length
of the paper or how I was going to tie all of my sources together. I dont think I did
to great of a job. The feedback I received on my introduction was pretty positive,
but it makes it seem like my paper is mainly about the positive effects that arose
from the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01. After completing this draft and writing my
conclusion I figured that it would make more sense to change my entire paper to
that topic. Maybe it will flow better. When it came to adding my I say, I found
myself staring blank at the computer screen unsure of where to start. Some
questions I want to ask you all as readers on my first draft are: How could I easily
state my thesis at the beginning of my paper? How could I better make my

paragraphs flow (especially between my last three paragraphs)? And, Do you think
my paper would be stronger if I made the attacks on September 11 th the main focus
of my paper?
The Fortune in Misfortune: Unwrapped
On September 11th, 2001, around 8:45 a.m., an American Airline plane
crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Just eighteen minutes later
a second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, collided into the south tower. At 9:45
American Airlines Flight 77 plunged through the west side of the Pentagon. America
was under attack by Islamic terrorist, also known as al-Qaeda. A total of about 3,000
people died. These people include workers, travelers, military personnel,
firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and children of all ages. All of which had
family and friends that they were unable to go home to that afternoon. The United
States was shook. Everyone in the country had their televisions on and tuned into
the local news channel. I can remember. I was in first grade. There was a knock at
the door, an adult walked in and whispered something to my teacher. The
expression on her face went from the usual extremely joyful, to immediate disbelief.
She walked over to the classroom television, turned to channel 12, we were tuned
in, live. It was a terrifying day for America. Everyone grieved; even the people who
werent directly affected by the attacks. Although this was an extremely tragic
event, did anything positive arise from it?
Terror, How Many Dead?, Americas Darkest Day, Devastation were all
article headlines that made the front page of the paper immediately following the
9/11 attacks. It was impossible to pick up a newspaper or magazine and not see
devastating pictures or stories summarizing the tragic event. Were there any

positive outcomes that resulted from this terrible situation? Do positive outcomes
ever result from terrible situations? I asked a friend, college student at North
Carolina Central University what he remembered from September 11, 2001. He
replied, It was a sad day. A lot of people died and there was a lot of grieving and
chaos. Schools shut down and everyone was scared because no one would have
ever expected for the United States to be invaded by terrorist. I then asked if he
thought anything positive resulted from that day. He responded, Everyone came
together and put all of their differences behind them. They formed prayer groups
and prayed for those injured and the families of those deceased. As a nation, the
military grew stronger. His initial response about how tragic that day was was
expected. It wasnt until I asked about the positive effects that they were
mentioned. I strongly agree with his statement that everyone came together and
that the military was strengthened, but I also believe that there is more out there
that resulted positively from this tragedy and many others.
There are two main types of tragedy, national and personal tragedy. National
tragedies effect people of a large radius, for example, 9/11s effect on the United
States. Personal tragedy has an effect on people of a smaller radius, like a persons
family or a small community. Although these tragedies are different, they still cause
people to feel the same types of emotion. On the contrary, national tragedies allow
for large scale changes that affect a specific region as a whole.
On the morning of September 11th, 2001, the security of multiple airports in
the United States failed notice those persons who would soon be responsible for the
killing of thousands of people. Alycia B. Taylor and Sara Steedman, Criminal Justice
students at York College of Pennsylvania, report in their article The Evolution of
Airline Security Since 9/11 that before the tragic events of September 11 th took

place there were a number of areas that needed to be addressed with regards to
the airline industry. They argue that the hiring of unskilled, inexperienced workers
made it likely for possible threats such as cutting devices, guns, bombs, and
airborne pathogens to go undetected. Also that the security of airport access
controls were not as secure as the government intended them to be. Both of these
issues were brought into light after terrorist slipped through US airport security,
undetected, and ended the lives of many innocent Americans. After the attacks
security became a top priority for airlines and other businesses. According to
William P. McCamey, ex professor in the School of Law Enforcement and Justice
Administration at Western Illinois University, President Bush set twenty billion
dollars aside only for upgrading intelligence and security. Short term and long term
goals were set for the improvement of security. Short term goals, or goals that were
supposed to take place within a year of being implemented include criminal
background checks on airport employees, increased law enforcement, the screening
of all checked baggage, hand inspections, air marshals on flights, and the prescreening of passengers to be cross-checked with the FBI and other watch lists.
Some long term goals consist of a new transportation department agency that will
be responsible for overseeing all transportation security, all baggage screeners will
be federal workers, and checked baggage will be inspected with machines to detect
explosives (Taylor and Steedman). The devastating attacks on the United States in
2001 led to a positive change. Now, fourteen years later, airline security remains
strictly enforced to ensure that a tragic event, like 9/11 does not happen again.
Thousands of peoples personal lives were effected on this day. Just as there
were many people effected after events like the Boston bombing, the shooting at
Sandy Hook Elementary School, and Aurora. All of which happened unexpectantly.

