by Dr. Mike Davis,
Head of School

As we confront the fourteenth anniversary of 9/11, I hope everyone can take a moment to reflect on this important and tragic day in American history.  As you many of you know, I teach a course called the “War on Terror” to 25 seniors at Colorado Academy.  Most students come to the course with a very general understanding of the events and aftermath of 9/11. The goal of my class is to deepen that comprehension. The course is designed to help the students build a more coherent understanding about the rise of Islamic Terrorism, about how the United States has responded to extremists who have distorted a peaceful world religion, about the formation of American policy and about the experience of the American soldier in the Middle East.  

 

I begin the course trying to help students, who were only four years old at the time, with the raw violence of the attacks on the World Trade Center.  I show a moving documentary by French-born American filmmakers, Jules and Gédéon Naudet who spent the summer of 2001 making a film on a rookie fireman.  Going the entire summer without an emergency call, they found themselves in downtown Manhattan investigating a gas leak when the first plane crashed into Tower One.  The firefighters, led by Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer, began rescue operations. 

 

The students sit in stunned silence as they witness what it was like to be in the World Trade Center on that fateful day. The filmmakers are sensitive to not displaying graphic images, but one can see the tension and emotion of the firefighters as they stream into the building to help put out the fire. 

 

The audience can hear the sounds of bodies landing on the pavement as people leapt from the upper floors to escape the fire.  We see the pandemonium and confusion when the second plane hits the South Tower.   Then, we hear the ominous rumble of Tower Two collapsing as the screen goes dark when smoke, ash, and dust fill the lobby of Tower One.  The documentary takes viewers through the day.  I pause it frequently to talk through the events with my students. We all leave class that day in silence.

 

I am most interested in helping my students understand what led to this day.  What are the roots of bin Laden’s rage? Who influenced him?  I want them to understand the theology of Islam and how radicals perverted a religion for their own ends.  We rely heavily on the book by Lawrence Wright called The Looming Tower, an amazing historical study into the roots of al Qaeda and 9/11.  We watch Alex Gibney’s documentary of Lawrence Wright’s off-Broadway show about his research and writings that highlights central themes of his book.  (The documentary is an HBO film called My Trip to Al Qaeda.)

 

Later in the course, we will hear from Dina Temple-Ralston, NPR’s National Security Correspondent, who will visit our class to discuss ISIS. We also have Sgt. Matt Eversmann, who was a solider who took part in the famous “Black Hawk Down” battle in Somalia in the early 1990s. (Although probably not responsible for the attack on US soldiers there, it is evident that al Qaeda operatives were present in Somalia at that time.)  Aside from hearing from these important voices, we will explore the experience of American soldiers who have served our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.   It is important for our students to understand the sacrifices these men and women of our Armed Forces make on our behalf. Too, it is important to help students develop a critical understanding of the policy decisions that led to the deployment of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.

 

I have taught this class since 2002 and I find myself becoming more and more intrigued by the concept of hate. What causes hate? Why do people hate others? How did they justify killing? When I look at ISIS, a group that uses murder and rape as central tactics, I am mystified but not surprised by the darker sides of human nature. Each time I teach this course, it strengthens my resolve that teaching character, responsibility, and empathy are critical roles for schools to play.  This is complex material that is highly nuanced.  Often the media and popular movies oversimplify and stereotype.  The role that I play is to take our students on an intellectual journey to better understand themselves and the world around them.

 

And on this day, I want students to remember those who lost their lives in a cowardly and immoral attack. I want them to honor the firefighters, police officers, and emergency workers who gave their lives to help their fellow humans. I want them to think about the innocent civilians in other countries who have been affected by war. I want them to reflect on the moral and ethical responsibilities we have as human beings to work toward making this world a more peaceful place.