Why does anything that happened in the past really matter? Who cares about what happened after the attack on 9/11? Well, you should. I read the book Firehouse by David Halberstam. Firehouse, is about fire station 40/35 and how they were affected by the 9/11 attacks. The most valuable them from this book is that after a traumatic event, everyone involved bands together as one. After the 9/11 attack 13 out of 14 of the men working at fire station 40/35 were killed. The last man was badly injured and spend many nights in the hospital. In the days following the attack, all of the families of the diseased came to the fire house and awaited news while comforting each other, expecting the worst. After the 9/11 attack, everyone in New York, and even the country banded together to comfort and help each other. For example, in my book it reads: “He [Todd Maisel, a photographer from the New York Daily News.] dove into the lobby of 90 West Street just as the tower collapsed. The exact time, it would be determined later, was 9:59 a.m. Then the ceiling and the walls of 90 West began to come down. The air was so thick with dust that it was almost impossible either to breath or to see. Maisel was sure he was going to die if he stayed, so he started crawling backward--he could not go forward because there was a wall in front of him. What saved him and a number of others he aided in those most dangerous moments, he was later sure, was that he was carrying a bottle of water; thurs he was able to drink and get the thick dust out of his throat and eyes. He shouted to the others in the room to follow his voice, and he tried as best he could to share his water with them.” Though this reporter had no relation with these people he still felt the urge to help them and keep them healthy and alive. He didn’t selfishly take all the water, he passed it around and shared it with everyone. This quote shows how after the attack many civilians helped eachother, no matter there differences. By reading the book Firehouse I have learned about how life around New York changed for the better.
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After the attack on the World Trade center, the U.S. declared war on Afghanistan, therefore starting the War on Terror. Today, Afghanistan is in horrible condition. In the past few years, there have been a lot of fighting and and disputes between Pakistan and Afghanistan government. There are Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan that are being supported by Pakistan. After the withdrawal of international troops from 2011-2014 the Afghan government was in shambles. Then, there was an election in 2014 which left the nation divided. This separation between beliefs of who should be in charge caused the government to loose grip on the nation and they were not able to supply much needed reforms to fixing the corruption that has taken over the nation.
The 9/11 attack lead to the addition of troops in Afghanistan because of the War on Terror. This War still has effects in Afghanistan today. In 2011 troops were called home from Afghan nation this caused a huge drop in their economy leading to the government eventually becoming corrupt. This corruption lead to the fighting and outlast against people with different beliefs. Currently there is a lot of tension in the Mid-West because if the treat of war and terrorists. September 11th, two planes crash into the Twin Towers in New York, and one into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The four days following the 9/11 attack the stock market closed down, causing the Dow to drop almost 600 points. This significant drop caused a small recession which eventually led to an even bigger drop because of the treat of war. I am reading the book The Firehouse by David Halberstam, it is based on engine 40, ladder 35. This specific station was based in the upper east side, New York, they were one of the stations to respond to the 9/11 attacks, thirteen out of fourteen of the men who worked at that station died. The days before the attack the men have no idea of the war going on in the Persian Gulf, they were very surprised when they saw on the news the World Trade Center had been hit. At first none of the firefighters though the news was real they all thought that it was fake, until the second plane hit. Then they were called to the scene of the fire, right when they arrived they knew it was going to be a very long fight. In my book it reads "At this point, Shea put on his gear and he took his video camera with him. His account remains the only record of what happened on either the Truck's or the Engine's ride down, because he was the only survivor of the thirteen men who went out from 40/35; his account is fragmentary because of the injuries, both physical and emotional." Based on this quote, the firefighters who were going into the attack had little to no idea on exactly what they were getting into when they went to fight the fire. In the article I read Hijacked Jets Destroy Twin Towers and Hit Pentagon and it said "The timing was murderous for the armada of rescue vehicles that gathered after the planes crashed, and were caught under the collapsing buildings. Many rescue workers were reported killed or injured" This shows that many firefighters fought hard but they weren't in the greatest conditions to totally put out the fire. In conclusion, based on the book The Firehouse and Hijacked Jets Destroy Twin Towers and Hit Pentagon the 9/11 attack came to a surprise to everyone in the world and it was a very hard time for the people effected and the service workers fighting it. Currently in Wake County, North Carolina, more than 4,000 people are homeless. This problem needs attention because over half of these people are children. According to the University of Tennessee, most of them are exposed to violence, affecting their performance in school. Just yesterday I was in downtown Raleigh, walking back to my car. I noticed a man and a young child laying down on a bench. They looked cold, sad, and lonely. Around them were trash bags full of cloths, towels, and blankets. I also saw a similar situation week before. These events caused me to question and research homelessness in Wake County. If you think that homeless shelters are an easy solution for the homeless, you are wrong. Being able to find a shelter with space for you or your family is hard. Most shelters are packed full with people. If a homeless person does manage to get a spot in the shelter, it's not the safest place. Many of the people in there are drug addicts, child predators, and have mental problems. This is not the only concern, very little homeless shelters are actually kept clean, most are filthy with many people having diseases, inflections, and other health conditions. This is why there are many people on the streets, because homeless shelters are a hit or a miss. Homelessness also has effects on the community. It has