Tragedy happens to everyone; it knows no bounds, exclaimed John Grohol, author,

researcher and expert in mental health. Tragedy does know one thing how to
provide. Whether we choose or not and what we choose to take back from tragedy
is up to us. Tragedy provides grief, sorrow, and brings people closer together with
bonds because they share these mutual emotions. Emotions following tragedy
cause people to become more focused on things that really matter in life, such as,
family, friends, and relationships with others (Grohol). Grohol recognizes that
everyone handles grief in different ways. Some are able to pull their self together
and move along with no problem. Some take a lot longer to cope with a terrible
situation. Others will take their build up emotion and grief and turn it into something
positive. Jay Winuk is an example of someone who turned tragedy into something
positive. He lost his brother, Glenn Winuk, in the attacks on September 11 th. Glenn
Winuk was working in New York as a partner at Holland & Knight law firm when the
attack happened. He helped to evacuate is law offices, then rushed to the south
tower to join the rescue effort. Glenn died when the south tower collapsed. My life
changed forever on the sunny September 11 morning in 2001, said Jay Winuk. Jay
had lost a brother, friend, and a role model. For almost twenty years, Glenn worked
as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. He also served as a fire commissioner and an
officer of Engine/ Company 2. He was highly decorated man with special training in
building collapse rescue. He died at age 40. Jay, amazed by the work and
accomplishments done by his brother, sought to do something positive in his honor.
Months after the attacks David Paine, a friend of the Winuks, called Jay with the
idea to make 9/11 a national day of service. They wanted that day to be recognized
in remembrance of those good people who lost their lives when our nation was
wounded (Winuk). To complete this task, they founded MyGoodDeed, a nonprofit

organization responsible for overseeing and organizing 9/11 Day each year with the
help from many leading agencies and federal agency the Corporation for National
and Community service. In 2009, MyGoodDeed helped to secure the passage of
bipartisan federal legislation and a Presidential Proclamation that officially
established 9/11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Since the
founding of 9/11 as a day of remembrance, MyGoodDeed has held numerous
community service events including the single largest day of charitable service in
United States history held in 2011. Today, this organization continues to grow and
encourage people to remember not only the highly trained responders, like Glenn
Winuk, but people from all walks of life who lost their lives or were injured on that
tragic day. They also inspire people to give back not only on the Remembrance Day
of 9/11, but throughout every year.
Jay Winuk put a ton of hard work and effort into making something positive
out of a tragic situation. When most people are faced with a traumatic event it takes
them some time to overcome it. Although the progress they make may not be
recognized nationally, it still accounts for something. Debbie Hampton, internet
blogger, was confronted with multiple tragedies at once. Her experiences first
affected her in a negative way. Then, after reflecting back on her life she became at
peace with herself and strived to turn her life around. Her brother died of AIDS and
she divorced her high school sweetheart, both around the same time period.
Disappointed with life, she attempted to kill herself by taking over ninety
neurological pills. Fortunately, she was found before the consumption of the drugs
ended her life. Unfortunately, this episode caused her to lose custody of her kids.
She was truly alone and refused to continue to live her life the way she had been.
She bettered herself by altering her thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. This caused

her to see positive changes and enhanced personal development. When a person
experiences positive changes as a result of tragedy, or trauma, it is known as post
traumatic growth (PTG). These positive changes can include having a renewed
appreciation for life, adopting new world views with new possibilities for themselves,
and feeling more personal strength (Hampton). Debbie experienced all of these. She
elaborates on a quote from German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, That which
does not kill us makes us stronger. She recognized that some tragedies in life are
unavoidable; therefore she decided to learn to accept them. Accepting a tragedy
will not make it just disappear, but it will make the situation easier to cope with and
grow from. In Debbies case, accepting her situation and altering her thoughts made
her able to work with the same challenges that at once caused her panic, pain, and
suffering. This provided her with a level of calm, joy, optimism and trust in herself.
At the end of the day, learning to grow out of the negative effects that result shortly
after tragedy can cause a person to grow and become more resilient in future
consultations with tragic situations.
Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma,
tragedy, and/or threats (The Road to Resilience). Getting through a rough situation
allows a person to better cope with other situations that may come in present time.
Whether it be the death of a loved one, loss of a job, serious illness, terrorist attack,
or any other traumatic event, learning to bounce back from a difficult situation
many almost always be challenging at first. Resilience is not a trait that people
automatically have; its a trait that can be learned and developed over time. It can
be developed by surrounding oneself around people of importance. When going
through a tough time, no one has to be alone. Family members, friends, and local
groups can provide help and comfort for those suffering from tragedy. They may

