One moment can forever transform a generation. Whether it was WWII or the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the result was the same. A generation of Americans was forever changed in a way that would differentiate it from any others. The impact has repercussions long after the moment it happened and can virtually transform a generation.

Photo credit: gAntico

The defining moment for my generation was undoubtedly the events that occurred on September 11, 2001. At twelve, I remember hearing the screams and cries of people on the radio as I was on my way to school. But school, which should be a safe haven, only prolonged the nightmare. There was no class that day, only hours of watching the same devastating footage of the airplanes crashing into the World Trade Center, smoke engulfing the area, and people running for their lives. For a twelve-year-old, these images were all too real. Instead of worrying about my next homework assignment or playing with my friends, I found myself worrying about terrorism and when the next attack would occur. For children of this impressionable age, the images of the airplanes crashing into the World Trade Center, as well as the devastation that followed, was all too much to handle, and the results were traumatic.

To say that my generation views the world in a cynical manner would be an understatement. Most teens believe that the world is dangerous and that it is not becoming any better