an economic impact because the shelters and food they provide are costly. Also, the amount of homeless people in your community can represent the condition of it. If there are many homeless people on streets with shops, it will drive tourists away and affect your income. Our goal is to supply homeless shelters, and others organizations with over $3000 worth of donations, consisting of toys, food, toiletries, etc, by the end of the school year. Homelessness is a big issue in wake county. In 2013 Wake County had 1,098 homeless individuals. According to the NCCEH data, children make up 22% of north carolina's homeless population and another 13% are their parents. Single men make up nearly half of the homeless population (47%) while single women are 17%, Veterans are 10% of the homeless population. And this could be an issue because some homeless kids go to school but might not afford to buy lunch or breakfast and kids will not be able to learn on an empty stomach. The number of homeless children in wake county school system has increased by 23% since 2009 to 2,736 students for the past school year. There are 1.3 million homeless students in the U.S. and 24,492 in North Carolina according to a report released in November by the national center for homeless education at UNC Greensboro. Michelle Mozingo, the wake county system’s district liaison for providing help under the McKinney-Vento act, said said about half of the district’s homeless students are from families who are temporarily sharing living spaces. Project CATCH estimates the number of homeless children in Wake County at close to 5,000. Tisdale said those children are invisible to many people because most of them aren’t living in shelters or on the Streets. Raleigh Rescue Mission (RRM) is a big contributor to helping the homeless. More than 4000 people in Wake county are homeless and 2736 are students attending school (Raleigh Rescue Mission, 2017). RRM provides food, shelter, education, and support to the homeless. The RRM regularity holds drives for clothing, food, and other household items. Everyday RRM makes an average of 383 meals a day. Yet there are many more homeless men and women in Wake county. Though the contribution of RRM is large and substantial it does not cover every single man and women in Wake county. Raleigh Rescue Mission (as seen above) is a big contributor to helping the homeless. More than 4000 people in Wake county are homeless and 2736 are students attending school (Raleigh Rescue Mission, 2017). Raleigh Rescue Mission (RRM) provides food, shelter, education, and support to the homeless. The RRM regularity holds drives for clothing, food, and other household items. Everyday RRM makes an average of 383 meals a day. Yet there are many more homeless men and women in Wake county. Though the contribution of RRM is large and substantial it does not cover every single man and women in Wake county. Though RRM is not the only organization helping in Raleigh. Another organization is looking into building houses for the homeless. AIA North Carolina Activate14 was looking for a design for building tiny houses (J. Michael Weldon, 2015). The design consisted of a small living area, that contained a kitchen and dining facility, laundry and showers. Along with little walkways that led to 12 small homes include a bathroom, bed, and dining area. These tiny houses are planned to be built in a small community along with a garden. Even with volunteers willing to build this community, 12 tiny homes adds up to almost $120,000. Overall, the development would house just 12 out of the hundreds of homeless men and women in Wake County, and would costs a fortune. Raleigh and it’s citizens are helping too. Many citizens volunteer at shelters and soup kitchens, but there is still a need for more. The only thing many companies need now is the community’s contribution. There are already many supporters and new ones join everyday. Raleigh Rescue Mission and AIA North Carolina Activate14 are definitely helping to lower homelessness rates but it is not enough. The plan for tiny homes can house only 12 and Raleigh Rescue Mission is only based on those who come in and seek assistance. There are still many living on the streets begging for money who have no idea where to go for help. Now that you know what other people are doing to help, here is some information on what you can do to help the issue. We all know that it is very hard for the homeless to get jobs, which means they receive no commission. So, what we can do is give the homeless a job. In many states, there is something call the “Container Deposit Law.” This is a way to make a few dollars a day by recycling cans, containers, bottles, etc. With this, we can collect recyclables and donate them to homeless shelter to give the the homeless. Or, we could carry a bag of recyclables and give them to homeless people that we see on the streets. Giving recyclables to the homeless isn't the only thing you can do to help. Things like clothes, toys, and other things you don't need, can be donated to homeless shelters or Good Wills. Also, you can volunteer at homeless shelters or soup kitchens. Take a look at our Action Plan to donate things you don't need or don't use anymore to homeless shelters and homeless organizations. Today all across the whole country thousands of women have exempted themselves from their schoolwork and their jobs. In the triangle alone hundreds of women have left their jobs and decided to protest instead. In Chapel Hill, Orange County, closed its school doors. This protest was organized to show the country how women really effect how the country runs. Personally I am excited to see the chain reaction of this strike across the country. This topic is very interesting for me because it is going on so close to home. If you are interested in participating in this activity you can join in on the protest. Next time you walk in work or school, look around and see how many women are helping make things run smoothly.
On February 28th 2017, thirty-one dogs were found living in a run-down house, in Fuquay Varina. The house was in horrible condition and the dogs were said to have never been outside. Investigators found the thirty-one dogs with dried dirt and filth stuck to their legs, bellies, and faces. Personally, I have a dog and I always have had a soft spot for animals. Every year, many dogs and other animals are abused, mistreated, or killed. In the Triangle there are many animals shelters and facilities. This is a pressing issue for the state of North Carolina because it shows the lack of authority on animal rights. Just think, if the state missed thirty-one dogs hidden in one house. what else have they overlooked. Animal misuse and abuse can be stopped if we just all work together. If you want to contribute or help this cause visit your local animal shelter to volunteer or adopt!
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