convince that person to look beyond the negative things that are currently taking
place and to look ahead at the future. To think about all the positive possibilities
that may arise in the future. Set some goals and work to move toward them each
day. Soon, that person will be able to accept their situation and develop a level of
confidence in themselves. People that learn to better handle tragic situations will
also be able to help others cope with tragic situations using the same strategies.
When I was a child I suffered from the loss of both of my great grandmothers and an
uncle. When I was told about the loss of my first great grandmother I was
completely shook. All I could think about was how and why it happened. It didnt
officially hit me until the funeral that she was no longer alive and I could no longer
share any experiences with her. On that day I cried for what seemed like hours at a
time, but with the help of my dad I came to realize that death is a part of life and it
happens every day. Learning to accept death allowed me to cope with the loss of
my great grandmother. It did not completely rid me of sadness, but enabled me to
move on. In the second two instances that I was faced with the death of a loved one
I felt as if I was back at square one upon first hearing about the news. After some
grieving I was able to recollect my first experience with this tragedy. I accepted the
loss and moved on. Having to experience the loss of three loved ones as a small
child allowed me to become more resilient. Which in turn made me stronger.
When tragedy happens people come together regardless of how large or
small a community is. According to a study done by professor and clinical
psychologist, Joy Bustrum, people in a community seek to help those experiencing
tragedy out of compassion and care and not just for their own comfort. This means
that more people are likely to help even if the victim had an easy way out. For
example, in Bustrums study she told one group of people that they would witness

test subjects receive electric shock over and over and another group that they
would witness the test subject receive electric shock only once. She expected the
responses from the two different groups to be different, yet they both spoke on
behalf of the test subject. When it comes to national tragedies, Bustrum explains
that the motivation for altruism comes from the effect the tragedy has on a persons
in-group, people like them, and out-group, people not like them. The effect a
national tragedy has on an individuals emotions depends on how that person
identifies with the victims. When a tragedy happens to someones in-group it has a
greater effect on that person. Marjorie Graham-Howard, Ph.D, chair of the
Department of Graduate Psychology at Azusa Pacific University, observed that such
tragedies can expand our in-groups. When bad things happen, the community pulls
in closer. Differences that would normally cause division become less important,
explains Graham-Howard. For example, she says, If your house was floating away,
no one causes who you voted for. Research studies even show that when
community members are focused on a common problem or task there are less
problems related to racism, gang affiliation, etc.
In conclusion, there are a number of positive results that can arise from tragedy.
Whether it is a national tragedy or personal tragedy, it has its way of making people
realize that a change needs to be made. The events that took place on September
11th, 2001, are a national example that can reflect all of the positive effects
discussed in this inquiry. Airline security is stronger than it has ever been. The loved
ones of the many people who lost their lives on that day were able to make positive
changes in their community and become more resilient while doing so. People of the
United States came together as a unit to support those who were directly affected.

Although the positive effects of tragedy may not be clear at first they are almost
always there.

Works Cited
"About 9/11 Day." 911 Day of Service. MyGoodDeed, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
Gipson, Caitlin. "The Psychology of Unity after Tragedy." APU Articles. Azusa Pacific
University, 4 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Grohol, John M. "When Tragedy Provides." Psych Central. N.p., 1 May 1999. Web. 23
Mar. 2015.
Hampton, Debbie. "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger." Web log post. The
Best Brain Possible. N.p., 12 Sept. 2014. Web. 09 Feb. 2015.
Taylor, Alycia B., and Sara Steedman. "The Evolution of Airline Security Since 9/11."
International Foundation for Protection Officers. N.p., Dec. 2003. Web. 22 Feb.
2015.
"The Road to Resilience." American Psychological Association. American
Psychological Association, 2015. Web. 15 Apr. 2015
Winuk, Jay S. "Turning Tragedy into Something Positive." United We Serve. N.p., n.d.
Web. 15 Mar. 2015.